Young artists are intentionally deconstructing the familiar tale of 'The Three Little Pigs.' The story of pigs and a wolf is pushed aside in favor of questions that blur the lines between performance art, installation, reality and illusion, memory and the present.
The musical 'So the Wind Blows, and I Ate My Two Brothers,' which flips the original fairy tale on its head, will be staged at the Sejong Center in Seoul from August 15 to 17. Lee Ha-neul serves as the director, music director, and composer, with contributions from Lee Han and Shin Ye-hoon. Jeong Han-gyeol will conduct, and visual artist Yang Jeong-wook will serve as the scenographer.
There is no intention to faithfully recreate the original story. In a recent written interview with reporters, Lee Ha-neul stated, "The initial thought was, 'I want to break apart a story everyone knows.' I chose 'The Three Little Pigs,' one of the most familiar tales, to borrow its framework but deconstruct and reconstruct it in a completely different direction."
For Yang Jeong-wook, the original story serves as a guide for creating a new narrative. During a press conference on August 3, he remarked, "Just because a few people gather late at night to eat chicken doesn’t mean the chicken is the important part. 'The Three Little Pigs' is just the chicken. The real story could be about war or stocks."
One of the real stories explored is the belief in the unseen. The focus is on the 'trust in the wolf.' Lee Ha-neul explained, "We are often more easily swayed by what we believe exists than by what actually does. Fear, rumors, beliefs, prejudices, religion, and ideologies—things we cannot confirm—often dictate our actions and can sometimes hold more power than reality." This is examined through the symbol of the 'wolf.'
The production also questions the reality created by repetition and seeks to re-examine the very form of performance.
The title itself hints at the deconstruction. In the original story, the wolf eats the first and second pigs, while the third pig kills and eats the wolf that comes down the chimney. The reason for the title 'I Ate My Two Brothers' is rooted in this.
The differences among the three pigs are expressed through movement and sound. The first and second pigs are given distinct repetitive movements and sounds, which are then transferred to the third pig that swallows the wolf. As their actions repeat and infect one another, the three pigs become intertwined.
Yang Jeong-wook, who has two children aged two and six, draws inspiration for choreography and direction from them. He shared, "I noticed my eldest imitating me as I took clothes out of the washing machine and threw them into the dryer. The youngest later came over and threw something too. I thought there must be points of learning among the three pigs, and I reflected that in the spatial direction and choreography."
The work itself continues to mix and strip away the contributions of each participant in composition and direction.
Yang Jeong-wook stated, "It’s not a neatly finished piece, so I don’t know where it will end. It might feel complete during rehearsals. If it’s too tight, we’ll strip away what’s unnecessary, like taking away gochujang (red chili paste) during rehearsals."
The performances will take place from August 15 to 17 at the S Theater of the Sejong Center.
* This article has been translated by AI.
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