Southwark Playhouse Elephant will present the UK premiere of The Last Man, running from Friday 8 May to Saturday 6 June 2026, with press night on Wednesday 13 May at 7pm.
The production is a new English‑language adaptation of the cult Korean musical by Jishik Kim and Seungyeon Kwon. Directed by Daljung Kim with dramaturgy by Jethro Compton, the one‑person rock musical blends gig theatre, existential thriller and social commentary as it follows the final known survivor of a zombie apocalypse.
A lone man has sealed himself inside bunker B‑103 as a mysterious virus wipes out humanity. As weeks of isolation blur the boundaries between survival and living, he faces an impossible question. Is staying alive enough, or should he open the bunker door and confront what remains outside?
Driven by a live rock score, dark humour and psychological tension, The Last Man explores resilience, hope and the fragile nature of human connection in a world stripped bare.
After winning multiple awards in Korea as a web musical, the show has enjoyed successful runs in Seoul and China. It now arrives in London newly reimagined for English‑speaking audiences, inviting viewers into an intimate space where survival becomes a personal and haunting journey.
Director Daljung Kim is best known in Seoul for developing new Korean musicals including Mahogony and Gloomy Sunday. His credits also include Korean productions of An Iliad, Hedwig and the Angry Inch and The Spitfire Grill.
Dramaturg Jethro Compton is an award‑winning director, designer and producer, whose previous work includes The Bunker Trilogy, The Capone Trilogy and his stage adaptations such as The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance, The Frontier Trilogy, Sirenia, Wolf’s Blood and The Curious Case of Benjamin Button.
Casting and further creatives will be announced soon. The running time is approximately 1 hour 40 minutes plus an interval, with an age recommendation of 14+.
Listings and ticket information can be found here.
