National Theatre Picks Daehak-ro Hit ‘Set-Top Box’ — A Microscope on Everyday Absurdity
Creatrip Team
2 months ago
Arke, a creative theatre collective, presents Set-Top Box at Myeong-dong Arts Theatre. The 90-minute play follows a stressed man overwhelmed by work and wedding plans who becomes obsessed with a wrongly billed TV fee. Though his home has only a broken TV, billing records and the telecom’s automated response system (ARS) insist a set-top box signal is being received, turning a trivial dispute into an existential battle to prove his reality. The production exposes everyday absurdities — from unhelpful customer service to performative medical and corporate responses — through striking audiovisual direction: jarring digital tones, close-up live projections, surreal scene transitions, and intense ensemble acting. The play is part of the National Theatre’s “Picknic” program (a private troupe exchange and invitation project) to promote Korean theatre globally; performances run through Feb. 1.
