Shingu, Park Geun-hyung, Park Jeong-ja, Kim Hak-cheol Together on One Stage... Play 'Waiting for Godot'

December 19 Opening of National Theater Daloreum
Directed by Oh Kyung-taek of Last Session and Love Letter

Total acting experience of 182 years combined. Veteran theater actors Shin Goo, Park Geun-hyung, and Park Jeong-ja come together on stage in the play 'Waiting for Godot.'

Profile photos of the play 'Waiting for Godot' (from left) Shin Goo, Park Geun-hyung, Park Jeong-ja, Kim Hak-cheol.
[Photo by Park Company]

The production company Park Company announced on the 18th that the play 'Waiting for Godot' will open on December 19th at Daloreum Theater, National Theater of Korea, Jung-gu, Seoul.

'Waiting for Godot' is a representative work by Irish writer Samuel Beckett, who won the Nobel Prize in Literature. It is a tragicomedy about two wanderers, Estragon (Gogo) and Vladimir (Didi), endlessly waiting for the elusive character 'Godot.' The play is widely known for defining human life as 'waiting' and showing the absurdity of human existence that appears within this endless waiting.

Since its premiere in Paris in 1953, 'Waiting for Godot' has been performed worldwide with various interpretations. In Korea, since director Lim Young-woong of the Sanwoollim Theater Company first staged it in 1969, it has been performed about 1,500 times over 50 years, loved by 220,000 audience members.

This performance features leading theater actors representing the industry: 87-year-old Shin Goo, 83-year-old Park Geun-hyung, and 81-year-old Park Jeong-ja, all performing in a one-cast production with passionate acting.

Shin Goo and Park Jeong-ja debuted in 1962 with the plays 'So' and 'Phaedra,' respectively, and have consistently appeared on theater stages for over 60 years. The two actors also appeared together in the play 'Jangsu Sanghoe' last April and are actively involved in works such as 'The Last Session,' 'The Two Popes,' 'Hamlet,' and 'Love Letter.'

Park Geun-hyung debuted as a KBS public recruitment talent in 1963 and worked as a leading actor at the National Theater Company for three years starting the following year. He attracted attention by returning to the theater stage after seven years with the play 'Death of a Salesman' last May.

Shin Goo plays 'Estragon,' Park Geun-hyung plays 'Vladimir,' and Park Jeong-ja takes on the role of 'Lucky.' Additionally, Kim Hak-cheol appears as 'Pozzo,' and Kim Rian as 'Boy.' They began pre-readings last September and have been fully dedicated to rehearsals since early this month.

This performance is a new production presented by the production company Park Company. Director Oh Kyung-taek, known for 'The Last Session,' 'Darwin Young's Origin of Evil,' and 'In the Garden We Loved,' is in charge of directing.

A Park Company official said, “With the gathering of great actors worthy of this masterpiece, it will become a new page in the history of Korean theater.” Ticket sales will open on the 25th at 11 a.m. through the National Theater of Korea and Interpark.

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