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The title’s “unexpected” reminds us of Margaret Mitchell’s novel Gone with the Wind, which was a very popular film at the time. Of course, the story of this play is different from the novel. It’s about the dreams, frustrations and hopes that everyone has had at one time or another.

Seung-chul, the main character, is an aspiring film director. But things aren’t going well. He remembers a “man” he met as a child in his mother’s coffee shop. The man introduced himself as a “director” and said he wanted to interview ordinary people about their lives and turn them into a film.

The Unexpected Man is a musical theater set in a coffee shop called Eunhasu Dabang in 1980. The blue aquarium, old-fashioned tables and overstuffed sofas are reminiscent of Daehangno, or University Street of the 80s. The retro set and kitschy sensibilities are exquisitely combined for laugh-out-loud fun.

Above all, it’s a story that everyone can relate to, and one that goes beyond comedy to touch the heart. Even if you stumble and fall today, the sun will rise tomorrow. This is the story of a man who made us realize that we are all the masters of our own lives. What answers did he give Seung-chul? And what comfort would he have given us as we left the theatre?

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It has been performed in 101 cities in 30 countries around the world, including the Edinburgh Fringe Festival in Scotland. It is also known to many under the title Bibap, which premiered in 2011. The musical CHEF is an updated version of this work. With the participation of Choi Chul-ki, who directed Nanta and planned Jump, and Jeon Jun-beom, who directed Jump, the production is complete.

The musical CHEF is a showdown between two chefs who think their dishes are the best. There are four episodes featuring sushi, pizza, chicken noodles, and bibimbap. Along with the two main chefs, each episode features a cute chef, a sexy chef, and a rookie chef to spice things up. The cooking process is presented through b-boying and slapstick comedy, creating a scene as impressive as any Michelin Guide restaurant. Audience participation is also encouraged. They are even invited on stage to improvise at the request of the actors. Of course, the final decision of the culinary showdown is up to the audience. One of the highlights is the heart-pounding beatboxing. You might think it’s a pre-recorded sound effect, but it’s 100% live, a living experience. When you leave the theatre, you can’t help but wander around Chungmuro in search of good food.

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Anton Chekhov’s The Seagull is considered one of his four greatest plays. After writing this classic play, he said, “I began it forte and finished it pianissimo.” The musical Forte Pianissimo is a creative musical inspired by his work. The same main characters, Treplev, Nina, and Trigorin, are featured in the musical, with a similar plot. However, the setting and development of the story are re-interpretations of the original. The stage is transformed into a modern club, and new characters not in the original version are introduced.

Nina, who dreams of becoming a singer, comes to audition for Mama’s transgender club, the Seagull. The Seagull’s composer, Treplev, falls in love with Nina and does everything he can to help her succeed. But when Trigorin, the club’s producer, shows up, Nina leaves the club with him.

The story continues after that. Does it end in tragedy? Is it a comedy? Does Forte Pianissimo begin with “forte” and end with “pianissimo”?

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If you’re looking for a Korean musical with a thought-provoking theme, check out A Really Bad Girl, written and directed by Jung Gu-jin, who also wrote and directed Hangover. The latter is a comic detective thriller that premiered in 2014 and has been a steady seller ever since.

A Really Bad Girl is a crime thriller with zero “comedy.” The story begins when Lee Mu-gil, a suspect in the murder of famous actress Hwang Ji-hee, meets Kim An-na, a cold-blooded lawyer with a 100%-win rate. He threatens her to prove his innocence by telling her that he kidnapped her daughter, Kim Yo-ah. But after he is acquitted in the first trial, the story becomes more and more labyrinthine as Yo-ah’s hidden history is revealed.

Mu-gil and An-na, her daughter Yo-ah, and Hwang Ji-hee, and a boy rapper who loves Yo-ah. Which of these five characters is telling the truth? How evil and despicable are people when it comes to lust and greed? Some of the scenes contain triggering elements such as profanity, drugs, and gaslighting to take a serious look at human nature. Unlike the play that premiered in 2022, the 2024 version has been reimagined as a musical. The musical numbers that tell the story of the main characters are another attraction of the production.

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On August 4, 1926, Yun Sim-deok, Korea’s first soprano, and Kim Woo-jin, a genius playwright, committed suicide together by throwing themselves into the Korea Strait. As a true love story, it has been the subject of countless films and dramas in Korea.

The play originates from Death Song, a popular Korean song released in 1926. Its lyricist and singer, Yun Sim-deok, rearranged Iosif Ivanovici’s Waves of the Danube. The song ends with the line: “In this world made of tears, will my death truly be the end of it all? Those of you in search of happiness, only futility awaits you.”

The musical Gloomy Day is based on the true story of Yun Sim-deok and Kim Woo-jin. However, it differs from other works by introducing a fictional character, “the guy,” to increase the tension of the play. The guy introduces Yun to Kim and urges him to write the play Death Song. Meanwhile, the male and female protagonists are getting closer and closer to death. Her song particularly attracts the audience’s attention and is played in many scenes of the show. There’s even a scene where Yun sings it. In addition, a live trio of piano, violin, and cello delicately orchestrates each character’s emotions.

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The title Starry Night evokes a variety of associations. For many people around the world, the first thought is of Van Gogh’s famous painting The Starry Night. In Korea, those who grew up in the 1970s might hum the song In the Starry Night by singer Yoon Hang-ki. Additionally, it brings to mind the long-running radio show Starry Night, one of Korea’s most beloved programs, which began in 1969 and has been on the air for 55 years.

The play Starry Night brings all these references together at a campsite named “Starry Night.” The campsite’s owner, Cha Seon, is a former policeman. One day, the Grim Reaper, also named Mr. Cha, appears to him and grants him a one-month reprieve. During this time, Cha Seon and Mr. Cha meet various campers, whose dreams, loves, and lives resemble the lyrics of popular songs or something you might have heard on the radio. These are, in fact, stories that resonate with us all.

The play is described as a ‘camping play.’ From the very beginning, it features a scene of guitar playing and singing around a campfire. You can attend the theater as if you were going camping, enjoying the experience as if you were at a campsite, comforted by the stars in the night sky.

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Could you pull the trigger on another human being? In the classic work of military psychology On Killing, Army Reserve Lieutenant Colonel Dave Grossman explores this very question. Playwright Gary Owen was inspired by this book to create the play Killology. If you’ve been waiting for a serious play, your wait is over. Moreover, Killology is the third selection among the ten plays chosen by ‘The Best Plays,’ a renowned brand in Korean theater, celebrating its 20th anniversary.

Killology is an online game where players get points for killing people in brutal ways. When a boy is murdered in exactly the same way as in the game, the play unfolds through the monologues of three characters: the boy’s father, Alan; the game developer, Paul; and the victim, Davy. Their confessions are intricately connected, drawing the audience deeper into the narrative.

Killology offers a sharp critique of modern society, addressing issues such as violent media, the vulnerability of children, and the failure of state systems. The cast features several actors who have recently gained attention in popular dramas, including Choi Young-joon from Netflix’s Gyeongseong Creature and tvN’s Our Blues, Lim Joo-hwan from tvN’s Oh! My Ghost, and Kim Kyung-nam from SBS’s Connection.

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Gugak refers to the traditional music of Korea. However, that doesn’t mean it’s confined to tradition. Young Korean musicians are reinterpreting gugak in various innovative ways. One example is nuMori, a band whose name combines the words “new” (nu) and “rhythm” (mori). Their music reflects this fusion, creating a new genre called ‘electro gugak’, which blends gugak with K-pop and rock.

The composition of nuMori members gives insight into their musical world. The vocalist, Lee A-jin, is a master of the Daegu Metropolitan Intangible Heritage Pansori Heungboga. Lee An-na serves as the composer and keyboardist, Jeong Jun-seok as the musical director and guitarist, and Moon Sang-jun as the player of janggu and kkwaenggwari. While their music is rooted in traditional Korean sounds, it expands its spectrum on a global scale. For example, “Dokkaebi Fire” combines heavy metal, pansori, and samulnori, while “Why Are You So Angry” merges rock opera with traditional Korean music. Since their formation in 2016, nuMori has performed around the world, including Europe, Latin America, and Asia, and they were invited to perform at the John F. Kennedy Center in 2017. You can catch them for one night only at the Seocho Culture & Arts Center on an autumn evening in October.

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Vincent van Gogh, whose works include Café Terrace at Night, Sunflowers and The Starry Night, is one of the world’s most beloved painters. His brother Theo is inextricably linked to his legacy. Their brotherly bond was so strong that the Dutch artist wrote 668 letters to Theo.

The musical Vincent Van Gogh is set six months after the artist’s death. Theo, now suffering from debilitating dementia, is preparing an exhibition of Van Gogh’s work and reminiscing about his brother’s letters and artworks. These memories are vividly brought to life on stage using projection mapping technology. Special highlights of the show include Van Gogh’s paintings presented in 3D, motion capture-based performances, and other innovative techniques that enhance the play’s visual and emotional impact.

The music is also a standout feature of the production. The score for Vincent Van Gogh was composed by Sunwoo Jung-a, a renowned musician who has collaborated with artists like G-Dragon, 2NE1, and IU. Known as a “musician’s musician,” her soulful sensitivity and expressiveness are among the finest in Korean music. Her carefully crafted compositions elevate the painter’s work to a new level, making the show an unforgettable experience.

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Seongji Maeul is a village on the verge of being flooded by a dam. Kim Yeong-ho, who left his home at 17, returns after a long absence and murders eight villagers connected to his past. Dr. K, a psychiatrist, counsels Yeong-ho and tries to uncover his motive: is he a criminal, or is he mentally ill?

The setting, reminiscent of several films, is far from light-hearted. However, it draws the audience in with the gripping intensity of the thriller genre. As you follow Yeong-ho through his past, you enter a village frozen in time: his mother, known as ‘Miss Kim’; his brother, who died in a fire; and the people of the clan village, most of whom are relatives. Along the way, Dr. K discovers a startling truth from Yeong-ho.

As the play unfolds, the audience pieces together the events from their own perspectives. What is the reason for the murders? Are Yeong-ho’s words true? In this way, the play confronts the darkness that lies within us all. In the end, it is up to the audience to determine the truth. Small Mythology, the theater company behind The Accidental Murderer, is a creative theater community now in its 38th year. It has been at the forefront of the Korean theater scene with its ‘Make Our Own Theater’ project.