Review: Kim’s Convenience Play at Manchester HOME*

Kim’s Convenience Play at Manchester HOME

[Ad-gifted] Last night I headed into Manchester City Centre to watch Kim’s Convenience Play – a theatre show that’s been taken from the hit play & Netflix series of the same name.

I just wish I made the effort to be more organised so that I could have made the very easy trip on the train – to HOME Manchester – a new theatre for us here, at Yeah Lifestyle! The theatre is just 15 minutes walk away from Piccadilly train station and a stones throw from Oxford Road station. So getting the train to HOME Manchester (see what I did there?) is very straightforward, however, if you have to drive like we did, you can park very close by – of course not too cheaply but still handy.

Kim’s Convenience is based on the Canadian stage play from 2011 that was then made into a TV series. The play takes place in Kim’s Convenience store and covers the life of North Korean immigrants trying to make a living in Canada. It also shows you how conflicting immigrant parents’ culture is perceived by their first generation Canadian children. The play is set in the store and revolves around Mr Kim – Appa (dad in Korean), his wife – umma (mum in Korean) , two children and a few customers (played by one person) in a comedy style. Keep reading to see what I thought of Kim’s Convenience, performed at HOME Manchester last night.

What I thought of Kim’s Convenience

Firstly, I wanted to say how impressed I was with the venue. HOME Manchester had such a great vibe and felt like such a welcoming place to visit for a night at the theatre. You could feel the creativity of Home just by stepping foot inside. What’s more is it was nice to see a theatre that was inclusive in every way and another plus for us is that it took cash as well as cards, which I feel in these times is good to know you can budget even when visiting a theatre!

I would recommend a visit to HOME Manchester, just because… There are places to eat and things to see in a sort of hidden part of Manchester that are well worth the trip!

Now, back to the play. Kim’s Convenience was a light comedy with aspects of drama blended within it. Some of the topics raised within the play were quite deep and although I understood that they wanted to make light of them, there were times when I felt like the meanings were lost. Although I was giggling throughout, there were times when I felt like I shouldn’t laugh as they were actually making a sad point, like when Janet expresses he lack of interest in running her Appa’s store and other aspects that relate to prejudice and stereotypes that can occur in small town stores.

Overall, I enjoyed the play – it was the perfect length and rather than finishing the story, it was almost like an episode in a TV series, where you wonder what has now happened to all the characters. This is perhaps why it has evolved so well into Its hit Netflix show. The story is about family struggles, some that relate to all family dynamics and others that are specifically to do with being a family born of immigrants. We see the struggle of a father trying to give his children the best but with no thanks. However, you also understand the difficulties of children, who are put on a pedestal and how easily they can be knocked down with pressures from their parents. It somehow managed to show how families grow apart and together over time and how not every aspect of parenting is easy.

The cast were well chosen and of course James Yi was well versed in his role and you can tell he has a long history of acting. The other characters included his wife played by Candace Leung, his daughter Janet, played by Caroline Donica, his son Jung played by Daniel Phung and Andrew Gichigi, who mainly played Alex, Janet’s love interest as well as several other convenience store customers.

Equally, I enjoyed the aspects where Appa and Umma spoke in Korean, however, I felt that their discussion were important and although I could perhaps get the gist of meanings through their expression and delivery – it would have been nice to know exactly what they were saying.

The set was unreal – it was as though you were sat in your local corner shop with crisps, chocolate bars, fridges with obligatory blue drinks and shelves of cards/newspapers and medicines/toiletries – everything every time someone entered the stage, it was as though they were coming through the front doors of the shop, with the bing-bong sound you get in small convenience stores. The set was tactile and filled every part of your imagination

So, if you would like to visit HOME Manchester and watch Kim’s Convenience see how just below.

Cast

Appa James Yi
Janet Caroline Donica
Jung Daniel Phung
Umma Candace Leung
Alex Andrew Gichigi

Creatives

Playwright Ins Choi
Director Esther Jun
Set & Costume Designer Mona Camille

How much are the tickets for Kim’s Convenience Play?

Tickets are on sale now, priced from £25 to £40.  

How do I book tickets to watch Kim’s Convenience Play?

Tickets are now on sale and available by calling Box Office 0161 200 1500 (12noon-8pm daily) or access@homemcr.org. A non-refundable booking fee of £1.20 per ticket applies to all bookings. Visit the HOME Manchester’s website here for more information. Suitable for ages: 14+

How long is the show for and what are the timings?

Kim’s Convenience started its tour on 13 March in Leeds and will end its tour on 5 July in Birmingham.  It will be stopping off at Manchester HOME until 14 April 2025. Evening shows will be on at 7.30pm while the matinee will be at 2pm on Thursday and Saturday. It has a running time of 75 minutes with no interval.

Where is Manchester HOME?

2 Tony Wilson Place
Manchester
M15 4FN

About Manchester HOME

Manchester HOME work with international and UK artists to produce entertaining, extraordinary experiences, creating an exciting mix of thought-provoking film, art, drama, dance, and festivals, with a strong focus on new commissions, and talent development.

HOME’s ambition is to push the boundaries of form and technology, to experiment, have fun, take risks and share great new art with the widest possible audience.

Review by: Lex Ward

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Review: Bernadette and Other Teenage Folk Tales at Fenton Town Hall

Photo Credit: Manchester HOME/Victoria Davies

* We were provided with press tickets in exchange for a review. All opinions are our own.