Photo: Bea Borgers
Lolling and Rolling begins with the phenomenon of tongue-tie surgery that spread widely in South Korea in the mid-2000s. The surgery was performed to improve pronunciation by extending the movement of the tongue in order to acquire the English R sound, which does not exist in Korean. Framed as a decision for a better future and greater competitiveness, children’s bodies were adjusted to meet socially imposed linguistic standards.
The work reflects on English as a language of political power and on the “inaudible voices” that are marginalized within this system. Jaha Koo exposes how linguistic hierarchies silence minorities and deprive them of cultural agency. The denial or devaluation of a language is not only a matter of communication, but a structural process that leads to the erosion of identity. In this context, marginalized groups are colonized both linguistically and culturally.
In the performance, Jaha Koo uses a turntable he once practiced English listening comprehension with, mixing his own music live on stage. Music, sound, video, and personal stories intersect with history and memory, forming a live performance that brings excluded voices back into focus.
Premiere: Theater Spektakel, Zurich, Switzerland (2015)
Duration: 45 min
Trigger warning: This performance contains explicit content and loud music.
Duration: 45 min
Trigger warning: This performance contains explicit content and loud music.
Title in Korean: 롤링 앤 롤링
The Hamartia Trilogy
Since 2014, Jaha Koo has been working on The Hamartia Trilogy, which examines how an irrevocable past leaves lasting marks on the present and the future. Lolling and Rolling is the first part of the trilogy, followed by Cuckoo and The History of Korean Western Theatre.
The term hamartia, borrowed from Aristotle’s Poetics, refers to a decisive tragic error. Through this concept, Jaha Koo connects personal experience with historical events, tracing the structural impact of imperialism on individual lives.
Credits
Concept, text, direction, music, video, research, and performance
Jaha Koo
Jaha Koo
Dramaturgy
Dries Douibi
Dries Douibi
Scenography
Eunkyung Jeong
Eunkyung Jeong
Artistic advice
Pol Heyvaert
Pol Heyvaert
Technical Team
Korneel Coessens, and Bart Huybrechts
Korneel Coessens, and Bart Huybrechts
Production
Jaha Koo
Jaha Koo
Original support
DAS Theatre (Amsterdam)
DAS Theatre (Amsterdam)
Executive producer
CAMPO (Ghent, since 2021)
CAMPO (Ghent, since 2021)
Co-production
Kunstenfestivaldesarts (Brussels)
Kunstenfestivaldesarts (Brussels)
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Photo: Marie Clauzade
Photo: Bea Borgers
