A family of three lives wealthy on a hill overlooking the fiord: husband Allmers, his beautiful wife Rita, who helps him, and son Eyolf, who has one leg disabled. The husband has stayed in the mountains to finish a book he was working on and has just returned from there. His beloved sister Asta visits him. While his wife and sister expect him to finish his work, he declares that he will give it up and devote himself to his son's education. Although they are puzzled by this sudden change of direction, Allmers talks enthusiastically about his new dream. Then an old Rat-Wife appears, who makes her living luring rats out of houses and killing them. She is shooed away, but her appearance triggers a fatal accident, revealing the pasts, individual desires and irritations of the three, who appeared prosperous and peaceful.

The production will be premiered at the BIRD Theatre Festival. It is currently under rehearsal. 'Self-realisation' continues to plague people today. What are 'self' and 'I'? What does 'realisation' mean, and how do we do it? Ibsen tackled this question at the end of the 19th century, depicting the confusion and suffering that arise when the 'I' is pursued. At the end of the play, he shows the possibility of overcoming a challenge that is very much relevant today. It seems somewhat abrupt. However, it seems to me that it is a mature understanding that is still applicable today.

The concept of Jiga = ego was born in the West. It was associated with freedom, and developed society and the economy. Nevertheless, it has also led to various 'illnesses'. As the world has become more affluent, the confusion and suffering caused by the ego have become an important and urgent issue in the East and continue to shake us today in all sorts of ways.

In this performance, Japanese and Korean theatre artists create a piece together. Through the work, they look deeply into the various contemporary 'illnesses' surrounding the 'self' and think together about them. Furthermore, they consider how people can overcome current challenges based on the traditional Oriental values of coexistence with nature and other people. With the hope of igniting a small but solid fire in the darkness of a world full of violence, inequality, prejudice and poverty by creating a theatre piece founded on ideas that have been shared since time immemorial.