Ferhan Şensoy (b. 26 February 1951, Çarşamba – d. 31 August 2021, İstanbul) was a Turkish playwright, actor, director, poet and novelist. He is known for works that blended traditional Turkish theatre with modern narrative forms, and for developing a distinctive theatrical language that combined humor, satire and social critique. His influence on Turkish stage arts is evident through the company he founded, Ortaoyuncular, and the Ses Tiyatrosu in İstanbul.

Life and Education

Ferhan Şensoy was born in 1951 in the Çarşamba district of Samsun. His father, Hilmi Şensoy, was a journalist, and his mother, Müjgan Şensoy, was a primary school teacher. He completed his primary and secondary education in Samsun, and finished his high school studies at Galatasaray High School and later at Çarşamba High School.

In the early 1970s, he traveled to Canada where he received theatre training at the National Theatre School of Montreal and La Comédie Française. During this period, he was deeply influenced by French and Quebec theatre, which shaped his literary and staging sensibilities.

Ferhan Şensoy (AA)

Artistic Career

Theatre

Şensoy’s artistic career began in the 1970s, with his first major breakthrough coming through the play “İstanbul’u Satıyorum”. In 1980, he founded the Ortaoyuncular company, which brought traditional Turkish theatrical forms—such as ortaoyunu, meddah and tuluat—into a modern theatrical context.

In 1989, he adopted the restored Ses Tiyatrosu as his main stage. The unique theatrical language he developed, known as the “Ferhangi” style, quickly became a distinctive genre in its own right.

Notable Theatre Works

• Ferhangi Şeyler (1987–2021, solo performance, performed continuously)
• İstanbul’u Satıyorum
• İçinden Tramvay Geçen Şarkı
• Köhne Bizans Operası
• Boşgezen ve Kalfası
• Şahları da Vururlar

Television and Film

In addition to theatre, Ferhan Şensoy was active in television and film. He served as both writer and actor in the TRT program “Varsayalım İsmail”. He also appeared as a screenwriter and actor in several feature films.

Literature

Şensoy was also a prolific literary figure, producing essays, novels, poetry and theatre texts.

Some of his works:

• Güle Güle Godot
• Kazancı Yokuşu
• Kalemimin Sapını Gülle Donattım
• Hacıyatmaz
• Denememeler

He carved out a unique place in Turkish literature through his cultural insight, linguistic playfulness and mastery of satire.

The Kavuk Tradition and Ferhan Şensoy

In Turkish theatre, the kavuk is a symbolic object traditionally regarded as a mark of mastery in the folk theatre forms of tuluat and ortaoyunu. According to this tradition, a theatre artist who embodies a specific artistic philosophy and level of excellence receives the kavuk symbolically from the previous holder. This tradition has been maintained in the modern era through successive transfers among İsmail Dümbüllü, Münir Özkul, Ferhan Şensoy, Rasim Öztekin, and most recently Şevket Çoruh.

Transfer from Münir Özkul to Ferhan Şensoy (1989)

After the death of İsmail Dümbüllü, the kavuk was inherited by Münir Özkul. In 1989, Özkul decided to retire from the stage due to health issues and symbolically passed the kavuk to the actor and playwright Ferhan Şensoy. The transfer ceremony was held publicly at the Ses Tiyatrosu in İstanbul.

In the years following this transfer, Ferhan Şensoy continued his theatrical work under the banner of the Ortaoyuncular Theatre, incorporating elements of traditional Turkish theatre while interpreting the tradition through contemporary forms.

1989 Kavuk Transfer (BBC)

Transfer from Ferhan Şensoy to Rasim Öztekin (2016)

In 2016, Ferhan Şensoy passed the kavuk to actor Rasim Öztekin, citing his own health condition and reduced capacity to continue active stage performances as reasons. This transfer was also formally announced in a ceremony at the Ses Tiyatrosu.

In 2020, Rasim Öztekin transferred the kavuk to theatre actor Şevket Çoruh. Thus, the kavuk tradition has become a symbolic transmission across generations.

2016 Kavuk Transfer (

Death

Ferhan Şensoy died on 31 August 2021 in İstanbul at the age of 70, after long-standing health problems. His funeral was held at the Ses Tiyatrosu in İstanbul, after which he was buried at Zincirlikuyu Cemetery.