[On Stage] Why Does Cho Yong-pil's Song 'Heogong' Come Out There?

Theater Play 'Lear Side Story' and 'Jochiwon Haemun' Twist Shakespearean Tragedy into Bursting Laughter

[Asia Economy Reporter Park Byung-hee] "O confused one, thy name is Father." "Whether to live or die, one must bear the consequences."

These lines are familiar yet somewhat awkward. They are a twist on lines from the British playwright William Shakespeare's (1564?1616) play 'Hamlet.' The original lines are "Frailty, thy name is woman" and "To be, or not to be, that is the question."

The plays 'Lear Oejeon' and 'Jochiwon Haemuni,' currently performed at the Daehangno Arts Theater's main and small theaters, respectively, twist Shakespeare's tragedies to bring laughter. As the title suggests, Lear Oejeon is an adaptation of 'King Lear.' 'Jochiwon Haemuni' cleverly transposes Hamlet's characters and settings to Jochiwon in Sejong City in 2009, just before its designation as a special city.

Theater performance scene from the play 'Lear Extra Story'
Photo by Theater Company 'Mabangjin'

◆ King Lear singing Cho Yong-pil's 'Heogong' = "It leaves too much regret to think it was just a dream~ ♬ Waiting with a burning heart, you have become so distant."

This is a lament King Lear murmurs in Act 2 of Lear Oejeon. The lyrics are taken directly from the 1985 song 'Heogong' by the legendary singer Cho Yong-pil. This is the pinnacle of director Go Seon-ung's signature twist.

The lyrics of 'Heogong' perfectly express King Lear's feelings. Lear laments during his initiation in a cramped room village. The royal cloak that showed his dignity at the beginning of the play is gone, and even the tattered rags worn by the village elders are about to be stripped off.

He had entrusted his old age to his two daughters and even bequeathed the land of Britain, but the two daughters, looking out for their own interests, rejected him at the doorstep, saying he smelled bad. The line about growing old before becoming wise carries a bitter feeling. But what can one do? Since the children became cunning, King Lear should have looked out for himself too... regret floods in.

Lear Oejeon is a play that highlights director Go's unique wordplay and twists. Even the poster, which directly quotes the line "I'm Your Father" from the movie 'Star Wars,' evokes laughter.

The scene featuring the 'Lear Car,' said to have been made by King Lear's grandfather, also showcases Go's wordplay brilliance. However, the scene where the penniless King Lear pulls the Lear Car around the stage leaves a bittersweet feeling after a burst of laughter.

Director Go said he wanted to depict the conflicts between long-living parents and self-centered children, and still wanted to convey the message that one should be filial and loving. Hence, the play begins and ends with the line "Let's not live like this."

Theater performance scene of 'Jochiwon Haemuni'
Photo by Theater Company 'Cornerstone'

◆ Hamlet speaking in Chungcheong dialect = Sejong City, where land prices are fluctuating ahead of its designation as a special city. Applause is due for the writer's imagination who recalled Hamlet against this backdrop. It is easy to understand why 'Jochiwon Haemuni' won the '4th Byuksan Playwriting Award' in 2014.

The fluctuating land prices set the stage for 'Lee Man-guk,' who, succeeding his deceased older brother, becomes the village chief and acts as a power figure akin to a king. Lee Man-guk is equivalent to King Claudius in Hamlet, who married Hamlet's mother, his sister-in-law, and seized power.

The play begins with Haemuni's friends drinking late at night near the village hall and seeing the ghost of Haemuni's deceased father. This reenacts the scene where soldiers see King Hamlet's ghost on the castle wall. 'Jochiwon Haemuni' effectively applies Hamlet's characters and settings to Sejong City, where land prices are fluctuating, eliciting laughter from the audience.

However, there is a slight sense that the desire for laughter is somewhat excessive. 'Jochiwon Haemuni' naturally evokes laughter with its already established setting and characters speaking in dialect. Yet, in pursuit of extra amusement, some parts become somewhat awkward in character and situation. The scene where Haemuni's lover 'Opiri' (Hamlet's Ophelia) conveys the message through tragedy feels somewhat overly heavy.

Both 'Lear Oejeon' and 'Jochiwon Haemuni' implement 'distancing seating' to prevent the spread of COVID-19. Audience seats have been halved. The number of performances has also been reduced: Lear Oejeon from 11 to 8 shows, and Jochiwon Haemuni from 10 to 6. Both plays run until the 19th.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.