Okcheon National Theatre Festival draws 7,000 as indoor shows sell out
In short
Okcheon county in North Chungcheong held its third National Theatre Festival from Oct. 1 to 5, with all seven indoor performances selling out the 478-seat venue. Yonhap reported about 7,000 spectators in total, plus 2,400 at a concert. County governor Hwang Kyu-cheol said the event has grown each year and promised a better programme next year.
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Okcheon county in North Chungcheong province closed its third National Theatre Festival on Oct. 5 after a five-day run, with every indoor performance sold out. Yonhap reported that the seven indoor shows, staged in a 478-seat hall, filled the venue each time, beginning with the opening production on Oct. 1 at the Okcheon Culture and Arts Centre. Newsis also reported that the festival finished with all indoor performances sold out. [ 1 , 2 ]
Yonhap put total attendance at around 7,000. It reported that the eight outdoor performances — including puppet shows and madang theatre — each drew about 200 people, and that a “Visit Okcheon” concert featuring singers Park Jeong-hyeon, Kim Jong-seo, Lee Eun-mi and the group Mokkoji attracted about 2,400 people. The festival ran under the theme “a theatre walk” (연극 산책). [ 2 ]
County governor Hwang Kyu-cheol said the festival had begun “in a theatre barren land with not a single theatre” and had gained a national reputation, becoming larger each year. He said the event's shortcomings would be analysed so that next year's stage could be better, according to Yonhap. [ 2 ]
Why it matters
The festival is presented by its organisers as a way to build a theatre audience in a county they describe as having no theatre venue, and the reported sell-outs and audience figures are the yardstick they use for growth. Whether that momentum carries into next year's edition depends on the county's own review of this year's shortcomings.
Key facts
- Okcheon county in North Chungcheong province held the third National Theatre Festival from Oct. 1 to 5. [ 2 ]
- The festival ran under the theme “a theatre walk” (연극 산책). [ 2 ]
- All seven indoor performances sold out the 478-seat venue, starting with the opening piece at the Okcheon Culture and Arts Centre on Oct. 1. [ 1 , 2 ]
- Eight outdoor performances, including puppet shows and madang theatre, drew about 200 people each, according to Yonhap. [ 2 ]
- Yonhap reported that around 7,000 spectators attended the festival in total. [ 2 ]
- A “Visit Okcheon” concert drew about 2,400 people, Yonhap reported. [ 2 ]
- County governor Hwang Kyu-cheol said the festival grew out of a county with no theatre venue and that shortcomings would be analysed for next year. [ 2 ]
Confirmed by several sources
Still unclear
- The total figure of about 7,000 spectators. Only Yonhap gives a total attendance number; the second outlet reports sell-outs without an audience count.
- What specific shortcomings of the festival the county will address. The governor said shortcomings would be analysed but did not say what they were.
What local media are saying
Timeline, local time
- Opening day: the opening indoor production plays at the Okcheon Culture and Arts Centre, the first of seven indoor performances in the 478-seat venue. [ 2 ]
- Final day of the five-day National Theatre Festival. [ 2 ]
- Newsis reports the festival has closed with all indoor performances sold out. [ 1 ]
- Yonhap reports the county's attendance figures for the festival. [ 2 ]