Swag Age in Concert at Gillian Lynne Theatre
After winning a sweep of awards in South Korea, Swag Age bursts into London’s West End for a single concert at the Gillian Lynne Theatre (My Neighbour Totoro tottering off for the night). Based around the performance and politics of the traditional Korean poetic form – Sijo – the musical is a confounding flourish of high energy.
Creators Park Chan-Min and Lee Jeong-Yeon invite you to an imagined version of the Joseon dynasty (the pre-colonial period in Korean history that lasted nearly 500 years). State officials are swooping in to crush the free expression of Sijo. An assassination of the former King by a Sijo master has meant this successor (Choi Il Woo) needs to be protected by the authoritarian official Hongguk (Lim Hyun Su). But the people aren’t taking Hongguk’s firm, oppressive impositions lying down. A masked group known as the Golbin Gang (led by Lee Kyung Soo’s Shibju and Kim Soo Ha’s Jin) are fighting back with mocking Sijo displays. Meanwhile, the wayward youngster Dan (Yang Hee Jun) is kicking back in his own way with a modern Sijo form that attracts the wrong kind of attention.
Tensions mount, musical solos and duets soar, and Kim Eung Chong’s choreography and the creator’s lyrics combine political satire with hip-hop-style swagger. Under Lee Kyeong Soo’s direction, Swag Age is nothing if not dialled up to 11. The enthusiastic ensemble is so energetic that, more often, they are just histrionic. The scrappy slapstick and sheer vocal belting create a careening atmosphere that occasionally leaves the stage. The lighting – spotlights in evocative fan shapes to complement the often fan-oriented dance – rakes the audience dramatically, and there’s an irreverent, campy vibe that is a little infectious.
But, admittedly, it’s difficult for the non-Korean speaker to follow. The subtitles displayed stage left and right make scanning difficult with the frenetic action that is concentrated centre-stage, and this reviewer was consistently choosing whether to watch the performance or stay attentive to the dialogue. Fortunately, Swag Age’s narrative is predictable – an impassioned, repetitive plea for political and cultural equality featuring archetypal characters – but any specifics or nuances get lost completely.
Likewise, the performances get carried away, especially in the second act. Lead Yang Hee Jun has genuine power hitting the high notes, but his scratchy screaming does no good for his throat. The extended curtain call is also overly indulgent, but the catchy “Oh-Eh-Oh!” chorus is a crowd pleaser, and it clearly seemed to please the attending crowd in its final moment.
Swag Age offers an insight into a deep-rooted defiance in Korean cultural-political expression (hence last year’s swift uprising against the former President’s attempt to reinstate martial law), but it is not altogether an enjoyable theatrical experience for those unfamiliar with this subtitled format or sufficiently Koreaphilic.
James Humphrey
Photos: PL Entertainment
Swag Age in Concert is at the Gillian Lynne Theatre from 8th September 2025. For further information or to book, visit the theatre’s website here.
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