Theater Company Brave New World tackles aging in new play 'Noin Bakmyeol'

| NBNTV = Jeong Dong-jin |

Theater company Brave New World will explore the question, "How are you facing 'old age'?" through a new theatrical production.

According to Brave New World on the 4th, their new work <Noin Bakmyeol> will be presented at the Miari Gogae Art Theater from August 26, 2026, to September 6, 2026. The story begins with 'Jeong Bok,' a veteran taxi driver approaching his 80s, who causes a traffic accident and the subsequent struggle of his family to resolve it.

The play depicts the process of retirement, dementia, subsequent caregiving, and the way Korean society faces death, illustrating how the elderly are often classified as unproductive beings and pushed to the margins of society.

Through this, Brave New World poses uncomfortable yet sharp questions: in today's super-aged society, where everyone will eventually become elderly, why do we refuse to age and instead strive to 'exterminate' the existence of the elderly?

Director Ye Soo-jung stated, "In fact, we need to look closely at whether 'the elderly' are being treated as 'NO-people' in our society.""

Brave New World is a prominent collective based in Daehak-ro that focuses on collaborative creation. With a motto of freely confronting the truths that this era finds uncomfortable, they have addressed various issues through performances, including contemporary warfare, state violence, real estate, and gender.

The company has won the 'Grand Prize in Theater' at the 8th Edaily Culture Awards, the 'New Concept Theater Award' at the 54th Dong-A Theater Awards, and the 'Grand Prize' at the 42nd Seoul Theater Festival. They were also nominated for the 'Young Theater Award' at the 55th and 60th Baeksang Arts Awards. Additionally, they were selected for the 'Top 3 Theater of the Year' by the Korean Theater Critics Association in 2021 and the 'Top 7 Performances of 2017, 2021, and 2025' by Monthly Korean Theater, and were nominated for the 61st Dong-A Theater Awards.

The play <Noin Bakmyeol> is a production selected through the 2026 Seoul Foundation for Arts and Culture Resident Company Support Project and will be performed at the Miari Gogae Art Theater from August 26 to September 6. This performance will feature a dense ensemble including Kim Bo-kyeong, Kim Eon-i, Kim Jeong-hoe, Bae Seong-woo, Yu A-jin, Lee Myeong-yeol, Lee Seul-gi, Jang Woo Young, Jo Eun-seo, Choi Beom, Choi Jun Hee, Han Ji-hye, and Hwang Ye-won.

Performance Information

- Date/Time: 2026.08.26 (Wed) - 2026.09.06 (Sun) | Weekdays 7:30 PM | Saturday 3:00 PM · 7:30 PM | Sunday 3:00 PM | Closed on Mondays

* Closed Captioning (CC): Provided for all shows
* Talk with Audience: After the 8/30 (Sun) 3:00 PM show (Real-time text interpretation provided)
* Live Performance Filming: 9/2 (Wed) 19:30, 9/3 (Thu) 19:30

- Venue: Miari Gogae Art Theater
- Tickets: All seats 40,000 KRW
- Reservation: NOL Ticket (formerly Interpark Ticket)
- Age Rating: Ages 13 (Middle school students) and older

■ Work Description

Everyone grows old, but it is not easy to imagine oneself as an elderly person. The play <Noin Bakmyeol> provides an intense experience that encourages viewers to see 'the elderly'—others—as 'my future self.'

In South Korea, a super-aged society where one in five people is elderly! We live encountering countless elderly people on the streets, in subways, in hospitals, and within families! We stand on the boundary between youth and old age, life and death, and dignity and hatred!

What are we afraid of?

Through the stories of those who have become elderly and those who will become elderly, Brave New World aims to provide a vital opportunity to face our own tendency to turn away from 'aging.'

■ Director's Note

My white hairs are increasing. So, once a month, I desperately dye them. Every time I do, I feel irritated about how long I will have to keep doing this. Yet, despite that, I dye them again because I hate the white hair in the mirror. Why do I refuse to accept my white hair? In fact, I thought I would never become an elderly person. But now, as I transition from youth to middle age, I feel the need for deep contemplation regarding 'aging.'

The play <Noin Bakmyeol> started from these thoughts. Why are we afraid of becoming 'elderly'? How are we facing 'old age'?

Through this work, I hope the audience looks into the uncomfortable social hatred and structural violence directed at 'old age,' and perceives it not as a social weakness or ugliness, but as the essence of a dignified existence. Furthermore, I hope that I, and all of us, can become prepared to properly face 'old age.'