Devekuşu Cabaret Theater in the context of art and politics in Turkey

The relationship between art and politics has been mutually influential at many points in history. One of the fields where this relationship can be demonstrated is theater. The connection between art and politics, observable in almost all periods of Turkish theater, is also evident in the plays of the 1980s. Established in the late 1960s and continuing its activities until the first half of the 1990s, Devekuşu Kabare Theater interpreted the political, economic, and social transformations that Turkey experienced during the 1980s from the stage, and through the plays it staged during these years, it captured a snapshot of the political and social structure of that period. The aim of this study is to reveal Devekuşu Cabaret's perspective on political developments, its thoughts on politics, and the changes made in the theater texts to share these thoughts through the content analysis of its plays with available visual or audio recordings, such as "Yasaklar," "Beyoğlu Beyoğlu," "Aşk Olsun," "Geceler," "Reklamlar," "Deliler," and "Dün-Bugün," using the latent coding method. Devekuşu Cabaret Theater, with its straightforward subject selection, its updating in accordance with current political developments, its political critiques presented in a humorous manner through its unique style and approach, and its portrayal of the society from which it emerged to the society itself, provides significant examples of the art-politics relationship.