The story of an orphan growing up to avenge the destruction of his family wiped by the enemy

The playwright/director, Koh Sun-woong, one of the biggest names in Korean theater known for bold adaptations of Shakespeare, Tolstoy and Korean classics is re-imagining the Chinese classic The Orphan of Zhao for NTC Korea at Myeongdong Theater. The ancient epic play is one of the most popular revenge stories of China, also known as ‘Chinese Hamlet’ in Europe, which was first introduced in the 18th century. The exhilarating new revision by Koh features a great sense of humor and maximized theatrical playfulness based on the simplicity of old Chinese theatrical method. The sixteen strong cast members include Chang Du-yee who was formidable Lear in King Lear and Ha Sung-Kwang who played a prophetic Homeless in Power.

With everyone in the slaughtered, only one baby survives, and people take their own lives to protect the poor child and not to reveal his whereabouts. The boy grows up only to discover that his stepfather was responsible for the death of his family and clan. A monumental history of China, Records of the Grand Historian includes a short description surrounding the events of the Zhao family that three hundred members of the clan were killed and that Zhao Wu, the son of Zhao Shuo who was the only surviving member of the family brought back the family fame and name. Based on this historical text, Ji Junxiang wrote The Orphan of Zhao in which almost every character either takes his or her own life or is killed to protect the Zhao orphan and to uphold the sense of honor. Koh Sun-woong turns the Chinese epic into a contemporary tragedy by juxtaposing the tragic pathos and his peculiar sense of humor based on theatrical playfulness. The re-imagined epic is providing a food of thought regarding the meaning of family, loyalty and integrity, most of all, the fundamental futility of revenge.

Synopsis

Driven by greed for power, the General, Tu’an Gu decides to kill his rival, Zhao Dun. To destroy his rival thoroughly, Tu’an Gu decides to kill everyone in the Zhao family including the expected grandson of Zhao Dun. After giving birth to the child, the mother of the baby pleaded with the family doctor Cheng Ying for the newborn baby’s life and takes her own life in order to keep the secret. People decide to take their own lives rather than be tortured into exposing the whereabouts of the baby. Cheng Ying even sacrifices his own boy to protect the Zhao orphan and give him the name of his dead son, Cheng Bo. Cheng Ying raises Cheng Bo, but General Tu’an Gu who had no child of his own, decides to adopt him and raise him as his son without knowing his true identity. When the Zhao orphan becomes old enough, Cheng Ying tells him of the tragic events that happened to his family, and the Zhao orphan must decide whether to avenge the death of his biological father and kill the father who raised him.

The original play by 
Ji Junxiang
Ji Junxiang was a playwright of the Yuan Dynasty who wrote scripts for a popular theater, zaju in the thirteenth century. He is known to have written six plays: The Story of Donkey’s Skin, The Boat That Sells Tea, The Dream of Pine Tree Shade, and The Orphan of Zhao, and The Retreat of Han. However, The Orphan of Zhao is the only drama that has survived along with the first part of The Dream of Pine Tree Shade. 

Adapted and directed by 
Koh Sun-woong
Koh is an acclaimed playwright/director pursuing magical realism in theater. Ten years ago, he started a theater company called Mabangjin, which means the magical square in Korean and presented a series of radical adaptations of classical texts such as Killbeth based on Macbeth and Hongdo based on a Korean modern popular drama as well as his own new writing including Iron King and The Party of Happy Go Lucky. He also directed musical theater pieces, The Sorrows of Young Werther, Arirang and Korean traditional operatic theater styled Channgeuk, Byeongangsoi and Oknyeo. With his superbly crafted storytelling and spontaneous playfulness of his actors, most of his works were raved by the audience and he became a household name director in Korean theater. Koh’s exhilarating style of tragedy exuberates the boldness and bravura, most of all, comical reliefs in the most tragic stories.

Cast

Chang Due-yee, Ha Sung-kwang, Lim Hong-sik, Lee Young-seok, Yu Soon-uoong, Cho Youn-ho, Lee Ji-hyun, Sung No-jin, Jang Jae-ho, Ho San, Kang Deuk-jong, Kim Do-wan, Kim Myung-ki, Chun Yoo-kyung, Woo Jeong-won, Lee Hyoung-hun

Creative Team

Stage Design by Lee Tae-sup
Lighting Design by Ryou Back-hee
Costume Design by Lee Yun-jung
Makeup Design by Lee Dong-min
Props Design by Kim Hey-ji
Music Direction by Kim Tae-kyu
Martial Arts by Han Ji-bin
Produced by NTC Korea