“This is the main theater. It isn’t as large as you might expect, is it?”
“It isn’t.”
Jessica seemed surprised by how compact the inside of the theater was.
I, however, stared blankly around the stage and seating area.
Although there were small differences, I could tell at a glance that this was an effort to reproduce the traditions of the Globe Theatre.
“Ah, that’s also because we’re trying to preserve the principles established when the Globe Theatre was rebuilt.”
“What principles?”
“When they rebuilt the Globe after it was destroyed by fire, they didn’t use steel, even though it is standard in modern construction. It’s because they wanted to reproduce the original theater. All the seats are wooden as well. There are also no sound systems such as microphones or speakers. We only adhere this strictly to tradition for performances held between May and October. The equipment will be installed again sometime next week.”
“Wow. So it’s another way of honoring Shakespeare.”
“You could say that.”
As I listened to the manager’s explanation, my heart swelled at the feeling that the traditions of that era were still alive.
It felt as though the descendants living in the modern age had not forgotten the Elizabethan era in which I had worked.
Without realizing it, I took Jo Yisu’s hand and squeezed hard with my small one.
“Oh my, Siwoo. Is it really that moving?”
“Yes. They’re still performing the same way they did four hundred years ago. It’s somehow amazing.”
Yisu complained theatrically that it hurt, then nodded at my words.
Having overheard our conversation, Jessica lowered herself slightly and asked,
“Siwoo, did you want to come here that badly?”
“Yes. I really wanted to see it.”
I swallowed the word again.
After all, this was the Globe Theatre, returned after four hundred years.
I had spent a great deal of time here with Shakespeare and Richard Burbage.
I could still vividly remember the two of them exchanging jokes and, at times, heated arguments.
Remembering them made a quiet laugh escape me.
I had not expected merely coming to this place to affect me so deeply.
I silently thought it was fortunate that Mother had not come here with me.
After being reborn as Han Siwoo and growing up beneath Mother and Father’s care, I had believed that I had finally let go of my lingering attachment to this place.
But judging by how deeply my heart was stirring, I must have missed it.
Perhaps… that place was still here too.
“Manager, where was this theater originally located?”
“We should properly satisfy our young actor’s curiosity. Just a moment.”
In response to my question, the manager brought out an old map and a modern one, then carefully explained everything to me.
“This is where the Globe Theatre originally stood. But after the theater was completely destroyed by fire, it was moved here. After that, this entire surrounding area came to be called the West End.”
“Oh, I see. I see.”
As I listened to her explanation, I scanned the map, estimating where the place I desperately wanted to find might be.
Ah, what a relief.
It was not far from the Globe Theatre’s new location.
As my heart floated with emotion, a single place naturally came to mind.
The Oscar troupe, where I had personally worked and first begun acting.
It was a place I had deliberately avoided thinking about until now, fearing that it would unsettle me.
“Thank you so much for showing us around. I suppose we should be going now.”
“I should be thanking you. To think I’ll have Jessica’s autograph… I’ll treasure it as a family heirloom. Um, could I perhaps take a photograph with you as well?”
Having finished looking around, we prepared to leave the theater.
The Globe Theatre did not hold evening performances during this season, so we could not watch a show, but it had still been an extremely worthwhile experience.
I had also learned the location of the Oscar troupe.
Led by the excited manager, the employees who had been watching from a distance all gathered around.
While they took photographs with Jessica and Jo Yisu held the camera, I quietly slipped away.
It seemed as though they would take some time, so I intended to quickly look at what had become of the Oscar troupe and then return.
The theater was not far away.
It should have been at the far end of that alley.
Originally, the street beyond this alley had been the main road.
Seeing how completely London had changed left an unexpectedly bitter taste in my mouth.
Accustomed to London’s persistent drizzle, I hurried along through the rain without an umbrella.
As I gradually approached the end of the alley, my heart beat harder with every step.
Just a little farther. Just a little more.
Tap.
I quickly rounded the corner at the end of the alley.
The entrance to the Oscar Theatre should be right here…!
What?
<Freedom Theatre>
When I saw the sign, my heart seemed to plummet, and I had to steady my swaying body.
This was definitely the place.
But all that stood there was an old sign bearing some absurdly tacky name.
Judging from the shape of the building, this was unquestionably the place.
Even after turning around and checking my surroundings, I was certain this was the same building on the same street.
But the name Oscar Theatre had vanished, replaced by Freedom Theatre.
“That can’t be…”
Although I was devastated, part of me understood.
The Oscar troupe did not have a long history like many other theatrical companies and theaters.
Four hundred years had passed. In a way, it was only natural that it had disappeared.
The three years in which it had remained by my side until the end of my life, years that had felt like an entire lifetime.
The troupe with which I had shared that time.
I was no longer Noah Battenberg.
I was not even one of his descendants.
I was merely a child named Han Siwoo from the distant East, but the reality that I could no longer trace even the remnants of my past filled me with bitterness. No, it went beyond bitterness, leaving my heart heavy and numb.
I tightly clenched my trembling fist.
Perhaps I should never have checked.
Never have confirmed that my entire life had vanished.
As I blamed myself beneath the surge of helpless regret, the theater doors suddenly burst open.
People began filing out.
The audience members emerging from Freedom Theatre were wiping away tears.
“Ah, it was so good. Sniff… give me a tissue.”
“It was just as good the second time. I’m glad you liked it.”
“Why didn’t you tell me beforehand that it was this sad and moving?”
“Couldn’t you tell from the poster?”
Apparently, a performance at Freedom Theatre had just ended.
The audience members poured out, every one of them wiping their eyes with tissues.
Talking about how moving the performance had been, they scattered in small groups to continue their evening together.
As I watched them, I remembered the people who had once left the theater after watching my performances.
They must have worn the same satisfied expressions as these people.
Even now, audiences were being moved in this place.
The past and present continued to remain connected.
Realizing that, I looked up at the <Freedom Theatre> sign that I had dismissed as merely tacky.
That’s right. This place had not become some unrelated shop. It was still being used as a theater.
That was enough.
Although I still thought the naming sense was terrible.
I smiled faintly, shook off my thoughts, and headed back toward the alley where the Globe Theatre stood.
Thinking about it, the two of them had probably been alarmed when I suddenly disappeared.
“Siwoo! Where did you go? You frightened us!”
Sure enough, Jo Yisu looked startled as he hurriedly held an umbrella over my head.
“Did you find him? Oh, Siwoo. I thought you’d disappeared.”
Jessica also rushed over and checked that I was unharmed.
Caught up in my memories of the past, I had briefly forgotten the people accompanying me.
Feeling guilty, I gave an awkward little laugh and tried to brush it aside.
“I’m sorry. The streets were so large that while I was looking around… I ended up getting lost.”
“No, I’m just glad we found you so quickly. I’m actually the one who should apologize. I let myself become distracted by something else.”
“It’s all right.”
In truth, I had secretly slipped away.
I apologized to Jessica once more in my thoughts.
Although she normally did not treat me like a little child, my sudden disappearance seemed to have badly frightened her.
“I feel as though you just took ten years off my life. Shall we head back now?”
“Yes!”
I answered Jo Yisu energetically and began walking.
As we headed toward where the car was parked, Jessica looked around the area.
“Even so, the direction you came from is some distance from Main Street… How did you get all the way over there on those short little legs?”
“My legs are long compared to other children my age.”
“My heart truly dropped. I’ll make sure not to take my eyes off you either, but please don’t disappear without saying anything again, Siwoo.”
“All right, Jessica.”
I giggled and nodded.
Unlike when we had arrived, I was now sharing an umbrella with Jessica as we walked back toward the car. Jessica spoke in an excited voice.
“Now that we’ve finished sightseeing, let’s go eat something delicious.”
“Yes!”
I had not eaten anything since rehearsal ended, so her suggestion was very welcome.
“Where are we going, Jessica?”
Jo Yisu, who would be driving, asked for our destination.
Jessica thought for a moment, then exclaimed as though a good idea had occurred to her.
“There’s a wonderful restaurant near the theater where we’ll be performing RUN. Let’s go there.”
“Ah, understood.”
At Jessica’s words, Jo Yisu smiled and nodded as though he immediately knew the place.
I was curious too, so why wouldn’t they tell me where it was?
“Keumkang-santo shikugung. Is that right, Siwoo? Did I say that Korean proverb correctly?”
I laughed loudly at Jessica’s awkward Korean and nodded.
Where had she heard that proverb?
“That’s right. Then after we eat, are we going to see our theater too?”
“Of course. We were heading in that direction in the first place so our young actor could see the stage he’ll be performing on.”
“Ha-ha. Then we should hurry.”
The three of us chatted pleasantly until we reached the restaurant Jessica had mentioned.
She had said it served something delicious, but the restaurant turned out to be a Korean restaurant.
“The best food in England is foreign food.”
Jessica declared this proudly before entering the Korean restaurant.
That evening, I filled my stomach with samgyeopsal for the first time in ages.
We sat on a terrace overlooking the gently flowing Thames.
It had been nearly a month since I arrived in England.
Already half of November had passed.
It was not severely cold, but it was chilly enough beside the river that Mother had bundled me up from head to toe today.
Wearing so many layers that my arms had gone stiff, I barely managed to raise my cup and sip my tea.
“Ha-ha, Siwoo. Aren’t you uncomfortable?”
“Mhm, I’m fine.”
Today, our family had gone sightseeing around London with Jo Yisu.
The opening performance was already only two days away.
Jessica had given the troupe members a day off after they had spent so long rehearsing without rest.
Starting tomorrow, we would enter full performance mode.
Since I had barely taken any proper breaks, Uncle and Mother had been greatly looking forward to today.
Knowing that, Jo Yisu had volunteered to serve as our guide.
He had stayed in England longer than our family and knew the area and its good shops well, so we gladly welcomed his offer.
“Mr. Yisu, our Siwoo… um, he won’t be discriminated against by the audience, will he? Since he’s the only Asian, I worry every time he leaves for rehearsal.”
Mother seemed anxious about the upcoming performance in several ways.
Rehearsals were one thing, but soon I would be standing before a large British audience as the lead actor.
My young age and the size of the stage aside, she was especially worried that people might look down on me for being Asian.
During the month she had spent here, Mother herself had experienced anti-Asian discrimination without openly speaking of it.
It seemed she was afraid her young son might experience the same thing.
“…Ha-ha. He’ll be fine, Mother. Siwoo is extremely talented.”
I knew why Jo Yisu had hesitated for a moment, so I silently sipped my tea.
After all, Gordon had subjected me to verbal abuse from the very first day I went to introduce myself at the rehearsal room.
“Hmm? Is that so?”
This was bad.
Mother had noticed the split second of hesitation in Jo Yisu’s answer.
Notes:
- Jessica’s line, “큼캉산또 시쿠겅,” is an intentionally awkward or mispronounced version of 금강산도 식후경(Geumgangsando sikhu-gyeong), a Korean proverb meaning that even the finest sightseeing is better after eating.
- Richard Burbage was the first person to play the roles of Hamlet, Lear, Othello and Macbeth in the original version of the Globe in London.
Leave a Reply