The Griffin Theatre Company is nomadic this year, travelling around the theatres of Sydney while their home is under redevelopment. For Koreaboo, the company moved to the downstairs theatre in the Belvoir Theatre complex, which proved to be a fantastic venue for the intimate production. 

The production features two performers with playwright Michelle Lim Davidson and Heather Jeong (the latter in her acting debut) both starring. The play is a loosely autobiographical retelling of Davidson’s own story as the protagonist ventures to South Korea to meet her biological mother. After a tense first encounter, the pair begin to bond as Soon He, the mother, pushes Hannah, the child, appear on a K-Pop show before an emotional moment at the end of the play reveals value and the significance of the connection for both characters. 

Both Davidson and Jeong are strong performers, captivating the audience in the intimate venue, which has been dressed as a Korean convenience store, where Soon He works. The duo use the space very well, drawing the audience into the detail of Mel Page’s set whilst bringing a great degree of physicality to the performance, especially in the comedic dance sequences. 

The play is at its best when it is dealing with the emotional complexity of adoption and the impact that it can have on everyone involved. Davidson does a particularly fantastic job of illustrating this with a protagonist who seems to have everything that one could desire in life but seeks more from her biological mother, seeking to capture a piece of her identity that she feels is missing. The production is also sympathetic to Soon He, explaining her reasons for being distant within a cultural and a personal context, the latter of which becomes particularly heart-wrenching at the end of the production. 

While the play is certainly emotional, and deals with this very well on the whole, it does feel as though some degree of structural cohesion would have been welcomed as at times it feels as though the play jumps between events so quickly that it is hard to follow what is going on. Additionally, the last twenty minutes of the play feel a little rushed and could perhaps explore some more of the emotional impact even further, perhaps at the expense of some of the scenes at the beginning of the play which feel a little repetitive. In saying that, the emotional weight of the story is certainly felt and this gives the production poignance, which was reflected by a wonderful ovation on opening night.  

Overall, this is a strong production with an intriguing premise and great execution. Davidson does a fantastic job, both as a playwright and a performer, in tapping into obviously very personal emotions and turning them into something that feels raw and meaningful. While some structural tightening would perhaps benefit the production, there is no doubt that this work has a place in the Australian theatre world and something to say about connection to which many people can relate. I hope to see it continue to tour around the country as it develops further. 

Rating: ★★★★

Koreaboo plays at the Belvoir St Theatre until 20^th July. For more information, click here. 

All photo credits: Brett Boardman