Rooftop Revolution, playing at Lambeth Fringe, is not only a story about young people. It is a play in which anyone who has ever questioned the direction of their life may recognise something of themselves.
When I first arrived in London, I found a place to stay that was cheaper than most others. I only discovered why when I visited. A helipad sat right next door. It was the first time I realised just how loud a helicopter could be when its blades started spinning. The deafening noise and powerful wind were far more frightening than I had expected.
Perhaps the worries of youth are a little like that. Young people have limited experience, their lives are not yet stable, and they often lack confidence in the paths they have chosen. They fear failing, and while everyone else seems to be moving forward, they feel as though they are standing still. Looking back years later, those worries may seem smaller. But at the time, they can feel as overwhelming as a helicopter’s roar, shaking their entire world. Those fears and the uncertainty of the future have become the subject of a play. Written by Hyejin Shin, directed by Gain Amy Park, and produced by Annie Seoyeon Kyung and Yuna Ko, Rooftop Revolution was performed at the Golden Goose Theatre in London on 6 and 7 October as part of the Lambeth Fringe Festival.
The story takes place on the rooftop of a building in a city. Two young men who have escaped the world below live there: an artist (Aaron Alexander) and an unemployed man (Tom Heath) studying for the civil service exam. They look down at the people below through binoculars, but they cannot bring themselves to return to that world. The rooftop is the only place they have left to stay, a refuge where they can keep their distance from reality.
However, sharing the same space does not mean they understand each other. The two constantly argue about how they should live their lives. The unemployed man cannot understand the artist, who paints but cannot bring himself to show his work to the world. The artist, meanwhile, finds it frustrating that the unemployed man is studying for the civil service exam in the hope of finding a stable job. For one, a secure job offers hope for the future. For the other, it seems like giving up on the life he wants to live. Their argument is interrupted when a schoolgirl (Katy Richmond) suddenly runs onto the rooftop. She is being chased by someone and wants to stay there. The two try to make her leave, but their efforts fail. In the end, all three begin living together on the rooftop.
None of the characters has a name. By giving them these identities rather than individual names, the play explores the worries shared by young people today. Although their situations differ, they share one thing: none of them is living the life they truly want. At first, they cannot understand each other’s choices. But as they spend time together and share their stories, they slowly begin to change. Learning about someone else’s life also gives them a chance to reflect on their own. As they try to understand people who have made different choices, they begin to question things they once took for granted. Ironically, on this rooftop, cut off from the rest of the world, they begin to change through the relationships they form with one another.
Accompanied by music composed by Yeonju Song, the play shows how people with different views argue, share ridiculous ideas, and somehow manage to live together. The music adds rhythm to their unusual behaviour and changing emotions, bringing the story to life. Their problems are not solved, but at least they no longer face their fears about the future alone. Executive producer Annie Seoyeon Kyung saw herself and her friends in the story and wanted to share it with people in London. She hoped the play would help them feel less lonely and offer a gentle reminder: “You are not alone.”
A helicopter creates enormous noise and wind, which some people may find unbearable. But for the three young people on the rooftop, it represents the hope of escaping their present lives. Perhaps the worries of youth are similar. They can feel overwhelming at the time, yet even amid all that noise, people dream of one day flying toward the life they want.
But uncertainty about life is not limited to young people. As we grow older and gain more experience, our view of the world becomes broader, yet questions about how to live our lives remain. The worries of youth may have felt particularly intense, but fear of an uncertain future has no age limit. In this sense, Rooftop Revolution is not only a story about young people. It is a play in which anyone who has ever questioned the direction of their life may recognise something of themselves.
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