Seoul Shakespeare to present 'Titus Andronicus'

Members of the cast of Shakespear’s “Titus Andronicus” / Courtesy of Seoul Shakespeare Company

By John Redmond

The Seoul Shakespeare Company will stage the William Shakespeare classic “Titus Andronicus” at Theater Egg and Nucleus in Seoul’s theater district, Daehangno/Hyehwa-dong, from May 30 to June 14.

The tragedy, “Titus Andronicus,” is set during the latter days of the Roman Empire and explores the themes of revenge, violence (including sexual violence), racism, and the concepts of civilization and barbarity, and tells the story of Titus, a general in the Roman army who is engaged in a cycle of revenge with Tamora, queen of the Goths.

Directed by Ray Salcedo, “Titus Andronicus” is the fifth main stage production and features aesthetic elements that are ancient and yet unmistakably edgy and modern, highlighting the distinct Roman setting of the play while giving a nod to the timelessness of its themes (and to the Shakespearean anachronisms already present in the text).

“We are preparing our fifth, ‘Titus Andronicus,’ which is our most ambitious project to date. With this campaign, we are mobilizing our community of friends, family, and supporters across the globe to back our project and help us pay for our theater space and set, so that we can put on a beautiful version of this play, and so that this production can be the beginning of creating a higher profile for the company,” the theater company said in a press release.

Founded in 2010, it is an all-volunteer theater group, and Seoul’s only English-language Shakespeare company.

“We are Seoul’s only English language theater company devoted entirely to performing Shakespeare’s works,” according to the group website.

“Titus Andronicus” will be performed in English with Korean subtitles.

The play opens at 7 p.m. on May 30 and then has performances at 2 p.m. and 7 p.m. on May 31, June 6 and 7, 13 and 14.

Tickets cost 20,000 won for online reservation or 25,000 won at the door.

For tickets and more information, visit seoulshakespearecompany.org.

To get to Theater Egg and Nucleus, leave Hyehwa Station from exit 2. Turn left at the first road and walk for about a block. The theater will be on your left.