Rufus Norris’ DEATH OF A SALESMAN to open in Turkey marking directorial return
Photo credit: Cem Gültepe
Rufus Norris returns to directing this week marking his first production since stepping down as Artistic Director of the National Theatre. His version of the landmark Arthur Miller play Death of a Salesman opens this evening (26 March) at Turkey’s premier performing arts venue in Istanbul, Zorlu PAC, and features an all-star Turkish cast and award-winning creative team.
The production’s set design is by Olivier and Tony Award-winning designer Es Devlin, with choreography and movement by Olivier Award-winning choreographer Javier De Frutos, original music by renowned composer Oğuz Kaplangı, sound by Tony Award-winning sound designer Adam Cork, lighting by Oliver Fenwick, and costumes by Tony and Olivier Award-winning designer Katrina Lindsay.
The cast features some of the biggest names in Turkish acting. Renowned actor Halit Ergenç - whose TV series have been broadcast in 190 countries and broken viewership records both at home and internationally -makes a triumphant return to the stage after a twenty-five-year hiatus in the role of Willy Loman. He is joined by award-winning actress Zerrin Tekindor as Linda Loman, recently seen at Zorlu PAC in Dust which has been performed 350 times over five seasons and staged across Europe and other international locations including Dubai. Completing the family are Fatih Artman and Kerem Arslanoğlu as the couple's sons, Biff and Happy.
Rufus Norris said: “This has been one of the most challenging and rewarding processes I’ve experienced, and I feel incredibly grateful to have had this opportunity. My connection to Turkey - and especially to its people - has deepened throughout this journey. What makes Death of a Salesman so powerful is its ability to reveal its characters in all their complexity, exploring memory and imagination at its core. With this production, we’ve aimed to expand the world of the play while staying true to its emotional heart, particularly in expressing the fragmentation of Willy Loman’s mind on stage. As always, my hope is that audiences fully lose themselves in the experience and leave with a lasting emotional response.”