New Take on 'Peer Gynt'

A poster of Norwegian playwright Henrik Ibsen’s classic “Peer Gynt,” presented by director Yang Jung-ung of Yohangza Company at LG Arts Center from May 9 to 16

By Chung Ah-young

Staff Reporter

Theater fans will be able to see a unique modern take on Norwegian playwright Henrik Ibsen's classic ``Peer Gynt,'' presented by director Yang Jung-ung of Yohangza Company.

The Korean adaptation of the epic masterpiece is known to be difficult to stage due to its rapid and frequent scene changes and extensive dialogue.

The original play consists of five acts and runs for some six to seven hours. However, Yang will condense a new production of the spectacle ― in his magical scenic style ― into a two-and-a-half hour work.

The title character is a dreamer and a liar with a penchant for womanizing who, after being expelled from his hometown, sets off on an incredible journey that takes him all the way from Norway to Africa and eventually back home.

In the upcoming work, Yang will put more emphasis on each character, rather than the Norwegian background in the original version. The play will focus on more universal themes rather than Norwegian myths.

``Ibsen was Norwegian and wrote the work in the 1860s, but I think there's something beyond time and space here. I'm trying to make a modern `Peer Gynt' without losing the essence of the original,'' he said.

The play will be staged in a simple and minimal set in which a large-sized mirror will be installed in the stage wall and the floor will be covered with earth.

``Peer Gynt'' is a new challenge for Yang, highly acclaimed for his new re-interpretation of Shakespearean works such as ``A Midsummer Night's Dream.''

``I've chosen this work because the adventurousness in the play is suitable for the philosophy of our theater company, which has no fear of attempting a new venture,'' Yang said.

Ibsen wrote ``Peer Gynt'' in 1867 but didn't intend for it to be performed on stage. Instead, he envisioned his work as a poetic fantasy to be read. However, it was quickly recognized as a masterwork of Scandinavian literature, and Ibsen adapted his work for stage in 1876.

Yang was born in Seoul in 1968 and studied creative writing at Seoul Institute of Arts. In 1997, he set up Yohangza Theatre Company, which has traveled and performed not only in Edinburgh, Scotland, and The Barbican in London, England, but also in Poland, Colombia, Ecuador, China and Japan, to name just a few.

The company's work is an exciting mix of past and present through a reworking of Korean identity, spirit and style, infused with contemporary performance elements, and won the prestigious Best Production at the Cairo International Festival of Experimental Theatre in September 2003, as well as numerous local awards. Its performances have struck a chord with audiences, both Korean and international.

The play will go on stage at LG Arts Center from May 9 to 16. Tickets cost 40,000 won. For more information, call (02) 2005-0114.

[출처 : 코리아타임스]