Q&A: EDINBURGH 2024: Uğyr Özcan on THE SUN KING

BWW caught up with Uğyr Özcan about bringing The Sun King to the 2024 Edinburgh Festival Fringe.

How did you first get involved in the world of theatre?

I had always been interested in theatre, and I think seeing some really good children’s plays as a kid was a big part of that. I did some acting in school, but I think what really drove me to put on my own play was the range of talent and support in Oxford. In my second year, I was involved in quite a few productions, including original plays my friends wrote. What I enjoyed about these was bringing a creative vision to life as a team, and I think I just couldn’t help but do more and more of it!

What inspired the creation of The Sun King?

The “Sun King” character existed years before The Sun King, the play. In essence, he is a fantasy king who can see everything. I tried different ways of bringing the character to life - first in a song and then in a children’s story, neither of which really worked. The play tells the story of a boy living in an unnamed developing country. He talks to the Sun King, while the actual president of his country is never seen on stage. The central idea that I wanted to explore was how a popular autocrat with strong views can affect someone’s youth, and the way I wanted to do that was to use a young boy’s fantasies, his escapism, to show his growing understanding of the reality he is in. So what inspired the creation of the play is my interest in the political awareness aspect of growing up and how that awareness can make a whole generation of youth feel vulnerable and lonely.

What was the creative process like for The Sun King?

Honestly, considering how personal the story is, everything leading up to the play’s creation has been incredibly collaborative. I was especially grateful that everyone who contributed to this play was just as passionate about it as I was. We had most of our rehearsals and production meetings in February, and throughout the creative process, I felt like everyone was bringing something new to the table to make sure it achieved its purpose.

How are you bringing a new perspective to “all-too-familiar” themes?

I think The Sun King deals with some themes that are incredibly familiar to the Fringe audience: queer repression, coming-of-age, politics, fantasy. But I think it’s also going to feel new because it’s rare that there is a political philosophy aspect to the standard queer coming-of-age story. Also, it’s coming from the perspective of someone who grew up under the same president for the past 21 years. Besides my own experience growing up in Turkey, I am also drawing from some of the modules that I studied at university, especially ethics and jurisprudence (which is essentially legal philosophy), which should hopefully spice things up a bit!

What is it like bringing The Sun King to the Edinburgh Fringe?

Stressful! But also incredible. I feel so lucky to get the chance to be part of Fringe, and especially grateful to the University and its societies and colleges who are supporting this production. I think the play feels right at home here!

 What is it like telling a story based on your own life experiences in Turkey as a play?

It feels really therapeutic because it does feel a lot like some of the ideas captured by the play are exactly what my friends and I felt growing up, especially wanting to be out of the country. While I was lucky enough to get to study at Oxford, I think it’s very special for me to have a way of expressing the feeling of being trapped that a lot of people around me felt growing up. Also, it’s quite exciting to have the play reflect actual political events that happened in Turkey in the 2010s. 

What do you hope audiences take away from The Sun King?

I hope they feel something! That’s always the main thing for me. All of the political ideas and fantasy themes are useless if it’s not ultimately about Jamie’s story and his feelings. And Jamie is someone who feels a lot, so I think the audience will find a lot to sympathise with. 

How would you describe The Sun King in one word?

Warm.

The Sung King runs from 12 to 24 August at theSpaceTriplex - Studio at the 2024 Edinburgh Festival Fringe.

 

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