Review: The Nanta Show @ Hongdae Theater

Nanta is the longest running show in Korean history, first debuting in October 1997 and it's still going on strong till 2013.

Cookin' Nanta since 1997 

That statement alone is good enough to convince us to fork out a bit and go for the non-verbal comedy show which incorporated that traditional "samu nori" rhythm, a traditional Korean percussion music. There are a few Nanta theaters scattered all over Korea, there's even one in Jeju so you'll be spoilt for choices.

However, us being the Lady Travel Bugs, we are always on the hunt for good bargains. Months before our departure date, we kept checking back on Nanta's Official Site as they update their site with various offers quite frequently! Do check their site out and book your tickets online to get the best deals! :)

Ms Mushroom posing with the Nanta's chefs

The story line is pretty simple with 4 cooks rushing against time to prepare for a wedding banquet within 1 hour. It may be non verbal but trust us, you'll be laughing from the start till the end of the show. They creatively used cooking utensils to make music and turn simple words like "Onion", "Cabbage" "Potato" and "Tomato" into a song! What we found most impressive was the nephew catching the flying plates at top speed...How in the world did he do that?

It's a good experience overall and do include this in your itinerary if you have the time and needed a good laugh. If you want to be more involved in the show, make sure you get seats nearer to the stage as not only will you be splashed with flying cabbages but you might be picked to go on stage! Who knows, you may meet "The One" there since there's a fake marriage ceremony on stage :p

Photo of the stage we secretly took *cheese*

We got lucky that the Hongdae Nanta Theater was having a 30% discount in conjunction with their anniversary special so we ended up paying only 35,000 won each for our tickets. The original priced tickets are about 40,000 won to 70,000 won which can be pretty pricey. We can't say for sure that the show is worth the price that you are paying for!

*swoons...* many cute actors and actresses

For those who are on a tight budget, perhaps you can give this show a miss. If it makes you feel any better, we have no intention to re-watch this show again in the future. Once is more than enough just for the experience! ;) 

Sadly, we just found out from Nanta's Official Site that the Hongdae Theater is now temporarily closed and will only reopen on 9th September, 2013 with a new production called "Music Show Wedding". Would this be the next best thing after Nanta? ;)

Don't panic though, The Nanta Show is still available at the Myeondong, Cheongjeongno and Jeju theaters. Click on the links to check out their location! :)

Our happy faces after the show!

Till then, Happy Nanta-ing!