Lacrima in Istanbul: One Wedding Dress, Three Cities, Interwoven Lives

A royal wedding dress connects lives across continents in Lacrima, the opening production of the 30th Istanbul Theatre Festival. Presented as part of the festival organised by the Istanbul Foundation for Culture and Arts (İKSV), the play comes to Zorlu PSM’s Turkcell Stage on 22 and 23 October 2026, with both performances beginning at 20:00.

Written and directed by Caroline Guiela Nguyen and produced by Théâtre National de Strasbourg, Lacrima follows the creation of an extraordinary dress commissioned for a British princess. Its story moves between a Paris fashion house, the lace workshops of Alençon and embroidery artisans in Mumbai.

Through the people making the dress, the production explores craftsmanship, ambition and the personal pressures behind an object of luxury. The title means “tear” in Latin, reflecting a story concerned with the human cost of creating something beautiful.

Nguyen, whose previous productions include Saigon and Fraternité, brings different languages and intertwined personal stories onto the same stage. For audiences drawn to international theatre, Lacrima offers a story that crosses borders through the work and lives of its characters.

Before booking, check the language details. The performance is mainly in French, with passages in Tamil, English and French Sign Language, accompanied by Turkish surtitles. The festival does not advertise English surtitles, so English-speaking audiences should take this into account.

The performance lasts approximately 175 minutes without an interval, and some scenes depict physical and psychological violence.

Lacrima

• Dates: Thursday 22 and Friday 23 October 2026

• Time: 20:00; doors open at 19:30

• Venue: Zorlu PSM, Turkcell Stage

• Tickets: Passo, via the official venue page

New to İKSV? Discover İKSV introduces the foundation and its festivals.

Official festival information: tiyatro.iksv.org

Venue information and ticket links: zorlupsm.com