From Singing Star to Stage Actor: Kim Junsu to Play Lady Macbeth in Madangjin's 20th Anniversary Production
Creatrip Team
a month ago
Kim Junsu, known as a 'singing' star from the national changgeuk (Korean traditional opera) scene, will make his theatrical debut in the lead female role of 'Lady Macbeth' in Kalro Macbeth (literally 'Sword Macbeth'), the opening production of theater company Madangjin's 20th anniversary season. The play, directed by Go Seon-woong, is a 2010 reimagining of Shakespeare's Macbeth as a martial-arts drama that blends slapstick comedy, action, and dark themes of desire and destruction. Junsu—who recently left the National Changgeuk Company—said he has long felt a hunger for acting and welcomed the chance to play a woman on stage, noting that mindset matters more than the character's gender. The production will feature double casting for the Lady Macbeth role, promising contrasting interpretations, and is the first in a parade of Madangjin works including adaptations like Lear spin-offs, Hongdo, and new plays such as Tushin (inspired by a shared-office suicide incident) and Teahouse, a large-cast piece about people in turbulent history. Madangjin aims to revisit beloved works with deeper maturity after 20 years of theater-making.
