Often found at theaters and museums, Kwon Mee-yoo has covered a wide range of cultural fields from K-pop and dramas to theater and fine art for over a decade. Now as K-Culture Desk editor, she tries to connect Korean culture with global readers through fresh perspectives.
Korean musical 'Swag Age' makes UK debut in one-night-only concert
Kim Soo-ha performs in a scene from the Korean musical "Swag Age." Courtesy of PL Entertainment
By Kwon Mee-yoo
The award-winning Korean musical “Swag Age: Shout Out, Joseon!” will make its London debut this autumn in a concert performance at the Gillian Lynne Theatre on Sept. 8.
Titled “Swag Age in Concert,” the one-night-only staging will bring the genre-bending production to a global stage for the first time, introducing U.K. audiences to a unique fusion of Korean history, hip-hop and the universal message of resistance and freedom.
Set in a fictionalized Joseon Dynasty (1392–1910), the musical imagines a society where sijo — a traditional poetic form once embraced by common people as a way to endure life’s hardships — is banned in the wake of a political conspiracy. The story follows the revival of sijo through a national poetry competition and a secret rebel group known as Golbindang, who risk everything to reclaim artistic expression and cultural identity from the grip of a powerful court official who monopolizes the genre.
A poster for "Swag Age in Concert" in London / Courtesy of PL Entertainment
“It is truly meaningful to have this piece held in London at this amazing venue through ‘Swag Age in Concert,’” playwright Park Chan-min said in a statement. “I hope this stage can be an opportunity to share the values of freedom and identity with the world.”
Composer Lee Jeong-yeon added, “’Swag Age’ unravels the cries and emotions of the people through modern music and dance. The sentiment of joy and excitement unique to Korea, called ‘heung,’ flows in the work to go beyond simple pleasure and is alive and breathing even at this moment with the energy of resistance and solidarity.”
Produced by Song Hye-sun of PL Entertainment, “Swag Age in Concert” marks a milestone for Korean musical theater in London, following in the footsteps of “The Last Empress,” which was staged at Hammersmith Apollo back in 2002.
Leading the London cast are Yang Hee-jun as Dan and Kim Soo-ha as Jin, reprising their roles from the current Seoul run, which concludes on Aug. 31. Kim has West End credit under her belt, having understudied the role of Kim in “Miss Saigon” in 2015 and later taking on the lead during the show’s international tour in 2017.