Ses Theater, Historic theatre in Beyoğlu, Turkey
Ses Theater is a theatre in the Beyoğlu district of Istanbul, housed inside a historic building on Istiklal Avenue. It has a traditional stage with modern technical equipment and a seated auditorium designed for theatrical productions.
The building was put up in 1885 by architect Campanaki and originally served as a covered arcade known as Halep Passage. After years as a cinema, it went through major reconstruction in the 1980s and reopened as a working theatre.
Ses Theater is home to the Ortaoyuncular Theater Company, one of Turkey's best-known independent theater groups. Watching a show here often means sitting alongside a loyal local audience that follows the company's work season after season.
The theatre sits on Istiklal Avenue, one of the main pedestrian streets in Beyoğlu, so it is easy to reach on foot from Taksim Square or the nostalgic tram line. Booking ahead is a good idea, as shows from the resident company tend to fill up.
Although the building was almost entirely rebuilt in the 1980s, the original 1885 facade was kept standing. From the street, you are looking at a 19th-century shell that contains a fully modern interior behind it.
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