Play "Old Boy" to Be Staged Mar. 10 to Apr. 30

"Old Boy", the award-winning film based on a Japanese comic book, will be staged as a play. The play "Old Boy" produced by JTCulture will be staged at Uri Theater in Daehakno, Seoul from Mar. 10 until Apr. 30.

The play will be quite different from the film version. The storyline is the same, including abduction, revenge and incarceration. But compared to the original comic book or film version, the play will present different reasons for and method of revenge by the avenging character. The play will not deal with such themes as incest.

The main character Mu Tae-cheon (Oh Dae-soo in the film) boasts that he is good at escape. On a visit to an agency specializing in kidnapping and confining people, Mu signs an incarceration contract with the agency on the condition he be released after six months.

But he is released ten years and six months later. Though he has chosen the incarceration himself, Mu realizes that he has been driven into a trap of revenge set meticulously by somebody else.

An official from the production agency said, "We produced the play, regardless of the film version, after we bought the copyright from Japan. So, it's not an adaption from the film, but almost a new creation. This has nothing to do with the film version".

The play written by Choi Chi-eon will be directed by Kim Kwan. Through an audition of about 700 applicants, the agency has double cast TV actor Kim Jeong-kyeon and actor Choo Sang-rok as the main character.

Also performing will be Choi Kyung-won, Lee Min, Ryu Jin, Kim Koo-kyung, Shin Hyun-seung, Lim Jung-eun, Chung Jin-ah, Park Ji-han, and Kim Hyun-jung. It will be open to those aged 16 years or older.

The performances will be given at 8:00 p.m. on weekdays, 5:00 and 8:00 p.m. on Saturdays, and 3:00 and 6:00 p.m. on Sundays.