No Translation Needed: SSAK’s Dream Space Speaks the Language of the Fringe : An Interview

The Edinburgh Fringe is famous for pushing artists to their limits — physically, financially, and creatively. But for South Korean collective SSAK (창작집단 SSAK), bringing Dream Space to Scotland wasn’t just a leap of faith, it was a full-on high-wire act across continents. Packing up their mesmerising mix of puppetry, movement and live soundscapes and hauling it from Seoul to Edinburgh meant eye-watering costs, mountains of paperwork, and the ultimate gamble: would this dream translate to a Fringe audience?

Well, it certainly does. It is bold, beautiful, and unlike anything else on the programme, a show that proves you don’t need words to tell stories that hit the heart. In the end, Dream Space isn’t just a performance, it’s proof that even when the costs are high and the logistics daunting, dreams are worth chasing across oceans. SSAK have carried theirs all the way from Seoul to Edinburgh, and the result is a piece of theatre that feels both universal and unforgettable. If the Fringe is about taking risks to share something extraordinary, then SSAK have already won.

I caught up with the SSAK team to talk about how they made it happen — from the struggles of international touring to the magic of creating a dreamlike world that anyone, anywhere, can step into.

TRANSCRIPT

(0:00 - 0:45)

Hello, I'm Ruth and I'm the Arts Business. A couple of weeks ago I had the immense privilege of meeting the SSAK Creative Group who have brought Dream Space, a beautiful puppet show, over from South Korea. This team of creatives, performers and producers alike have brought over their incredible puppets that were built during Covid and create these gorgeous photo opportunities along with some key written merchandise.

I was lucky enough to interview the team and ask them all about the ins and outs of the show and how it got to be a puppet show from South Korea to the Edinburgh Fringe. I'm here with the amazing cast and translator of Dream Space and we are going to talk all about their show. So start off by telling me exactly what it's about.

(0:46 - 0:54)

Yeah, this is omnibus number one puppet show. We are all handmade. We are three episodes.

(0:54 - 1:52)

First is the legend, the Korean legend. The no stop raining village story, like Edinburgh. Just like Edinburgh.

And second story is cast away, cast away, just cast away. Two guys and friendship and survival. Third story is wait and go, just like this.

This is hope and courage. And how has the response been? Ah, very good, very good. Our kids or others is a very fantastic, amazing, but very lovely this puppet.

Very interesting. They can say, how made this? So we all handmade. Wow.

Yeah, very good response. Yeah, good. We've seen your whale on the Royal Mile as well.

(1:52 - 3:00)

Yeah, we all every day promotion every street in Edinburgh. Amazing. Thank you.

Why did you bring it to Edinburgh? Actually, we January, January, we visit in Australia. Oh, wow. We official licence in Bursking and see another director.

You come Edinburgh. So we just came Korea. And so we go to Edinburgh.

So we ready to this. Sorry. It's okay.

Take your time. So they were in Australia and they were sort of recommended to come to Edinburgh. So they went back to Korea and sort of prepared to go to Edinburgh.

(3:00 - 3:04)

Fantastic. Yeah. What you're obviously from Korea.

(3:05 - 4:06)

Yeah, I'm from Korea in Seoul. Yeah. Nice.

And have you performed this there as well? Yeah, we are Seoul. We in, sorry. Okay.

We in Seoul, many theatre we show. Yeah. They are in Seoul in kids and adults.

So, so many lovely this puppet. Yeah. Yeah.

Thank you. And what do your team do for a living? Do you run this company? Is that your work? Yeah. So actually we are all performer.

Yeah. We in Korea, we all many theatre and musical and circus. We puppet, but this year Edinburgh, we invite puppet show.

Yeah. Beautiful. Thank you.

(4:06 - 4:41)

How did you fund or budget the show to come over here? Wow. So many budget. Yeah.

Actually we are sleep and eat and airport totally 25,000 pound. Wow. Or 30,000 pound.

Yeah. And did you fundraise or have you put in your own money? Yeah. A little bit fund, but it's, we all, they, we are all arbitrary work and job.

(4:41 - 4:50)

So we, we, we all together and this in Edinburgh. And it's a dream come true. Yeah.

So Edinburgh is very good. Yes. Thank you.

(4:51 - 5:22)

Um, what's the hardest part in your rehearsals? Oh yeah. So this year is a very small and audience is very too close, but we end as simply like, but we are all together. We share, we are theatre and so we, we make this.

Yeah. So we are wonderful show in here. Yeah.

(5:22 - 5:46)

Nice. Thank you. And in the Fringe, what's your, what's your schedule? So do you come here in the morning and then fly out or? Yeah.

It's actually very, very tired. Yeah. We, we, uh, we wake, uh, seven or eight o'clock.

Yeah. Actually we, Airbnb in Target Bay. Ooh, nice.

(5:47 - 6:25)

So, so we are one hour in bus in Edinburgh. Yeah. We, we arrive with Royal Mail.

We all wail is people. Yeah. They say, come to dream space, come to dream space.

And we, we arrive at George's Square, come to dream space, come to dream space. And the theatre and we are show. And now, and after we end, go, go again.

Yeah. George's Square and Royal Mail and Target Bay. So we are sleep.

And, uh, uh, 11 o'clock. Yes. We sleep.

Yeah. You must have very strong arms. Yes.

(6:27 - 6:49)

Thank you. Um, and how are you doing your marketing and your social media? Obviously you're flying is all yourself. Do you do your social media yourself as well? Yeah.

So we are all, we are self. Yeah. Yes.

There'll be, we're all marketing via SNS. Yeah. And, and we, Royal Mail, another company is collaboration.

(6:50 - 7:03)

Yes. We collaborate on other. Yeah.

Yes. We just wail, but it's a busking violin or singer. We collaboration.

Yes. Every like, like whale. Yeah.

So we are all SNS. We all know. Yeah.

(7:03 - 7:29)

Thank you. Thank you. Do you have any advice for not, not getting too tired or burning out? Uh, uh, actually the kids laugh.

Kids smile. Yeah. We all, all healing.

Yeah. Just we tell, Oh, it's heavy. It is too tired, but children smile.

(7:32 - 7:43)

So we powerful is children's smile. Yeah. Is this your first time in Edinburgh? Yeah.

First time in Edinburgh. It's wonderful. Yeah.

(7:43 - 8:26)

Is there anything you wish you'd known before you came? Uh, actually, uh, we, we, uh, important promotion street. Yeah. Yeah.

Yeah. So we, first day we, we confused where is people, where, where. So we all around this Edinburgh.

Yeah. So we, uh, uh, before, uh, we important to street that there is many people, there's children, there is family. So we, we, uh, before we know.

Yeah. Yeah. But it's okay.

This is, this is like travel. This is like a life. Like holiday.

(8:26 - 8:31)

Yeah. All festival is lovely. So amazing.

(8:31 - 8:55)

Nice. Um, what advice would you give people who are travelling from overseas who are coming next year to do it? Okay. Listen, you're very healthy.

Yeah. You, you have very many vitamin. Absolutely.

(8:55 - 9:02)

Yeah. Absolutely. And very many sleep and very many whisky and enjoy Edinburgh.

(9:04 - 9:31)

And sum up the fringe for you in one sentence. One sentence. Edinburgh is just Edinburgh.

Yeah. Yeah. Yeah.

(9:31 - 9:41)

You can't explain it unless you've been. Yeah. Yeah.

I'm first time. So I'm not explain my world. Just Edinburgh is not Edinburgh.

(9:43 - 10:19)

Yeah. Edinburgh is just Edinburgh to come to see. Yeah.

Come to see, come to expect experience. Yeah. This is Edinburgh.

Just Edinburgh. Yeah. And where can we find you in your show? Yes.

We are assembly at Georgia scale in 1.25. The greatest year of every day. We come to kids or adult. We are lovely as well.

Come to our show. Bye. Thank you.