Simon Ward reviews Kim’s Convenience at The Park Theatre

This is the UK and European premiere of Kim’s Convenience, Ins Choi’s groundbreaking play first performed in Toronto in 2011, subsequently spawning a hit Netflix series, spanning several seasons. There was a definite sense of excitement at a packed press night at The Park Theatre in Finsbury Park, the audience including a lot of people who were clearly fans of the show, as well as a notably large number of Koreans. There was a strong feeling of affection in the room for these well-loved characters. Ins Choi has described the play as his homage to people like his own parents who had to leave their homelands and make a hard living in a distant and not necessarily hospitable land, sacrificing so much to give their children a chance to make a better life for themselves.

For those, like your reviewer, who were not familiar with the show in advance, there were a few points to help. First of all, we recognise the Korean convenience store from TV and movies and, indeed, from the news during the South Central LA riots, which are also referenced here. And the foreigner making their way in their adopted country is a well-worn theme, as are the challenges of communication between generations born in different countries and with contrasting attitudes to match.

Mona Camille’s set is spectacular – it would work as a fully functioning store. It points, perhaps, to the TV show legacy – this is the kind of set that could be inhabited for months or years in a long-running show. It has the disadvantage of being somewhat restrictive when trying to conjure up other locations – an illuminated cross in the corner stands for a church, but otherwise the store is at the centre of the play. Another challenge is viewpoints – from the circle seats some of the action was not visible. Nevertheless the dominant presence of the store is fitting because what the store is, and what it represents, are key questions posed during the course of the show.

Under the direction of Esther Jun, writer Ins Choi himself plays the lead role of Appa (meaning Dad) – he is Mr Kim, the owner of the store, husband to Umma (Mom) played by Namju Go and father to Janet (Jennifer Kim) and his estranged son Jung (Brian Law). Remaining parts, ie all the non-family members, are played with commendable versatility by Miles Mitchell. The TV show has been described as a sitcom that is more ‘sit’ than ‘com’, and I would apply that to the play as well. There is some rather broad comedy – based on accents and misunderstandings, cultural differences and social awkwardness – but at heart the situation is more important – the shop, the family business, and the family themselves.

We get the sense that Appa and Umma are tired, and ready to consider retirement – interestingly, and authentically, their scenes together are conducted entirely in unsubtitled Korean, so body language is all non-Korean speakers have to go on. But Appa believes that his legacy is the business, in spite of the threats of gentrification and the installation of a nearby Walmart. As the family dynamics play out over the course of a day in the shop, Appa seems in the end to find a kind of peace.

One can readily see what made this interesting to develop for TV, indeed the play felt to me like a pilot episode for a TV show more than a fully realised piece in its own right. There is plenty of room for growth for the characters and intriguing challenges for the store itself in an evolving neighbourhood. So for me it’s an interesting and amusing piece, and important in its platforming of a Korean culture too rarely seen on the UK stage, but it is too broad and inconclusive to be the really spectacular hit it seems to want to be.

Kim’s Convenience runs at The Park Theatre, Clifton Terrace, Finsbury Park, London N4 3JP until 10th February 2024