RIVERSIDE STUDIOS – UNTIL 26th OCTOBER 2024
Reviewed by Jackie Thornton
5*****
The award-winning play which inspired the Netflix comedy is back by popular demand and it’s easy to see why as playwright INS CHOI takes the titular role and has the audience eating out of the palm of his hand. Kim, or Appa as he’s affectionately known, the ageing Korean immigrant whose identity in Canada has been forged by the convenience store he’s toiled in for 30 years, is as effortlessly funny while bickering with his adult daughter JANET(JENNIFER KIM), who has dreams of becoming a photographer, as he is interacting with thieving customers. He’s developed his own hilarious system of criminal profiling over the years that speaks volumes about western society.
A colourful and realistic set by MONA CAMILLE brings us right into the daily grind of running a store. Apart from a brief interlude in front of an equally bold stained glass church window where Kim’s wife Umma (NAMJU GO) secretly meets with their estranged son JUNG (EDWARD WU), it’s where all of the action takes place over just one hectic day.
Intergenerational conflict is further introduced as Kim contemplates his retirement and what will become of the store. MILES MITCHELL is wonderfully adaptable as he takes on the roles of various customers before settling in to play Black police officer and blast from the past MIKE, a childhood friend of Jung who has designs on Janet. There’s also some highly entertaining physical comedy powered by Choi, Kim and Mitchell which contrasts nicely with the calmer performances of Wu and Go.
Direction from ESTHER JUN, who’s been involved with the show since its conception nearly 20 years ago and has also previously played Janet, ensures that its core – a love letter to the strength, weakness and complexity of first immigrant parents – remains intact. Indeed, what shines through in this production is the antagonism between self-sacrifice and the threat of losing identity. Don’t miss out on this fabulous opportunity to laugh, cry and cheer, hanging out with cantankerous Kim in his convenience store