riverside studios – Hamza Jahanzeb

A charming drama of the realities of a Korean family in Canada running a convenience store felt a little glossed over, but manages to pack a comedic punch.

I must start this review by inform you all that I’ve not seen the TV show Kim’s Convenience Store, so do forgive me (gasp!) for not knowing of the extensive backstory of the television show that started out as a fringe show in Toronto. However, luckily for the show’s fans, we’re treated to Ins Choi (the original TV show’s writer) who has stepped in to play the patriarchal figure of Dad. I am reliably informed that the show began as a play in an off-fringe Toronto venue. Additionally, we have the original TV show’s Janet Esther Jun directing this edition.

Whilst it is a charming, sparkling watch – I did feel like the set design being one-sided (i.e. the inside of a convenience store), and very briefly a church complete with stain glass window, it made me feel like I was in a live-recording of a show. Which is not necessarily a bad thing! I felt hugely entertained, but honestly I would have preferred to have something a bit more innovative when it came to the staging of what was a witty script and great performances by the actors on stage.

Each performance was measured, though I did want a little more from the writing when it came to the exploration of the mother-son dynamic. That did feel – to me – a little rushed: though I also suppose not everything can be condensed into an 80-min long show. It was great to have the topic of race displayed, but in a non-conventional way to the British audiences. We don’t have a large population of Korean immigrants, but we are seeing more Korean popular culture grace our capital.

Alas, the costumes, lighting and directing of the piece broadly created a piece that will showcase the lives of ordinary immigrants communities in Global North countries – and for that alone, the show was an uplifting and enjoyable watch.

I’d be happy to see a bit more work, but for fans of the show (as my party was privy to) there was still depth and elements that will keep the viewers of the now-ended show more to take from Appa’s store.

UNTIL 26 OCTOBER 2024
Riverside Studios | https://riversidestudios.co.uk/see-and-do/kims-convenience-120980/

** N.B. This is an honest review, in exchange for a gifted / complimentary ticket. The reviewer has written this with their editorial control, with no external influence on how to frame the show. #AdvertisementFeature #PRInvite #Gifted #ad **

Olive Gray and Amy Lennox in Spy For Spy. Photo credit: Ben Ealovega

If you’re looking for a play with a difference, then this is it: thirty minutes before the curtain goes up, the audience is in control of how the scenes in Spy For Spy will play out. You’d think this would mean that there would be multiple errors, you’d be quite wrong.

The piece shuffles between scenes that depict the (often frenetic and at one point devastatingly emotional) love story between Molly (played by Olive Gray) and high-flying lawyer Sarah (played by Amy Lennox). The scenes include the entirety of their relationship, from its conception at a new years party (for which Molly is a jobbing actress working in a restaurant offering two options of red wine), to beautifully executed final scene. I’m told that there are 270 version of the way the six scenes – bookended by a opening and closing scene that remain the same for all performances – and the night I visited, there had not been two of the same ordering of the scenes. Yet.

Olive Gray and Amy Lennox in Spy For Spy. Image credit: Ben Ealovega

Kieron Barry’s writing here is searing, and showcasee a robust queer love story as well as tackling a rather unique concept (which could well have been gimmick-y). It is moving, all-encompassing and sheer brilliance on stage as the audience is let in on the lives of the pivotal characters that centre the plot; we are taken on a journey of seeing their lives unravel, as does the play in a new ordering. The fact that the writing is so special makes this an elevated piece given how great the scenes are performed individually. The challenge of an emotional scene before a happier scene, I predict are the toughest for Amy Lennox’s character. I grinned from ear-to-ear, and had tears in my eyes (in the ‘bedroom’ scene especially). There were times when the heartbreak and emotion , was so incredibly and viscerally realistic; I felt like I was in the room of the two lovers, casually in the corner witnessing every crevice of their relationship bubble to the surface.

Furthermore, Lucy Jane Anderson’s direction – coupled with Beth Jane Green’s pastel set and Holly Ellis’ lovely lighting – really hones in on lifting the text, and the acting choices of both stars in this are beyond their peers. I could have easily watched another ninety minutes of the protagonists’ lives unfurl, and this is a credit to the team effort pulling out all stops to entertain in a small space.

I’d highly recommend this play to anyone seeking an exciting new play, and look forward to more pieces from the creative team for this was transformative and enlighten in equal measures.

Must end 2 July:

https://riversidestudios.co.uk/see-and-do/spy-for-spy-57989/