Altındağ Tiyatrosu

About Altındağ Tiyatrosu

Altındağ Tiyatrosu is a State Theatre stage in the Plevne neighbourhood of Altındağ, on Babür Caddesi, a short way north-east of the old city centre. It belongs to the Ankara State Theatre (Ankara Devlet Tiyatrosu), part of the Ministry of Culture and Tourism's General Directorate of State Theatres, and has hosted its productions since 1964. The theatre grew out of a plan made while Cüneyt Gökçer was head of the State Theatres. At the time Ankara's stages, including the Halkevi stage, Yeni Tiyatro, Küçük Tiyatro, Büyük Tiyatro and Oda Tiyatrosu, were all clustered close together, so the decision was taken to take theatre to a wider audience by converting the hall of a high-school building in Plevne. After renovation it opened on 27 March 1964 as Ankara's first neighbourhood theatre, with Nazım Kurşunlu's play Merdiven (The Staircase). According to Turkish Wikipedia, the theatre's defining feature is that since it opened it has staged only Turkish plays, acting as a people's theatre for the district. The auditorium has a single level of seating with 307 seats and no boxes, and Wikipedia notes that there is no car park, so it is easiest to arrive by taxi or public transport. The State Theatre's published schedule gives performances here at 20:00 from Tuesday to Friday, at 15:00 and 20:00 on Saturday and at 15:00 on Sunday; check the current programme for what is on. Tickets are sold through the State Theatre box offices and online, and the Altındağ box office phone is +90 312 316 59 02. It suits visitors who want to see Turkish-language drama in a neighbourhood setting rather than in the larger central halls.