Finding hope and healing through theatre in Turkish prisons: an interview with Turgay Tanülkü

Abstract

ABSTRACT Theatre has long been performed for or by prison inmates. Such theatre in Turkey, despite the country’s overcrowded prisons, falls short as against other countries, such as England and the United States, where many professional theatre groups, practitioners, and academics engage with prison theatre. Yet, state theatre and film actor Turgay Tanülkü, who has long been engaged in prison-based theatrical work, is the best representative of prison theatre in Turkey. In this interview, conducted on 18 July 2021, Tanülkü explains his relationship with prison theatre and his activities in prisons. Based on his own experiences, he also reflects on the transformative power of theatre on prison inmates.