Plan your night at NANTA
Two Seoul theatres, two very different weeks
NANTA runs at two venues in Seoul, and they are not interchangeable. The Myeongdong theatre, on the third floor of the UNESCO Building on Myeongdong-gil, has the fuller schedule: performances Monday to Friday at 17:00 and 20:00, three shows on Saturday, and two on Sundays and public holidays. The Hongdae theatre, below ground on Yanghwa-ro 16-gil in Mapo-gu, lists a much shorter week — Wednesday to Friday at 17:00, two shows on Saturday and one on Sunday, with nothing listed for Monday or Tuesday and no evening performance. If you want a 20:00 show, or you are in Seoul early in the week, Myeongdong is effectively the only option.
Nothing is spoken, and that is the whole design
NANTA has no dialogue. The story — four cooks racing to plate a wedding banquet while the manager's useless nephew is foisted on the kitchen — is carried entirely by physical comedy, mime and rhythm, built on samulnori, the Korean percussion tradition. Knives on chopping boards, water canisters, lids and pans become the instruments. This is not a show with subtitles or surtitles, because it does not need them; the theatres list English, Japanese and Chinese as booking and front-of-house languages, not as translation of the performance. Whatever languages you speak, you will follow it.
Seat classes, and how they are actually assigned
Tickets are sold in three classes — VIP, S and A — and the difference is proximity rather than a different show. VIP seats sit closest to the stage on the lower level, with A furthest back. The detail worth knowing is that seats are allocated in booking order rather than on arrival, so turning up early does not improve your view; booking early does. There is on-stage audience participation at points in the show, though the theatres do not publish which seats are drawn on, so treat any promise of guaranteed participation with scepticism.
Children, latecomers and photographs
NANTA is unusually well set up for families: children are admitted from twelve months, those between twelve and thirty-five months go free, and a ticket is required from age three. A 30% student discount applies for ages three to eighteen. Two practical rules catch people out. Latecomers are seated by an usher and may be placed in a different section from the one they booked, so a late arrival can cost you the seats you paid for. And photography is permitted only at the curtain call — recording during the performance is not allowed without prior consent.
NANTA performance schedule
| Myeongdong · Mon–Fri | 17:00 and 20:00 |
|---|---|
| Myeongdong · Saturday | 14:00, 17:00 and 20:00 |
| Myeongdong · Sunday & public holidays | 14:00 and 17:00 |
| Hongdae · Wed–Fri | 17:00 — no performances are listed on Monday or Tuesday |
| Hongdae · Sat & Sun | Saturday 14:00 and 17:00; Sunday 14:00 |
| Running time | About 90 minutes |
These are the times published by the theatres and they are subject to operational change — the date and time you pick are confirmed on GetYourGuide at checkout. A NANTA theatre also operates on Jeju island, which is a separate venue and a separate trip. The Chungjeongno theatre closed at the end of 2017; some older listings still show it.
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Perguntas frequentes
What is NANTA?
NANTA — also sold as Cookin' NANTA — is a non-verbal Korean comedy show set in a restaurant kitchen. Four cooks are given a deadline to prepare a wedding banquet, and the manager's nephew is pushed onto the staff to complicate it. The whole thing is scored on kitchen equipment: knives, chopping boards, pans and water canisters played as percussion in the samulnori tradition. It premiered at Seoul's Hoam Art Hall in October 1997, was created by Song Seung-whan of PMC Production, and has become the longest-running show in Korean history.
Do I need to understand Korean to enjoy NANTA?
No. There is no dialogue in the show at all, so there is nothing to translate and no subtitles or surtitles are used. The story is told through physical comedy, mime and rhythm, which is exactly why the show has toured more than fifty countries. Theatres do list English, Japanese and Chinese among their service languages, but that refers to booking and front-of-house help rather than to the performance itself.
Which NANTA theatre should I book — Myeongdong or Hongdae?
Myeongdong if your dates or timings are at all constrained. It performs seven days a week, including 20:00 evening shows, and sits centrally on Myeongdong-gil, a short walk from Euljiro 1-ga station on Line 2 and Myeongdong station on Line 4. Hongdae lists a shorter week — Wednesday to Friday at 17:00, two shows on Saturday and one on Sunday — with nothing on Monday or Tuesday and no evening performance, and it is a five-minute walk from Hongik University station on Line 2. Beyond schedule and location, we would not claim one venue is better than the other.
How long is NANTA and is there an interval?
The show runs about 90 minutes. Whether there is an interval is not something the theatres state clearly, so plan on a continuous 90 minutes and treat a break as a bonus if you get one. It is a brisk show either way — the deadline in the plot keeps the pace up throughout.
What is the difference between VIP, S and A seats?
Distance from the stage, not a different performance. VIP seats are closest, on the lower level; A seats are furthest back. The more useful thing to know is that seats are allocated in the order bookings are made rather than when you arrive at the theatre, so if being close matters to you, book earlier rather than turning up early. The staging is broad and legible from the back, so the cheaper classes still work.
Is NANTA suitable for children?
Yes, and the age policy is generous. Children are admitted from twelve months; those aged between twelve and thirty-five months go free; a ticket is required from age three. There is also a 30% student discount for ages three to eighteen. Because nothing is spoken, young children follow the slapstick and the drumming as easily as adults do — the comedy is visual and the rhythm carries it.
Can I take photographs during NANTA?
Only at the curtain call. Photography and recording during the performance are not permitted without prior consent. It is also worth knowing that if you arrive late, an usher will seat you and may place you in a different section from the one you booked, so being on time protects the seats you paid for.
Is NANTA a dinner show?
No. The cooking is the performance, not a meal for the audience — the kitchen is the set and the ingredients are largely props and percussion. If you want to eat, do it before or after; the Myeongdong theatre in particular sits in one of Seoul's densest restaurant and street-food districts, so an early show at 17:00 followed by dinner works well.