Bloodstained first love story in 'Let the Right One In'

An Seung-kyun, left, portrays Oskar with Park So-dam as Eli in a scene from the play “Let the Right One In,” staged at CJ Towol Theater of Seoul Arts Center. / Courtesy of Seensee Company

By Kwon Mee-yoo

Upon entering the CJ Towol Theater at Seoul Arts Center, audiences can see a forest of silver birch trees and the stage covered in snow, as if they have been transported deep into a forest in Northern Europe. This is the set for the play “Let the Right One In,” which revolves around a relationship between a vampire and a bullied schoolboy.

Swedish author John Ajvide Lindqvist's vampire novel of the same name was first adapted to film in 2008 and for the stage by the National Theatre of Scotland in 2013. The theatrical version is helmed by director John Tiffany, who is acclaimed for his directing of "Once" and "Black Watch."

The Korean production is a restaging of the original Scottish production and Tiffany and his team visited Korea for casting and to stage the show. This is the first non-English production of “Let the Right One In.”

Eli is a vampire with the appearance of a teenage girl who lives with Hakan, an older man who “hunts” humans to provide blood for her. When Eli meets her new neighbor Oskar, a timid boy who is hassled at school, cracks appear in the longtime relationship between Eli and Hakan.

Actress Park So-dam in “Let the Right One in” / Courtesy of Seensee Company

There are many more characters and subplots in the novel, but Tiffany decided to concentrate on the triangle of Eli, Hakan and Oskar in the stage adaptation.

Vampires have been a favorite subject in popular culture for their versatile characteristics -- Ian Somerhalder, star of the "The Vampire Diaries," said vampires can be old but sexy, dangerous but loving, worldly and confident, yet volatile.

Tiffany said that if Samuel Beckett had written a horror film, it would be about vampires, as they verbally communicate with each other a lot. Indeed in the play, Eli’s conversations with Oskar and Hakan progress the plot.

At the same time, the play relies much on visual storytelling through Tiffany's exquisite direction and movement director Steven Hoggett's actions.

"Let the Right One In" is not a play to watch with a light heart as there are seven deaths in two hours, but the Korean actors do a fine job in conveying the terrifying yet lyrical atmosphere.

Park So-dam, the starlet who shot to stardom last year playing a demonically possessed teenager in the supernatural thriller "The Priests," alternates the role with aspiring actress Lee Eun-ji, whose background is mainly in theater.

Both actresses have the right physicality to play a vampire but each brings her own distinct take on the character. Park's Eli is more of a teenage girl with an innocent vibe, while Lee's Eli has an unknowable, ageless look, hinting the immortal life of the bloodthirsty creature.

An Seung-kyun and Oh Seung-hun play the schoolboy Oskar, who grows into a man after meeting Eli. In the original novel, Hakan is portrayed as a pedophile while Oskar is the true love of Eli, but the play leaves room for Oskar to grow into another Hakan, who ages alongside the eternally young vampire lover.

The coldness and serenity of Northern Europe is portrayed in the set and music, taking audiences to a world of snow and ice. Icelandic musician Olafur Arnalds's soundtrack complements the play beautifully.

Set designer Christine Jones’ simple yet surprising sets provide one of the most breathtaking moments of the show, when Oskar is dunked underwater in a real pool by bullies.

The play runs until Feb. 28. Tickets cost from 33,000 to 77,000 won. For more information, visit www.iseensee.com or call 02-580-1300.