The History of Korean Western Theatre

Celebrating the centenary of Korean theatre in 2008, South Korean theatre maker and composer Jaha Koo realised that there is no space for Korean theatre tradition: what is regarded as Korean theatre is largely determined by the Western canon. But why are the South Koreans so proud of this Western interpretation? And why does everyone keep referring to Shakespeare? Raising questions of tradition, self-censorship and authenticity, the final production from Jaha’s acclaimed Hamartia trilogy resolutely focuses on the future.  

In order to speak to a new generation of South Koreans, Jaha attempts to smash age-old traditions of self-censorship and look to the future, from a place of true authenticity. 

‘The History of Korean Western Theatre’ is an intelligent and visually arresting documentary theatre performance, seamlessly interweaving the personal and the political.   

Jaha Koo is a South Korean performance maker and music composer. His artistic practice oscillates between multimedia and performance, all of which include his own music, video, text and installation. His performances are closely interweaved with politics, history and his own personal life. Since 2014, Koo has been working on his Hamartia Trilogy, thematically focusing on how the inescapable past tragically affects our lives today. 

Produced by CAMPO. Co-produced by Kunstenfestivaldesarts (Brussels), Münchner Kammerspiele, Frascati Producties (Amsterdam), Veem House for Performance (Amsterdam), SPRING performing arts festival (Utrecht), Zürcher Theaterspektakel, Black Box teater (Oslo), International Summer Festival Kampnagel (Hamburg), Tanzquartier Wien, wpZimmer (Antwerp), Théâtre de la Bastille (Paris) & Festival d’Automne à Paris residencies Kunstencentrum BUDA (Kortrijk), wpZimmer (Antwerp), Decoratelier Jozef Wouters (Brussels), Doosan Art Center (Seoul) with the support of Beursschouwburg, Vlaamse Gemeenschapscommissie & Amsterdams Fonds voor de Kunst