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‘Croak Croak, Click Click’: Encore of ASEAN Performance for Children

The promotional poster for the encore performance of Croak Croak, Click Click (left) / Scenes from the production’s June premiere (right)

On December 7, the ASEAN Culture House (ACH) will present an encore performance of Croak Croak, Click Click from this year’s ASEAN Performance Series for Children at the small theater of Busan Citizens Hall. From April through June this year, the ACH staged three performances based on ASEAN folktales, and ever since a rush of requests for repeat performances have followed.

The work is based on the Vietnamese folktale, “Why Does Rain Fall When the Toad Grinds Its Teeth?” which sounds similar to the Korean proverb “When frogs cry, rain falls.” In the Vietnamese tale, a smart toad and his animal friends—a bear, tiger, and fox—go on an adventure to meet the Heavenly Emperor to end a long drought.

The theatrical troupe Bookmark, winner of the domestic performance category of the 2021 Chuncheon Puppet Festival, adapted the tale to create a story in which the courageous frog Gurgur in a desertified forest teams up with a tiger, elephant, and deer to search for and meet Mr. Whale, help him clean the sea waste that made his nose stuffy, and finally bring rain. The performance utilizes elements from pansori (traditional lyrical opera), shadow play, and puppetry so that children with limited understanding of language can enjoy it and comprehend its message.

The performance will offer a learning experience for children by introducing to them ASEAN culture and raising awareness of the problem of ocean waste and need for environmental protection. When the work premiered in June, 99 percent or 522 of the 528 seats were occupied and the encore performance is expected to be just as popular.

The performance on December 7 is scheduled for 11 a.m. and 2 p.m., and reservations began on November 1 through the ACH website, Interpark, and Naver. Those who already went to see this year’s ASEAN Performance Series for Children will get a 50% discount on admission. For group reservations for children attending daycare centers and kindergartens, please call the ACH (051-775-2000).

Croak Croak, Click ClickEncoreASEAN Culture HouseBusan Citizens HallVietnamese folktaleWhy Does Rain Fall When the Toad Grinds Its Teeth?BookmarkGurgur