Stage adaptation of 'Hunchback' challenges taboos on disability, desire

The poster for the play "Hunchback" / Courtesy of National Theater of Korea

"Hunchback,” an acclaimed Japanese novel that drew attention both for unflinching content and the author's disability, will make its world premiere as a theatrical production at the National Theater of Korea in Seoul this week.

The play marks the first-ever stage adaptation of the novel by Saou Ichikawa, who lives with congenital myopathy and uses a ventilator and an electric wheelchair.

The story centers on Shaka, a woman with a debilitating spinal disorder who refers to herself as a “hunchbacked monster.” The drama unfolds as she offers 100 million yen ($694,000) to a male caregiver in exchange for his help in becoming pregnant and then having an abortion.

“Reading 'Hunchback' was both shocking and refreshing,” director Shin Chung said in a recent interview with the National Theater of Korea’s monthly magazine.

“It felt like an experience that pushed me beyond the boundaries of what I thought I knew — beyond the limits of my own understanding. As a director, I hoped that creating an accessible performance could become a catalyst for breaking away from the conventional styles I carry within me. 'Hunchback' was the perfect work to do just that."

Ichikawa’s life changed dramatically at age 13 when she was placed on a ventilator. Yet, she refused to give up on life. In 2019, she was admitted to Japan's Waseda University, where she began exploring the lack of representation of disabled individuals in literature.

“There were only very stereotyped representations of the disabled and I wanted to break that,” Ichikawa told The New York Times in a recent interview. “I wanted to show that we are people too, with a diverse range of personalities and desires.”

"Hunchback" is Ichikawa’s first novel. Centered on a disabled woman who longs for a body capable of pregnancy and abortion like that of a nondisabled woman, the novel sparked public interest for its bold premise and critique of social norms. Sexual desire, one of those often-overlooked aspects of disabled lives, is fully embodied in the main character.

Upon winning Japan's prestigious Akutagawa Prize in 2023, she stunned the audience during the award ceremony by stating, in Japanese, “I want you to think about why it took so long for a disabled writer to win this award.”

The stage adaptation of "Hunchback" seeks to preserve the novel’s raw authenticity while amplifying its emotional depth through inventive theatrical techniques and creating a multisensory experience.

The play runs from Thursday through Sunday. Visit ntok.go.kr for more information and tickets.