10 million people watch `Nanta'
The original cast of non-verbal performance “Nanta” including renowned actor Ryu Seung-ryong, second from left, pose at a ceremony at Chungjeongno Nanta Theater in central Seoul, Monday. / Yonhap
By Kwon Mee-yoo
The cast and crew of the non-verbal performance “Nanta” that combines comedy with drumming celebrated the total number of people who have seen the show reaching 10 million Monday.
At a ceremony at the Chungjeongno Nanta Theater in central Seoul, producer Song Seung-hwan thanked the performers, crew and audiences that contributed to the history of the show.
During its 17-year run, Nanta has featured some 143 performers, including top actors Ryu Seung-ryong of “Roaring Currents” and “Miracle in Cell No. 7,” and Kim Won-hae of “Saturday Night Live Korea.”
Ryu starred in the show from 1998 to 2002 and appears in the original poster for the show. He received an appreciation plaque from the production Monday and said that he expected the worldwide success of the show.
“I have starred in movies that attracted over 10 million viewers, but it feels quite different for a live performance to celebrate an audience of 10 million,” Ryu said. “I left the show because I was eager to read lines, but the spirit of acting was the same as in Nanta. The experience of Nanta is now my roots.”
Produced by actor-producer Song and Lee Kwang-ho of PMC Production, Nanta was born from an idea to push the limits of Korean plays, which often have language barriers. In an attempt to export the show, Song and Lee created a non-verbal performance inspired by “samulnori,” or Korean traditional percussion.
Nanta, also known as “Cookin’” or “Cookin’ Nanta,” is a cooking-themed percussive comedy revolving around four chefs preparing food for a traditional wedding ceremony. Premiering on Oct. 10, 1997, the uniqueness of the show comes from using cooking utensils as percussion instruments.
The show blazed a trail in Korean non-verbal performances — Nanta was the first Korean play to participate in the Edinburgh Festival in 1998 and performed at the New Victory Theater off Broadway in 2003.
The show is now performed at four Nanta Theaters — Chungjeongno, Myeongdong, Jeju and Bangkok — 365 days a year, as well as in regional and international tours. As of the end of 2014, the show has been performed over 31,290 times in 289 cities in 51 countries.
The 10 millionth person to attend the show was a Chinese student studying in Korea. She saw the performance at the Chungjeongno Nanta Theater in Seoul on Dec. 29.
Nanta is a popular tourist attraction in Korea. Byun Choo-suk, president of the Korea Tourism Organization, said more than 2 million tourists in Korea have seen non-verbal performances thanks to the pioneer Nanta and other similar performances.