By Heidi Trautmann

Aways in spring around the International Theatre Day there is a theatre festival in the mountain village of Catalköy, organized by Derman Atik, the Mayor of Catalköy and Girne Municipality. Derman Atik, an institution and director of two theatre groups GIBETSU and ÇATALKÖY TIYATRO SU; a man responsible for cultural and art activities in Girne and surrounding villages, and especially Çatalköy, a place where he has lived for many years with his family. For this spring festivity he brings together various theatre groups, this year for over a month: Konya Devlet Theatre, Mağusa Kent theatre, Güzelyurt Belediye City Theatre, Mesarya Cultural and Art Association; Beyarmudu Belediye Private Theatre, TRNC State Theatre, Dördünçu Duvar ; Limbya Theatre, a group from the South of Cyprus; Lefkoşa Belediye Theatre, GÜSAD; GIBETSU  and Çatalköy Tiyatro SU.

Theatre groups on our island are growing in number and I know that in most schools there are theatre groups, the municipalities entertain such groups, so we may expect the number to grow still further. Plays from Turkish and Cypriot writers but also other modern national writers, plus antique playwrights such as Aristophanes.  The theatre in Çatalköy is always full to the last seat, its population eager theatre goers. I saw one play together with the artist Ismet Tatar, it was on the International Theatre Day itself, a play with GIBETSU = Girne Belediye Tiyatrusu, with a play by Stefan Tsanev,  ‘Baştan Çıkarma’ = ‘Seduction’; Director: Derman Atik, actors: Sevil Sargın, Ersin Sargın and Mehmet Soyluoğlu.

It was great fun, well played. The set decoration was very good. Now, on April 1 and 2 are the last two plays with Çatalköy Tiyatro SU.