Sugung-ga retells the Turtle and the Hare Fable
Korea’s Moksung Theatre Company flies into The Thirsty Mile’s Rebel Theatre with their production of Sugung-ga:The Other Side of the World.
A fusion of Czech puppetry and traditional Korean pansori story telling, modern cello music and lots of laughs, Sugung-ga has become something of a classic for Moksung in this retelling of the turtle and the hare story with Korean overtones.
A simple stage set of a box that houses the various puppets and props, a scroll that unravels to depict land or sea are at the command of actress Eunsil Noh, who is supported by cellist Jan Pech.
The story is set in the mythical Southern Sea which is ruled by the Dragon King who has an illness that can only be cured by eating the liver of a hare.
The Dragon King orders the turtle to venture onto the land to convince the hare to accompany it into his kingdom in the sea, which the turtle does by telling lies about the luxury of this underwater world and how well he will be treated there, only to be trapped in the Dragon King’s palace.
We all know that the hare eventually outwits the turtle but there are also many surprising turns along the way to his freedom.
Pansori became a popular art form during the time of Korea’s Joseon Dynasty, which lasted from the 1300s to the late 1800s, and are folk narratives that reflected ethical mores of the time disguised as popular entertainment. They were performed by shamans and street performers for the lower classes.
The narrative plays out in Korean and English making it easy to follow the plot with its many twists and turns.
Eunsil Noh is a remarkable story teller, holding the centre of the stage for Sugung-ga’s one hour duration as she works her way through the myriad of characters.
She voices all of the characters, plus that of the narrator and sings snippets of songs while lighting up the stage with her rich range of expressions and exquisite movement.
Noh is ably supported by the Czech virtuoso Jan Pech, who has total command of his violoncello even when playing the neck, to great effect.
Sugung-ga combines numerous art forms that originated for the ordinary Korean and has evolved into an international success that appeals to all ages and cultures.
