Wash off weariness of urban life in musical Laundry

By Kwon Mee-yoo

A semi-basement apartment, a tiny mom-and-pop store and a clothesline on a rooftop make up the set of “Laundry.” The musical is currently playing at Hakchon Green Theater in Daehangno, central Seoul. Such a setting is typical of neighborhoods in the Korean capital and the musical portrays the everyday life of ordinary Seoulites.

“Laundry” is a long-running musical in Daehangno, having been staged more than 1,000 times since its official debut in 2005. The story revolves around Na-yeong, a 27-year-old bookstore clerk, Solongo, an immigrant worker from Mongolia, and their neighbors’daily lives in Seoul.

“It is basically based on my life in Seoul. I first lived in a semi-basement room like Na-yeong and met an immigrant worker when I went up to the rooftop to hang out my laundry,” Choo Min-joo, the writer and director of the musical, said in an interview with The Korea Times.

The musical was first performed as a graduation piece by Choo at Korea National University of Arts in 2003 and later moved to the commercial stage.

She thought a musical would be a good medium to tell such a story. “Migrant workers lives are considered dark and gloomy, but they are joyous and hopeful as well,” the director said. “Music is a way to express such life in Seoul.”

Choo met migrant workers through an online club and listened to their life stories to bring reality to the musical.

“I once joined a protest against the deportation of illegal immigrants in 2003 and performed a skit with them. I interacted with them to share their story,” she said. “The actors also interviewed migrant workers at Hyehwa-dong Catholic Church to understand the characters better.”

Seoul is a place of opportunity, Choo, who is originally from the southern city of Daegu, said. “I have met many people here and the second act of my life began here.”

The audience of “Laundry” is likely to find themselves among the characters of the musical. “The show covers a variety of generations, classes and multiculturalism with people tending to find reflections of themselves in the musical. So people come to see their life through the musical when they go through hard times, making the musical run longer,” Choo said.

For the playwright, Na-yeong and Solongo are the hope of the times. “They are youngsters doing their best despite hardships. Their story can console other hardworking people,” she said.

The musical holds “Na-yeong’s Day” twice a year, inviting females sympathizing with the musical’s heroine and invites migrant workers to share the cultural experience.

“When we invited immigrant workers from Mongolia, the mood was very lively and they moved their shoulders to the rhythm of Solongo’s songs, which are similar in character to Mongolian folk songs,” she said.

As the musical has been staged for more than five years, it has left a strong impression on some people, Choo recalled.

“We received a letter from the United States recently from a man who saw the musical when he visited Korea. He said he was living like Solongo in the U.S. and he wanted to thank us for the comfort he gained from the musical,” she said. “There also was a Korean language teacher who wrote a follow-up story of the musical and sent it to us.”

The producers of the musical have also been asked to tour it overseas as it depicts Seoulites’ life in a realistic yet artistic way.

“We received an invitation from Egypt, but it has been postponed due to political unrest in the country,” she said. “Korean dramas such as ‘Jewel in the Palace’ are very popular there. The drama describes women’s sentiments in a simple way and I think ‘Laundry’ is similar.”

“I hope the audience will feel refreshed and relieved after watching ‘Laundry,’ washing off all the dirt from their mind,” Choo said with a smile.

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