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Ahead of the tour, she spoke to The Yorkshire Post.

What inspired you to write your science fiction musical Consistent Fantasy Is Reality, which recently premiered in Berlin?

“The political climate of the world today is the result of the systematic (egotism) and mistakes of a group of white men. With my art, my imagination, and my way of existing as myself, I construct my own ‘counter reality’ in opposition to this boring and miserable truth.

“I believe that dreaming is a political act of resistance, and that victory in our struggle with reality lies in collective, consistent imagination. Consistent Fantasy Is Reality is not just a musical – it’s a staged possibility of another world. With every tool I have, I aim to disrupt and reimagine this world that patriarchy has normalised – this world devoid of equality, colour, justice, and imagination.

“This musical was something I had dreamed of for many years. When Komische Oper approached me with the idea, we immediately started working. It took around four years to develop, and finally it spread its wings and met the audience.”

You have a long-standing interest in social anthropology. Did this show allow you to explore important themes from your past work in different ways?

“Absolutely. Anthropology taught me to ask questions about identity, belonging, rituals, and modes of resistance. I explored all of that in this musical, but through a postmodern narrative. Themes like the sense of community, body politics, the power of collective creation, and how oppressed individuals can reshape themselves through imagination – these were central.

“The musical’s language also draws from many cultures – just like the world we live in: hybrid, full of contradictions, tragic and comedic all at once.”

You have described your music as “universal in concept, local in spirit”. Do you think that has helped it to resonate with audiences internationally?

“I believe that when you approach yourself and your history – not with denial or glorification, but with a desire to understand – you gain the ability to tell your story from a place of honesty and deep resemblance to your true self. That’s where the ‘local’ begins: in the courage to face inherited traumas, layered identities, and unresolved ghosts with transparency and compassion. And it’s not easy – it requires unlearning helplessness, dismantling the walls you were taught to live behind.

“What makes it ‘universal’ is how you carry that truth into the world – what language you choose, what sounds you shape it with, what emotional frequency you tune into. For me, that frequency is a mixture of Anatolian psych and punk rebellion, ancient rhythms and futuristic dreams. When you’re honest with where you come from, others – no matter where they are – recognise something in it that feels like home.

⁠In an interview a few years ago, you said that “the world is ruled by idiots who lack imagination while the rest of the world feels powerless and hopeless”. In an era of greater extremes, do you feel that is even more the case – and what can we do to challenge that?

“Yes, that statement feels even more true today. A ruling class that lacks creativity, empathy, and the ability to dream collectively is working relentlessly to turn the world into a terrible place. But if we can still dream, if we can act in organized solidarity, change is possible.

“Art, humour, love, community-building, and solidarity – these are the tools we have. A new system must be established. We need a unique blend governed by post-human ideals, philosophy, and imagination.”

What were your biggest musical influences as you were growing up?

"The older I get, the more clearly I see that my first muse was my mother. As a child, we used to listen to Müzeyyen Senar and those fabulous, big-haired, shoulder-padded, elegantly dressed women on state television. She sang Turkish classical songs all the time, and I had memorised most of what she knew by the time I was six or seven.

“At home, my father’s records included Turkish folk and Western classical music. I was introduced to jazz at an early age, too.

“But everything changed when I discovered Nirvana, thanks to my older brother. I was still in primary school. The moment I heard the Nevermind album was a turning point. After that, it all unraveled – I discovered Turkish psychedelia, Erkin Koray, all the classic Western bands, psychedelic rock… My remedy was rock ’n’ roll, and nothing was ever the same again.”

⁠Do you feel that experimentation lies at the heart of everything you do musically?

“My music is like a laboratory without formulas – a place where different eras, cultures, and emotions undergo chemical reactions. To experiment, to fly, to push the limits of perception, to try again… That process is music to me. Every new album is a new universe.”

Turkey has seen a psychedelia revival in recent years. Are there more artists who you think could break through outside of Turkey?

“Yes, in recent years, many incredibly creative bands have started to emerge. I especially appreciate those who avoid repetition, who don’t simply imitate the past, but take bolder steps and honor the spirit of the genre while pushing its boundaries. Otherwise, it ends up being a copy of the past, which can’t carry any real weight. That feels unfair to a genre that has witnessed and testified to its time with such depth and value. When you have the courage to be truly yourself, that’s when you create something lasting – and leave a music for the future. Lalalar, Meral Polat, Derya Yıldırım & Grup Şimşek, Şatellites, Ayyuka, Cem Yıldız are just the first names that came to mind, but the list is long — and that’s very promising.”

Your concert at the Old Woollen in Leeds will be one of three that you are doing on a short run of UK dates. What can we look forward to from your set? Will it include songs from all four of your studio albums and perhaps some new material?

“We’ll be playing in Leeds for the very first time, so I’m incredibly excited and it will be a short leap through space and time. Yes, we’ll perform songs from all of my albums, but there will also be surprises. One is a brand-new track called Hepsi Kafamda Memur Bey. We’ll also play Yuh Yuh – a piece by Aşık Mahzuni Şerif – which we added to the setlist during our recent Netherlands tour. These shows are not just about music; they’re visual stories and the shared dream of a collective imagination. Let’s make it unforgettable together.”

Gaye Su Akyol plays at The Old Woollen, Farsley, Leeds on Sunday May 25. https://oldwoollen.seetickets.com/event/gaye-su-akyol/the-old-woollen/3253431