Lear

The National Changgeuk Company of Korea makes its Barbican debut as it reworks Shakespeare’s tragedy of old age and madness into a traditional Korean-style opera, with the classic ‘King Lear’ storyline entwined with ‘Lao-tzu’s ancient philosophy of water, the natural world and balance, connecting with the deep Korean emotion of “han” (symbolising grief and sorrow)’. Sounds interesting anyway. Jung Young-doo directs 33-year-old Kim Jun-su in the title role of Pai Sam-shik’s adaptation, with music written by K-Pop producer Jung Jae-il, known for his work on global screen hits ‘Parasite’ and ‘Squid Game’.