***** (5 stars)
“Haunting and Heartwarming”
Over the last few years, courtesy of my bonus granddaughter Maddy, I have become addicted to Korean drama on Netflix. Imagine my delight, therefore, when I came across the listing for this show!
I’m very happy to say it lived up to all my expectations and more. It was a joy to see and hear live actors speaking and singing Korean – and with subtitles projected on to the back screen, there was no problem understanding what was going on. [I even got to recognise familiar words and phrases…]
The Joseon dynasty ruled in Korea from 1392-1910, and has been a source of many period dramas, or ones where contemporary characters discover that they lived previous lives in that period. The costumes are gorgeous, the manners very elegant; there’s a lot of fighting with swords, and a huge amount of intrigue and skulduggery.
1457, the boy at rest contains gorgeous costumes, but no sword-fighting. There is, however, a very wicked plot surrounding the young king Danjon. His father died when he was only ten and his uncle, whom he greatly loved and admired, desired the throne for himself. Danjon stepped down from the throne, hoping to lead a quiet life with his beloved wife Jeongsun. His uncle, fearing that the young man would always be a focus for rebellion, banished him to a far away province. The new king still did not feel safe, even after torturing and executing anyone who opposed his rule: finally he sent his nephew the order to take poison.
This sounds as though the show is unmitigated misery – far from it! There is superb acting, wonderful music, lively dancing, drumming and singing, audience involvement, a lot of fun along the way, and the opportunity to reflect on concepts of fate and mortality.
The comic humour in the piece largely comes from three very lively Dokkaebi – day goblins – who live in the area to which the young king is exiled, and whose duty is to protect the area from bad humans. They come to investigate the humans in the audience – are we bad, in which case they can do terrible things to us? They are pranksters at heart, but principled ones…. They encourage our participation, narrate the story and add their own goblin commentary – how can these humans be so awful to each other? [How indeed?]
There is a magnificent confrontation between the young king and his uncle: the boy loves his people but the uncle says love is not enough in a king – he must have power. He demonstrates this when, later on, some of the boy king’s loyal ministers refuse to accept the man they see as a usurper. They must all be destroyed – there must be no more support for the exiled king.
The music is a brilliant and constant presence. There are some wonderful love songs and haunting songs of longing for the young king and his wife. I wish I could credit them by name, because they are both superb. The nobility of the young king is impressive – he rebukes anyone who calls him ‘your majesty’ because he doesn’t want them to suffer on his account. Even the official bringing the ‘gift’ of poison is treated with loving courtesy. His young wife, Jeongsun, refuses to accept help from the usurping king, preferring instead to support herself by dyeing cloth. She cherishes Danjon’s memory all her life, even when news of his death reaches her and she realises there is now no hope of meeting him again some day.
All this sounds very miserable – but it isn’t, even though it’s very sad. There are many moments of humour, and there are decent people who refuse to denounce the young king, and show him their love. The young couple’s sorrow is heartfelt and deeply moving to witness; we too feel sorrow at the loss of people we love. The show ends with a Requiem in which we are reminded that our loved ones who have died live on in our memories, and that by thinking of them we can help them reach a place of peace.
This is a superb show from Poem and Star Theatre Company, part of the Korean Season at the Fringe. Come and enjoy, be moved, and carry its haunting atmosphere and heartwarming affection with you as you go through this crowded city and into the rest of your life.1457, The Boy At Rest, Studio 1 at Assembly George Square (Venue 17) for more information go to: https://www.edfringe.com/tickets/whats-on/1457-the-boy-at-rest
ScotsGay Arts 