The immersive theater experience “Underground” transports audiences into an entirely new dimension of sensory storytelling -- a captivating, pitch-dark descent into the unknown.
Based on acclaimed Korean science fiction author Kim Bo-young's short story “Underground” (featured in her collection “The Fifth Sense” in 2022), the Wooran Foundation’s production plunges viewers deep into a labyrinthine underground set in a dystopian future.
“Underground” follows a group of 10 “descenders” as they investigate a mysterious subterranean maze that has never been fully explored. And the audience, equipped with headphones, joins the perilous journey down the uncharted path known as Narak (meaning abyss in Korean).
With only 20 attendees per show, the experience begins the moment audience members enter the venue via the third floor -- an entrance usually reserved for staff. From there, they descend to the first floor. For safety, attendees enter one at a time, following dimly lit corridors, steep metal staircases, misty fog and the distant echoes of dripping water -- all setting a chilling tone.
Once seated in a circle within a pit, the performance begins as the lights are extinguished, leaving the space in total, pitch-black darkness.
Despite being called a “play,” the performance challenges the very definition of theater. There are no live actors on stage. Instead, the performance relies on pre-recorded voices heard through headphones.
Delivered through binaural sound, the prerecorded audio fully immerses the listener. The story follows Yoon-hyung, a 44-year-old veteran explorer, who made his name by breaking two descent records in his 20s.
One by one, his fellow teammates drop out -- some due to accidents, others from sheer exhaustion -- until only Yoon-hyung remains. With his days numbered due to an illness, Yoon-hyung pushes ahead, determined to uncover the truth about the maze, no matter the cost.
The theatrical experience lasts 65 minutes, most of which is spent in complete darkness. At times, the blackness is so profound that it becomes impossible to tell whether your eyes are open or shut. The pitch darkness blurs the line between reality and the imagined underground world.
Carefully timed lighting effects punctuate the experience, providing brief glimpses of visibility -- a faint glow from a headlamp or the shimmer of falling stones -- just enough to keep the audience grounded while propelling them deeper into the mystery.
The sound drives this production. Using sound created by sound designers Tat Sham Chung and Andreas Sommer, director Jung Hye-soo (based in Seoul and Berlin) explores how audio can reveal unseen worlds, allowing the audience to experience the performance on a multisensory level.
In moments of high tension, such as during an earthquake, the rumbling is so realistic that you can imagine the ground shaking beneath your feet. The vivid soundscapes compensate for the absence of physical performers, building an eerie atmosphere. At times, it feels as though someone is whispering directly behind you or walking past your seat.
Running from Aug. 28 through Sept. 8, all performances sold out swiftly.
Kim Bo-young, a trailblazer in Korean science fiction, is a leading voice in the genre. Her collection “On the Origin of Species and Other Stories,” translated by Sora Kim-Russell and Joungmin Lee Comfort, was longlisted for the 2021 National Book Awards in the US, marking a first for a Korean author. Another notable work, “I'm Waiting for You” (2021) translated by Sophie Bowman and Sung Ryu, is available in English.
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Literature is a wellspring of inspiration across various formats, including film, drama series and stage productions. In this series, The Korea Herald explores the intersection of literature and its adaptations, reviewing and analyzing the transformations of original text into imagery. -- Ed.
