By Chung Ah-young
Staff Reporter

Award-winning play, ''The Island'' will be back on stage next month, starring musical actors Cho Jung-seok and Yang Jun-mo.

The play, presented by Aga Company, was first shown here in 1977 by director Yun Ho-jin under the day's iron-fisted rule, winning fierce response from the audience.

The drama, written by Athol Fugard, John Kani and Winston Ntshona in 1974, deals with a true story which is set in a prison on South Africa's notorious Robben Island.

The story revolves around two prisoners serving life sentences. Their days are spent undertaking physical labor and at night, they rehearse for a performance of Sophocles' Antigone, which they are asked to present to their fellow inmates by the wardens.

One prisoner takes the role of Antigone, who defies the laws of the state to bury her brother, while the other takes the part of her uncle Creon, who sentences her to die for her crime.

The drama explores the parallels between Antigone's situation and black men who are put in jail for political reasons.

The tensions escalate as one of the prisoners learns that he has won an early release and the men's deep friendship is put to the test.

Rising musical star Cho, who has been in numerous musicals such as ''Hedwig,'' ''Evil Dead,'' ''All Shook Up,'' and ''Grease,'' and veteran actor Yang, renowned for musicals ''Last Five Years,'' ''Evil Dead'' and ''Claws of Angel,'' will play the leading roles in the drama for the first time.

Director Lim Chul-hyung, famous for the musical ''Evil Dead,'' will adapt the drama into a universal piece rather than a racial and political polemic in order to help more people understand the theme.

''In the past, many people fought for freedom and human rights and now it seems it has improved a lot. But we are not free from invisible oppression, living in a restricted society. So this drama is still valid for many modern people and gives a strong inspiration to them,'' the company said.

The play will be staged from Feb. 14 to April 5 at SM Art Hall in Daehangno, central Seoul. Tickets cost from 25,000 to 35,000 won.

For more information, call (02) 764-8760.

chungay@koreatimes.co.kr