Next month we're playing Call of Cthulhu in a 5th Century underground cistern in Istanbul!
Posted by Michael O'Brien on 18th May 2026
In the year 1034, the Norwegian prince Harald Sigurdson (1015-1066) entered the service of the Byzantine emperor Michael IV...
We are excited to announce a very special Call of Cthulhu actual play show, taking place next month in Istanbul, Turkey. What's more, we'll be performing the show in the incredibly ancient and atmospheric Cistern of Theodosius, built under the city of Constantinople in the 5th century!
Horror in the Cisterns: Cthulhu in Byzantium is part of the A Viking in the Sun project, exploring Norwegian Harald “Hardrada” Sigurdsson's heroic exploits in the Mediterranean world in the eleventh century.
Join us inside the 5th-century Şerefiye Sarnıcı (Theodosius Cistern) for a mystery show set in Constantinople in the year 1035. Actors will impersonate medieval characters to solve a mystery inspired by iconic urban landmarks, real archaeological objects, Byzantine historical works, medieval Icelandic sagas on the Mediterranean adventures of the Viking Harald Hardrada, and H. P. Lovecraft’s works set in Byzantium. The actors will find out the plot only as the show unfolds, trying to solve it by playing the role-playing games Call of Cthulhu and Age of Vikings in front of you, the live audience.
Cast members for the show are Jon Gracey, Tegan Verheul, Viv Egan, Nick Brooke, and Michael O'Brien.
- Date: 20:00 Saturday June 13th 2026
- Location: Şerefiye Sarnıcı (Theodosius Cistern), Binbirdirek, Piyer Loti Cd. No:2/1, 34122 Fatih/İstanbul, Türkiye
- Tickets: The show is FREE but seats are limited. Register here as soon as possible to secure your spot!
- The event will be held in English and is suitable for audiences aged 13+
A Viking in the Sun
This international and interdisciplinary academic project also includes a strong performative and creative element, which will serve to interrogate the subject matter imaginatively, but also for public engagement and impact purposes, and for experimenting in ways to integrate academic research and the creative industries.
In staging this show, we gratefully appreciate the support of:
Chaosium, publisher of the Call of Cthulhu and Age of Vikings roleplaying games
The University of Edinburgh's History and Games Lab, Edinburgh UK
Sevgi Gönül Center for Byzantine Studies at Koç University
KARMA Lab at Koç University
Koç University, Türkiye
Snorrastofa cultural and medieval centre, Iceland
The Swedish Research Institute and Swedish Consulate General in Istanbul
The Royal Norwegian Embassy in Türkiye
UKRI - UK Research and Innovation
The Theodosian Cistern in Istanbul