SET-TOP BOX

About the show

Set-Top Box is a contemporary Korean theatrical work selected for the 2020 ARKO Selection Playwriting Competition. The play, written and directed by Kim Sung Cheol of ARKHE Creative Experiment Group, combines theatrical nuance with dark comedy to examine modern life's absurdities. The narrative follows an office worker experiencing inexplicable abdominal pain amid workplace stress and wedding preparations. The source of his suffering proves to be a billing error: his telecommunications provider insists a set-top box exists in his home, detecting its signal despite his denials. As the protagonist navigates corporate bureaucracy and medical consultations while his condition worsens, the play uses his physical distress as a metaphor for contemporary pressures. Directed by Kim, known for his distinctive approach to character exploration, the production presents both humor and philosophical inquiry, questioning how individuals must constantly validate their existence through recorded eviden