Camden Fringe 2026: Gelin – Young Actors Theatre, London

Writer: Estelle Warner

Director: Erica Rosa Lima

Gelin – meaning bride – is a larky modern update by Estelle Warner of a nineteenth-century Turkish play by Ibrahim Şinasi about arranged marriages, playing for two nights at the Camden Fringe. Much works well, although the transfer of the action to London isn’t entirely obvious. The frequent references to Turkish eateries and the use of the Turkish language imply we were still in the homeland of singleton heroine Aylin, her mother, Sevim, and her best friend, the non-Turkish Yaz. But in retrospect, it probably explains why Londoner Yaz seems so spectacularly unaware of all aspects of Turkish culture.

Pushy Sevim (Duru Agirbas) is determined to see her 20-something daughter married and producing grandchildren. So much, so stereotypical. As her own marriage was arranged, she wants to do the same for her daughter. Unsurprisingly, this repels Aylin (Gunes Soysal ). Early on, there are some laugh-out-loud scenes in which Sevim scrutinises pictures of potential suitors. ‘A musician?’ she muses. ‘Probably unemployed’. A perfect candidate would be a regular at both mosque and gym.

To avoid an engineered date, Aylin sends Yaz (Elif Gulap) in her place. Needless to say, the entirely acceptable Emre (Pedro Millan Duke), a professor of English Literature, no less, finds the kooky Yaz enchanting, as she does him. It’s not classic literature they bond over, but their love of pickles.

But after this the script starts to unravel. Aylin has to think up ever more improbable reasons why Yaz shouldn’t go on a second date. And when suddenly we’re watching a wedding, we’re aware of a gaping plot hole. How was this arranged without the much-talked-about family get-together which would have revealed the deceit? What could have been an almost biblical scene – think Jacob’s marriage to Leah – feels a bit of a damp squib when Emre unveils the wrong bride.

The final 20 minutes or so go flat. We all know how the story will end, but it takes far too long to get there. And it’s hard to feel invested in Aylin’s dawning awareness of her faults and her saccharine reconciliation with her mother.

Reviewed on 2 August 2026

Camden Fringe runs until 30 August 2026