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1457, The Boy at Rest
1457, 소년 잠들다
Official English Title
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SOURCE
history
SETTING
Korea
BOOK
original
The fall of boy king Danjong
Korean Premiere
2025
Korean Premiere Theatre
Seoul Theater 202, Seoul Theater Creation Center
Further Korean run references:
https://www.ywmedia.kr/news/articleView.html?idxno=29129
https://biz.heraldcorp.com/article/10704443
The Musical search cue — “1457, 소년 잠들다”
Summary
A tragic historical musical about the fall of young King Danjong and the quiet courage of those caught in the political upheaval of 1457.
Origin & Development
This historical chamber musical reimagines the fall of King Danjong and the people drawn into the political violence of 1457, developed as a compact, character-centered work rather than a conventional royal chronicle. It is created by Poem and Star Theatre Company (극단 시와 별), originally based in Yeongwol, the town where King Danjong spent his final days. Director Lee Ho-young leads a creative team that integrates traditional Korean percussion, vocal layering, and digital scenography, with music by Eun-ji Kim and lyrics by Ji-yune Sang.
A one-hour version (per Fringe guidelines) was presented at the Assembly George Square Studios as part of the Korean Season at the 2025 Edinburgh Festival Fringe, performed in Korean. Reviews highlighted its hanbok costumes, projected calligraphy, and lighting design; Musical Theatre Review called it "fabulously stylish, gorgeously sung, and culturally profound." It won the Best Production Award at the Asian Arts Awards 2025 and was shortlisted for Best Musical.
Following the Fringe run, the full-length version was performed in Seoul in September 2025, supported by the Seoul Foundation for Arts and Culture and the Yeongwol Cultural Tourism Foundation.
Partial Synopsis
Set in 15th-century Korea, the story begins after King Danjong’s abdication. Exiled to Yeongwol, the young king and his loyal queen Jeongsun endure separation and sorrow under the shadow of betrayal. Three dokkaebi observe the tragedy, offering comic relief and sharp moral commentary as they ponder why humans inflict suffering on one another. When the final royal decree arrives—ordering Danjong’s death—the story transforms into a requiem. Through song, the goblins invite the audience to remember the lost king and their own departed loved ones, closing with a message that memory itself keeps the dead at peace.
1457, The Boy at Rest
2025
2025-07-31
to
2025-08-24
Country:
United Kingdom
City:
Edinburgh
Production Type:
Full Production
Language:
Korean
Venue:
Assembly George Square
Staged by Theater Company Poem and Star (극단 시와별) as an official invited work of the 2025 Edinburgh Korean Season during the Edinburgh Festival; in Korea the piece is titled 장릉 낮도깨비_1457, 잠든소년. It won the top prize in the production category at The Asia Art Awards 2025.
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