‘Richard III·Gentleman's Guide·Excalibur’... The Return of Hit Shows in the Theater Industry

As star actors active in various fields such as the screen and television continue their rush to return to the stage, three blockbuster encore hits from 2022 are coming.

The legendary play Richard III, which recorded a 98% seat occupancy rate and received both commercial success and critical acclaim during its premiere in early 2018 as part of the Sam Company theater series, returns after four years with Hwang Jung-min.

Richard III is a play inspired by the historical figure 'Richard III' from England's Wars of the Roses, created by the world-renowned playwright Shakespeare. Born as a prince with a brilliant mind and eloquence, but neglected and shunned from a young age due to his unattractive appearance and physical deformities, Richard III develops a thirst for power, leading to a bloody epic saga.

In this work portraying Shakespeare’s most captivating villain, Hwang Jung-min transforms into the bloodthirsty monarch Richard III, who seizes the throne through cunning and desire beyond his physical limitations, delivering a frenzied performance across the stage for 100 minutes. This season, versatile actor Jang Young-nam, known for her chameleon-like roles across television and film, joins alongside Yoon Seo-hyun, Lim Kang-hee, Park In-bae, Seo Sung-jong, and others. The solid chemistry of the 13-member one-cast troupe offers a magnificent stage. Beyond the dazzling cast, the seasoned direction of Seo Jae-hyung, who skillfully unravels the classic’s unique satire and profound messages for easy public understanding while maintaining tension, and the appeal of the three-dimensional stage mechanics are also highlights of the performance.

The play Richard III is offering a 20% Goodbye 2021 discount from the 21st to the 31st of this month. It will be staged at the CJ Towol Theater in the Seoul Arts Center from January 11 to February 13, 2022.

The musical The Gentleman’s Guide returns for its third season, having achieved a grand slam of the four major Broadway musical awards for Best Musical and garnered a 9.8 audience rating with a cumulative attendance of 97,000 during its Korean premiere in 2018, making it a work with a dazzling record of awards and buzz.

Set in early 1900s London, England, the musical comedy follows Monty Navarro, who has lived in poverty all his life, suddenly discovering that he is the eighth heir of the noble Disque family. To become an earl, he must eliminate the heirs ranked above him one by one.

Notably, the heirs Monty must kill are all portrayed by a single actor who quickly performs multiple quick changes with different costumes and makeup, bringing out the distinct personalities of several characters and driving the story. This process is both impressive and a key source of hearty laughter for the audience.

With a strong cast loved on screen and television including Yoo Yeon-seok, Lee Seok-hoon, Go Eun-sung, Lee Sang-yi, Oh Man-seok, Jung Sung-hwa, Jung Moon-sung, and Lee Kyu-hyung, and a cheerful story, the musical is drawing attention and will be performed at the BBCH Hall of the Kwanglim Arts Center until February 20 next year.

The musical Excalibur, which has set a new history for original musicals by achieving a 90% seat occupancy rate and attracting a total of 240,000 spectators, has confirmed an encore performance and will be staged for six weeks at the Sejong Center for the Performing Arts.

Excalibur offers a fresh reinterpretation of the legend of King Arthur with an exciting storyline and beautiful numbers, especially captivating audiences with the story of the ordinary boy Arthur who grows into adulthood and becomes king while battling himself.

The musical Excalibur is led by EMK’s general producer Eom Hong-hyun, who has produced numerous hits such as Mozart!, Elisabeth, The Man Who Laughs, and Mata Hari, with music composed by Frank Wildhorn. Since its world premiere in 2019, it has continuously evolved.

For this Seoul encore of Excalibur, Kim Junsu, who has led the production as Arthur since the premiere, returns, joined by Kim Sung-kyu. Lee Ji-hoon, Enoc, Shin Young-sook, Jang Eun-ah, and K also join to lead the story. The performance will be held at the Grand Theater of the Sejong Center for the Performing Arts from January 29 to March 13 next year.

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