First Syrian play to be staged

The play “The King is the King” written by Syrian playwright Sadalla Wannus (1941- 1997) will be performed for the first time in Korea. Wannus in 1977 released the play that satirizes the power struggle between a real king and a fake one in a comical way, reminiscent of the fairy tale, “The Prince and the Pauper.” The work adopts a motif from “Arabian Nights” also known as “One Thousand and One Nights” and blends elements of Brecht’s epic theater.

In the original play, the king meets a homeless person on the street one day and gives him the opportunity to act as the king in his place. But after spending time for a while in the royal palace, the man realizes that the royal court is hopeless and power is ephemeral and returns to his place.

However, in the Korean production, the end of the play is slightly altered by twisting the story in which the man eventually seizes the throne after experiencing the privilege and power of palace life and driving the real king out.

The play is one of Wannus’ representative political dramas reflecting the Arabian world with thought-provoking themes. He studied journalism in Egypt and was influenced by the change of the political landscape in the Arabian world.

He debuted in 1963 and wrote experimental plays in his early career. Later, he turned his writing style to the works that represent Arabian society and politics in a belief that the plays should have an active role in political and social changes.

The Korean adaptation presented by the Seoul Metropolitan Theater also lampoons the reality of power that makes justice lose its integrity and shows Arabian culture on the stage set.

“The play is the first Arabian drama to be introduced in Korea. I will make this piece meaningful to provide an understanding of Arabic society and culture to the Korean audience,” Kim Suckman, head of the theater group, said in a statement.

The play is currently in the audition process to select a cast through June 21. It will be on stage from Sept. 3 to 19 at the Sejong M Theater.

For more information, call (02) 399-1135.