Theatre review: Kim's Convenience is playful yet pulls on the heartstrings
The Arts Club’s production delivers far greater emotional impact than the TV show
James Yi (left) as Appa and Brianna Kim as Janet in Kim’s Convenience.
The Arts Club Theatre Company presents Kim’s Convenience at the Stanley Industrial Alliance Stage to March 27
REGARDED BY MANY as a modern Canadian classic, Kim’s Convenience is the heartwarming debut play by Ins Choi that inspired the hit CBC television series of the same name. Examining the lives of a Korean-Canadian immigrant family living in Toronto, Choi’s production dives deep into the relationship dynamic between immigrant parents and their adult children, with director Kaitlin Williams adeptly guiding a convincing, affable cast in the Arts Club’s rendition.
The play centers on Appa, aka Mr. Kim (James Yi), a Korean shopkeeper and father of two. What he wants most is to provide a stable life for his children, hoping they will be able to succeed beyond the life he’s had in Canada. Yi deftly delivers Appa’s eccentric antics, such as his obsession with Japanese invasions of Korea and the profiling of his shop’s customers, as he tries to convince his daughter, Janet (Brianna Kim), to take over the store to preserve his legacy. Viewers begin to understand the pressures that Appa has put on his daughter and estranged son, Jung (Howie Lai), and how this has fractured their family bond. As it follows the family’s attempts to reconcile with the past and accept the future, the play proves light-hearted yet moving.
Although the script explores similar themes as the television show, the story is livelier and more dynamic on stage and, in the hands of this cast, delivers far greater emotional impact. Audiences burst into laughter at Appa’s unassuming humour, but there are many moments that pull on the heartstrings.
Over the course of the play’s 75 minutes, viewers are able to come to an intimate understanding of the dynamics within the Kim family, which undoubtedly play out in many Canadian immigrants’ lives.
Carolyn Rapanos’s set design is immersive and masterful, featuring a store plastered with energy drink ads, a cigarette counter, and shelves full of chips and non-perishables, the shop surrounded by telephone poles and graffiti. Chengyan Boon’s sound design completes the inner-city ambience of Toronto’s Regent Park neighbourhood with so many street sounds, from the wail of sirens to the passing of cars.
Kim’s Convenience offers a window into the Korean immigrant experience while retaining a playful and comedic atmosphere. In grappling with familial love, legacy, and the diasporic experience, the Arts Club’s making of the culturally important work will expand perspectives of and resonate with people of all backgrounds.
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