Pick up some laughter with your energy drinks and Vaseline at Kim’s Convenience, now playing at The Arts Club Stanley Industrial Alliance Stage. Until March 27th, Ins Choi’s acclaimed comedy takes the stage following on from the pandemic-cancelled 2020 tour. Regrouping most of the tour’s cast to return to the Stanley stage, the company gels like a real family.
Lead by James Yi as Mr Kim / Appa, a Korean-immigrant shop-keeper in the gentrifying Regents Park neighbourhood of Toronto. As the neighbourhood is changing around the shop, it causes Mr Kim to think about his life and legacy. Janet (Brianna Kim) wants to be a photographer, Jung (Howie Lai) the first born son ran away 16 years ago after a heated father-son argument, only occasionally keeping in touch with Mrs Kim / Umma, played by Maki Yi, at church. Chameleon-like Andrew Creightney plays every other person who walks through the doors at Kim’s Convenience, creating a new character with every costume change.
James Yi originated Appa in the Pacific Theatre’s 2018 production of the play, upon which this version is based, and has played the family patriarch in 4 more productions and counting. Yi and all the casts’ comfort with the characters is evident as they laugh and argue like a real family. While I had the benefit of a Korean companion, as Appa and Umma conversed in Korean, even without translation the actors are still able to convey the story and emotions. While Kim’s Convenience packs in loads of laughter, making it ok to laugh along with the cultural idiosyncrasies, it also packs in loads to tug at your heartstrings, turning the 75 minute play into so much more than a sitcom episode many people may have thought they were attending.
The wonderful cast, Carolyn Rapanos realistic shop set, Ins Choi’s excellent script under the guidance of Kaitlin Williams direction make Kim’s Convenience a brilliant way to return to the theatre.
Kim’s Convenience runs until March 27, 2022 at The Arts Club Stanley Industrial Alliance Stage, with the recently lifting of pandemic capacity limits more tickets have been released and are available at artsclub.com