SWAG AGE IN CONCERT is Coming to the Gillian Lynne Theatre for One Night Only
The performance will take place on Monday 8th September 2025, 7:30pm.
By: Chloe Rabinowitz Jul. 25, 2025
The award-winning Korean phenomenon Swag Age in Concert is making its UK debut in London for one night only blending history, hip-hop and rebellion into a thunderous anthem of freedom. The performance will take place at the Gillian Lynne Theatre on Monday 8th September 2025, 7:30pm.
Step into an imagined Joseon Dynasty, Korea’s last dynasty before the Japanese occupation, where the poetry of Sijo, a traditional Korean verse form similar to a sonnet once embraced, has been banned. The once-celebrated Sijo performers have been silenced, stripped of freedom and hope. In this world of silenced voices and crushed dreams, a masked rebel group known as the Golbin Gang dares to defy the regime. Disguised and determined, they take the stage, channelling their voices to challenge the corrupt. But danger looms and will Hong Guk, the king’s shadow official and Head of Sijo, snuff out their spark before it ignites a revolution?
This isn’t just a musical. It’s a movement. The chants of “Oh-Eh-Oh! Oh-Eh-Oh!” ring out like a battle cry as ordinary people rise up, demanding a new tomorrow. With every beat, every lyric, every step, Swag Age rips through oppression and lights a fire of resistance in this living rebellion for a freer, more equitable world.
With a staggering list of accolades, including Best Picture, Best Choreography, Best Ensemble, and multiple acting awards from Korea’s top musical theatre institutions, Swag Age unites us all with a soundtrack to freedom and choreography of hope. Swag Age brings a breathtaking fusion of sound and movement. Traditional Korean instruments crash headlong into booming hip-hop beats, with a band building a soundscape that is both fiercely ancestral and boldly contemporary. The choreography mixes Korean folk dance to breakdance, from tightly choreographed routines to explosive urban movement, pulsing with energy and raw emotion.
Composer Lee Jeong Yeon comments, The musical Swag Age unravels the cries and emotions of the people through the times with modern music and dance. The sentiment of joy and excitement unique to Korea, so called "heung", flowing in the work goes beyond simple pleasure and is alive and breathing even at this moment with the energy of resistance and solidarity. Through this piece, I hope all of us who live today will receive the message of courage and hope that we still need. Furthermore, I hope this stage will be a place of empathy and communication, not only between the past and present but also the East and the West.
Playwright Park Chan Min says, Swag Age is a work that pictures and deals with the consequences of an imaginary Joseon, where the Korean traditional poetry, Sijo is forcibly taken away from the people's life with the distinct Korean language and rhythm. It is truly meaningful to have this piece held in London at this amazing venue through "Swag Age in Concert"! I hope this stage can be an opportunity to share the values of freedom and identity with the world.
This West End concert staging marks the musical’s long-anticipated international debut. After years of sold-out performances across Korea and a fervent fanbase that spans generations, the show arrives in the UK ready to shout louder than ever.
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