JADAR

★★★☆☆

Calling all Kim’s Convenience fans! Catch your favourite on-screen Korean family live in Manchester as Kim’s Convenience hits stages across the UK on a national tour with an all-new cast, following rave reviews from its recent London performances. Find out if this new production lives up to the TV show’s global success…

The story of Kim’s Convenience has been around for quite a while, first opening with humble beginnings at a fringe festival in Toronto back in 2011. However, director Esther Jun reminds us, “The play was first, not the TV show!” An important clarification, especially when the well-established tale of the Kim family has been told for over 10 years across both screens and stages.

There’s certainly a spectacle to the production being a Netflix adaptation, which undoubtedly serves as a pull factor for many audience members, alongside its well-received Off-West End and Off-Broadway runs that praised the show for the charm and heart at its centre. As a fan of the TV show, I revelled in the opportunity to catch the production at HOME in Manchester.

Choi calls the play a “love letter to [his] parents and to all first-generation immigrants who call Canada their home.” There’s certainly a lot of love surrounding this production– you can tell only by looking at the incredibly detailed set, adorned with a plethora of both Canadian and Korean memorabilia, right down to the cardboard boxes at the top of the shelves promising kimchi and noodles. The colourful and lived-in set and lighting design is the standout of Kim’s Convenience; from the light-up fridges to the overhead commercial lights suspended above the stage, controlled by light switches by Mr Kim; these smaller details bring the story to life and ignite the magic of the Kim family.

Kim’s Convenience follows the Kim family through life owning a convenience store in Toronto, Canada as first-generation Korean immigrants. We get an insight into how Mr. Kim sees the world, his traditional Christian values which often get him into trouble, the sacrifices he made for his family, and his tensions with his two grown-up children, Janet and Jung. We learn that Janet is a 30-year-old single woman still living at home with Mr. and Mrs. Kim, and that Jung left home as a troubled young man, after a huge blowup with his father and stealing money from their shop.

James Yi, who played a minor recurring role in the Netflix adaptation of Kim’s Convenience, now takes on the lead role of Mr. Kim. Yi excels as Mr Kim, and fully embraces the comedic potential of the character. He’s the comedic heart of the story, delivering countless one-liners and punchlines with expert timing and delivery. Mr Kim’s difficult relationship with Janet (Caroline Donica) is another distinct strength of the production, their problems often arise from a lack of communication and appreciation for each other’s sacrifices. These emotional notes were heart-wrenching, Yi and Donica play skilfully off each other’s energies, portraying a real-life father-daughter relationship, with all of its highs and lows. Choi’s writing is beautiful in highlighting the smaller recognitions of love for each other in Janet and Mr Kim. 

The inconsistency in the Canadian accents of a few performances slightly affected the immersion. Moreover, the use of the church stained-glass set piece needed refinement– not only did it appear artificial in comparison to the gorgeous shop scene laid out behind, but as Mrs Kim (Candace Leung) sang an emotional song in Korean, it rattled loudly onto the stage, disrupting the performance. 

Leung is considered and secure as Mrs Kim; she’s excellent at maintaining a poised demeanour and gains ample laughter during her brief appearances due to her sudden outbursts towards her husband and daughter. The chemistry between Jung (Daniel Phung) and Mrs. Kim didn’t quite land though; perhaps with more time together to settle in, their connection would have felt more sincere. Andrew Gichigi takes on the more complex task of playing Rich, Mike, Alex, and Mr. Lee, of which, and doesn’t quite grasp each character meaningfully, but does well at capturing the sweetness of Alex, Janet’s love interest.

Kim’s Convenience is hilariously charming and a stunningly designed show. Fans of the Netflix series will love this production, with many of the popular gags and episode hooks featured in the original script and brought to life on stage – but perhaps without that built-in fandom, the inconsistent performances across the cast cause the show to lose its sparkle at times.

Kim’s Convenience runs at HOME (Theatre 1) until April 12 and tours the UK until July 5.

Photo: Victoria Davies Photography