20th Anniversary: Madangjin Theatre Kicks Off with 'KalroMacbeth'
Creatrip Team
2 months ago
Madangjin Theatre, led by acclaimed playwright-director Ko Seon-woong, marks its 20th anniversary with a yearlong program of seven productions, opening with 'KalroMacbeth' (a martial-arts reinterpretation of Shakespeare’s Macbeth). Ko — known for his 'magical realism' stage style, rhythmic dialogue, physical acting, and darkly comic tone — founded the company in 2005 and has since staged notable adaptations and originals. The anniversary lineup includes repertory pieces and new works touring multiple cities and Seoul. 'KalroMacbeth' transposes medieval Scotland into a dystopian, crime-ridden future and emphasizes raw swordplay and action; Ko says the revival has been retuned from the 2010 original to improve pacing. Notably, prominent sorikkun (traditional Korean singer) Kim Jun-su, now a freelancer, will play Lady Macbeth — his fourth time performing a female role after several gugak/창극 (traditional Korean opera) productions — and this is his first time performing in a straight play. Ko emphasizes theatre’s role in engaging contemporary society and human experience.
