Modern Korean Theater Series 8th Production! Lee Boram's 'The Fourth Person' Premieres in Japan

Natori Office, in collaboration with Universal Theater Company, will present 'The Fourth Person' as the 8th production in its Modern Korean Theater Series. The play will run from June 19 to June 28, 2026, at the Geki Koshogekijo in Shimokitazawa, Tokyo (2-6-6 Kitazawa, Setagaya-ku). Tickets are available through Confetti (operated by Long Run Planning Co., Ltd., Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo, Representative Director: Taigo Kurematsu).

This marks the 8th production in the Modern Korean Theater Series, which began in 2018, establishing itself as a dedicated Korean theater company. 'The Fourth Person' is a Japan premiere, adapted for a Tokyo version, deepening international exchange with Korea. The international co-production features Korean staff handling the script, art, costumes, and flyer design.

The playwright, Lee Boram, is a leading socially conscious dramatist in the Korean theater scene, known for acclaimed works such as 'The House Where Boy B Lives' and 'Women Don't Cry.' 'The Fourth Person' is her third major work, focusing on the theme of false accusation. Lee Boram consistently offers new settings and perspectives. The play is based on a real case where an innocent verdict was reached through retrial, starting as a coming-of-age story of a teenage daughter and concluding with a question posed to adults.

Synopsis: Seventeen years ago, in a prosecutor's office, Chepil, accused of robbery-homicide, is confronted by a woman claiming to be the real culprit. Intimidated by the prosecutor's aggressive demeanor, Chepil confesses to being the perpetrator. Seventeen years later, the former prosecutor learns his daughter, Eunji, has been detained on murder charges. Eunji repeatedly asks her father a question in detention, but he refuses to answer. The story returns to seventeen years ago. After returning from the prosecutor's office, the woman who confessed begins campaigning to clear Chepil's name, who was wrongly imprisoned in her stead, by posting flyers around town. Meanwhile, Chepil continues to write letters to the prosecutor, asserting his innocence and requesting a re-investigation of the woman who confessed.

Playwright: Lee Boram Founder of Universal Theater Company. Studied psychology at university before specializing in playwriting at the Korea National University of Arts. Debuted in 2012 with 'Emperor's Comic Cafe,' a work addressing forced evictions due to redevelopment. She continues to produce works on social issues such as sexual violence, false accusations, and fabricated spy cases. Representative works include 'The House Where Boy B Lives' (2014, selected for 'CJ Cultural Foundation CREATIVE MINDS'), 'Women Don't Cry' (2015), 'Cowboy on the Roof' (2015, later adapted into a film), 'The Fourth Person' (2018, closing work of Pre-Global Woman Performing Arts Festival), 'Romance of Extinction' (2024), and 'When Neil Armstrong Landed on the Moon' (2025, selected for 'ARKO Selection: New Works of the Year'). She is highly regarded for works focusing on the histories of the socially vulnerable and individuals not in the public eye. She has also expanded her range of expression with puppet shows for disabled actors and audiences ('Let's Become a Song,' 'Traditional Music Play: Ok' (2021)), 'Grandma Turtle' (2024) on the theme of aging, and a work of the same name (2025) inspired by Ibsen's 'A Doll's House.' Her translated productions by Natori Office have also been well-received; 'The House Where Boy B Lives' (staged in 2020) received the 75th Agency for Cultural Affairs Arts Festival Excellence Award, and 'Women Don't Cry' (staged in 2021) was broadcast on NHK's 'Premium Stage.'

Director: Miyuki Ikuta Member of Bungakuza and theater unit 'Rational Eccentrics.' Completed her master's degree in Musicology at Tokyo University of the Arts. Stayed in Germany in summer 2016 with a language scholarship (for arts) from the Goethe-Institut. Recent directing works include 'The Burning Bride,' 'As Far as Impossible,' 'Norma Jean of the Desert,' and 'Piggyback.' Received the 31st Yomiuri Theater Award for Excellence in Directing for Natori Office productions including 'Prisoners of Occupation' and 'The Butcher of the Occupied Territories,' and the Reiwa 5th (2023) Minister of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology's New Artist Award for 'Prisoners of Occupation' and others.