National Theatre Company of Korea is going to re-envision Shakespeare’s classic ‘Twelfth Night’ as a Jeoson Era (1392-1910) comedy, running from June 12 to July 6 at the Myeongdong Theater in Seoul.
The story is set in a coastal Jeoson village, while remaining true to the original’s swirl of mistaken identities, romantic chaos and revelry but giving the play a Korean cultural twist.
The story starts when a shipwreck separates twin siblings Shin-ae and Mi-eon, where each believes the other is lost.
After being stranded alone, Shin-ae takes on the identity of a man called Man-deuk to protect herself and begins working under Oh Sa-ryong a young nobleman who is smitten with Seo-rin a noblewoman from the same village.
When Man-deuk is tasked with delivering Oh’s heartfelt message to Seo-rin, unaware of the Man’s true identity, finds herself drawn to the ‘young man’. The plot furthers when Shin-ae's twin, Mi-eon arrives in town, their resemblance weaves a series of mistaken identities, turning the town into a stage of misunderstandings and romantic chaos.
The lively adaptation, directed and adapted by Im Do-wan, blends the classic charm of Bards with Korean elements. The production merges traditional pansori with contemporary rap, while multimedia, historically inspired costumes and set design fuse the past and present in a singular theatrical vision.
National Theatre Company of Korea is producing this in collaboration with Daejeon Arts Centre, where it first premiered on Dec 21, 2024.
English subtitles will be available on Thursdays and Sundays, except June 12 and 15.
-Reported by Samruddhi Poojary
Intern at the Korean Academy
Korean news analysis and reporting
