National Changgeuk Company of Korea performs hybrid media art adaptation of traditional pansori folktale

“The Show: HeungBo,” by the National Changgeuk Company of Korea / Courtesy of NTOK

By Park Ji-won

The “Heungbuga” is one of five surviving pansori (a traditional Korean genre of storytelling performed by a singer and drummer), stories that have largely been performed by singers known as “soriggun” in Korean, and enjoyed by the public since the Joseon Kingdom (1392-1910). Many artists have performed the story, which revolves around the poor family of Heungbu (also known as Heungbo) ― who tries to survive while remaining kind and empathetic amidst the harsh reality of poverty ― as a good source of narratives for their singing and theatre performances, adapting it to modern contexts as well. Nevertheless, it has been rare for pansori to collaborate with other contemporary forms of music, as it has often remained somewhat conservative in preserving its original style.

But the National Changgeuk Company of Korea, under the National Theater of Korea (NTOK), is seeking to defy preconceived notions of both the story and the performing method in its upcoming new piece, “The Show: HeungBo,” a hybrid of pansori performance and contemporary media art, which will be showcased at the newly renovated theater from Sept. 15 to 21.

Renowned contemporary artist and designer Choi Jeong-hwa, who is famous for installations made out of ordinary objects ― such as soda bottles ― and is a stage and film designer, joined the production with the aim of creating a fantastic and exhibition-like stage set, inspired by both traditional and contemporary images, by using large-sized LED panels that continuously move and change during the show.

Director Kim Myung-gon, a former minister of culture as well as an actor, also seeks to twist the original story, which is rooted in poetic justice, and shift the focus to the hidden desires of the characters, who stand in for ordinary people. Pansori master Ahn Sook-sun created its singing narrative or script.

“The heungboga pansori tale is a story that involves more than poetic justice. I would like to deliver the desires of ordinary people who might dream of living in a fantastic world,” Kim stated in a press release.

A scene from “The Show: HeungBo,” by the National Changgeuk Company of Korea / Courtesy of the NTOK