The National Theater Company of Korea's acclaimed production "The Orphan of Zhao: Seeds of Revenge" is celebrating its 10th anniversary with a seventh run at the National Theater's Haeorum Theater through Sunday. This landmark production has become one of the theater company's most successful signature repertory works since its premiere in 2015, consistently drawing audiences and critical praise.
The play has achieved remarkable commercial success, maintaining an impressive average seat occupancy rate of 93 percent over its decade-long run and attracting a cumulative audience of 36,000 theatergoers. This sustained popularity represents a rare achievement in Korean theater, where long-running productions are uncommon compared to other theater markets. The production's success even led to an international tour to China in 2016.
Adapted and directed by renowned theater director Koh Sun-woong, the play is based on a Chinese "Zaju" drama script of the same title written by Yuan Dynasty playwright Ji Junxiang. The story has often been compared to Shakespeare's Hamlet due to its themes of family tragedy and the quest for vengeance, earning recognition as an Asian counterpart to the classic Western tragedy.
The compelling narrative follows Cheng Ying, a family physician serving General Tuan Gu, who faces an impossible moral dilemma when he must save the last surviving child of the Zhao clan after the entire family is brutally wiped out by a ruthless general. Cheng makes the difficult decision to raise the orphaned child as his own son, keeping the boy's true identity secret for years. Eventually, Cheng reveals the horrific truth about the Zhao family's destruction and encourages his adopted son to seek vengeance against those responsible for his relatives' deaths.
The drama explores profound themes including the meaning of loyalty and revenge, while examining the destructive and futile nature of endless cycles of vengeance. At its heart, the play portrays an ordinary man wrestling with questions of conscience and conviction in extraordinary circumstances. Despite tackling weighty philosophical themes and employing the familiar dramatic structure of good versus evil, the production skillfully incorporates comedic moments that provide relief from the intense tragedy, only to plunge audiences back into the emotional whirlpool of the unfolding drama.
Director Koh Sun-woong has established himself as a master storyteller, particularly skilled at breathing new life into classical tales for contemporary audiences. His impressive body of work includes hits such as the changgeuk (Korean traditional opera) staple "Madam Ong" and last year's Seoul Metropolitan Theater production "Toongso Whistles," which earned him a prestigious Baeksang Arts Award for theater.
Reflecting on the 10th-anniversary production, Koh expressed his hopes for the play's continued evolution and longevity. "Because this is the 10th-anniversary production, it feels familiar to audiences, yet I hope it also reads in a new way," Koh explained. "I want to show that this is a work that can continue for the next hundred years."
To accommodate international audiences, the theater is offering subtitle services in multiple languages during the current run. Chinese subtitles will be available on Thursday and Saturday performances, while English subtitles will be provided on Friday and Sunday shows, making this celebrated Korean adaptation of a Chinese classic accessible to a broader, multicultural audience.
