"River and Liver" (National Theater Company of Korea)

On what might as well be the world’s last day, L and O share beer on a sweltering, humid night, talking about the end of humanity.

Their neighbor is under quarantine, a mermaid has been spotted on the Han River, and a sinkhole has formed as the ground collapses beneath their home. Gazing into the abyss, the two joke about who would rescue them if they fell in.

The scene is from "River and Liver," the National Theater Company of Korea's surrealist dark comedy playing at Myeongdong Theater until Saturday.

Director Lee In-soo (left) and playwright Dong I-hyang in a reherasal for "River and Liver." (National Theater Company of Korea)

The play is set in what feels like humanity’s final days, blending dark humor, melancholy and a touch of surrealism in what could be a daring adventure for the stage.

Written by award-winning playwright Dong I-hyang, the script emerged during the pandemic, a time when the fragility of everyday life became glaringly obvious.

“During the pandemic, it felt like daily life was filled with things that could easily crumble, as if we were living in a tragicomedy,” said Dong in a recent interview with The Korea Herald.

The play, grounded in those pandemic reflections, captures the anxiety and fear people grapple with in times of uncertainty.

“I found myself thinking a lot about time, particularly how the concepts of the end, death and even apocalypse had made their way into our lives. For the first time, I think everyone shared a feeling that the world could potentially end, which created a profound connection among humanity."

For Dong, this shared experience found its expression in fleeting moments of camaraderie -- a joke, a caring glance or a passing comment made in the context of collective dread.

"It was those trivial interactions that made me feel how similar we all are."

"River and Liver" (National Theater Company of Korea)

"River and Liver" follows L, a middle-aged woman, in her fragmented story of another day in the impending doom -- as her life disintegrates both literally and metaphorically. There’s her husband O, who appears to have found another woman; The Boy, whom she meets for a second-hand trade; and V, her first love, who returns as a mermaid.

Director Lee In-soo, who brought Dong's script to life, interpreted L as a person who questions.

"I saw L as a kind of representative of humanity -- ordinary but with the unique capacity to question. She constantly asks, 'Why? Why do I hurt? What's wrong with me?' Those questions became central to my interpretation of her."

L's unexplainable shoulder pain, a recurring theme in the play, is something Dong herself delves into.

"When we experience pain, we want to know its cause. But what happens when the cause is unknown? L’s pain keeps growing, making the present moment feel endlessly expanded, as if nothing else can be thought of."

"River and Liver" (National Theater Company of Korea)

Audiences used to traditional storylines may find the play somewhat challenging, but its disjointed scenes create a unique atmosphere that relies more on emotion than logic.

While the play plunges the audience into a deep pit of depression with L, it is also unexpectedly comedic, featuring rhythmic, ping-pong-like dialogue and absurd moments, such as the character's attempts to pursue a minimalist lifestyle while buying more things, or borrowing money from a nurse when she cannot afford surgery.

Lee found the play’s humor essential to balancing its darker elements.

"It’s a world that might seem unfamiliar, but for those living in it, they slip through their absurdity like a slapstick routine. I hope audiences find moments to laugh."

“I think of it as a story about suffering,” Dong reflected. “It’s about how those moments of pain can be delivered through laughter so that the darkness can shine through.”