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A stage incident during Girgiriye, a popular Turkish musical, in Istanbul led to the cancellation of the performance after a spectator rushed onto the stage, prompting veteran actor Mujdat Gezen to fall ill and be taken to the hospital.
The incident took place during a staging of the Girgiriye Musical, a theatre adaptation inspired by a well-known Turkish film series unfamiliar to many international audiences, at the Istanbul Congress Center in the Harbiye district.
According to organizers, the disruption began when a member of the audience claimed they could not see the stage clearly and reacted by going up onto the stage and confronting the performers. The unexpected intervention broke the flow of the performance and escalated into a direct argument with Gezen.
As tensions rose inside the auditorium, some members of the audience reportedly shouted in protest, further intensifying the situation.
Fellow cast member Gulben Ergen later said that Gezen attempted to defuse the situation politely, offering the disruptive spectator a front-row seat for a future performance by saying, “Tomorrow, let us host you in the front row.”
Despite this effort, the individual reportedly continued shouting, and the situation could not be brought under control.
Following the confrontation, Gezen experienced a health issue and had to leave the stage. The production team subsequently announced that the performance would not go ahead, citing both the actor’s condition and audience safety concerns.
In a statement, the team said the incident disrupted stage order and led to the decision to postpone the show, adding that the nature and timing of the disruption raised the possibility of provocation. They also emphasized that theatre relies on mutual respect and trust between performers and audiences, noting that this boundary had been violated.
The team apologized to attendees and said a new performance date would be announced.
Amid the disruption, actress Perran Kutman was reported to have left the stage area in tears as tensions spilled over backstage.
Journalist and cast member Ugur Dundar later shared a photo of Gezen from the hospital, saying the veteran actor had been deeply upset by the incident and had received initial medical treatment.
The production had already drawn criticism on social media prior to the performance for not being postponed following unrelated incidents elsewhere in Türkiye.
Some media outlets had also targeted members of the cast, contributing to a charged atmosphere surrounding the show.
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