I make it that there are eleven Korean or Korea-related performances at this year’s Fringe, plus one workshop. It’s nice that Brush Theatre are putting in their regular appearance – always popular with the younger audience – and we have newcomers such as Korean-American stand-up comedian Olivia Rhee and, from Kazakhstan, telling the story of […]
Category: Physical theatre & mime
Edinburgh Fringe showcase at Sadlers Wells
Following the success of last year’s Fringe preview, once again Sadler’s Wells hosts a night showcasing some of the Korean acts before they head to Edinburgh. Edinburgh Festival Fringe 2018 London Showcase 19:00, Friday 27 July 2018 (followed by a post-show reception) Lilian Baylis Studio | Sadler’s Wells | Rosebery Avenue | London, EC1R 4TN […]
Babbling Comedy comes to Soho Theatre for the festive season
Team Ongals comes to the West End to keep us entertained throughout the festive season. Ongals: Babbling Comedy Mon 4 Dec 2017 – Sat 6 Jan 2018, 6.30pm. Matinees Saturdays 9, 16, 23, 30 Dec, and 6 Jan & Thu 21, Fri 22, Wed 27, Thu 28 and Fri 29 Dec, 2pm Soho Theatre | […]
Factory Girls by Yangson Project tours London, Midlands and South
The performing arts programme of Korea/UK 2017-18 year of cultural exchange brings a new production to the UK, in collaboration with Farnham Maltings. The production hits London on 13 October, but is touring the Midlands and South of England before then. Factory Girls 8pm, 13 October 2017 Jacksons Lane | 269a Archway Road | London […]
Fringe review: Monkey Dance
This is a fun musical in which eight incredibly energetic and athletic performers leap around on stage to the musical accompaniment of a quintet of vocalists, beat-boxer and bass. There’s a loose story-line (not that it matters too much as the emphasis is on the music and action) in which an explorer comes to the […]
Brief Fringe review: Behind the Mirror
The Fringe version of Behind the Mirror, at 1 hour, is half an hour shorter than the full version that has successfully been performed in Korea for many years. In the version presented at the Fringe, the tale of Princess Pyonggang and General Ondal is told very briefly before a parallel story is told in […]
Think Korea 2006 – an introduction
Think Korea 2006 was an ambitious programme of cultural and other events organised by the Korean Embassy as part of the “Korea-UK Mutual Visit Year”. There was, I believe, a reciprocal series of UK-related events organised in Korea, but I never saw any publicity about it. One event I do know of: the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra […]
Korean performers at the 2017 Edinburgh Fringe
A detailed mining of the Edinburgh Fringe website reveals twenty Korean performances plus one talk this year. Magic show Snap makes a return, along with the ever-popular drum show Tago, both part of a “Korean Season presented by AtoBiz Ltd” – who also bring new acts Kokdu and Ensemble Su. I must say I’m a […]
Korea focus in Greenwich & Docklands International Festival
One of the first performance arts projects of Korea/UK 2017-2018 is a focus on Korean performers at this month’s Greenwich + Docklands International Festival – “London’s leading festival of free outdoor performing arts (theatre, dance, and street arts), an annual 9/10-day celebration of extraordinary outdoor events that transform people’s lives.” Three acts perform in the Greenwich […]
Fringe visit: Chef – Come Dine with Us
A Korean physical theatre / comedy performance involving cooking? Does that sound like Nanta? Well, yes. We loved Nanta when it came to Kingston and were happy to see what this seemingly very similar show had to offer. Judging by the poster, it certainly had a thoroughly ripped male torso to entice you. The scenario […]
Fringe visit: Snap
This show was far from being my highlight of the Fringe. The audience seemed to enjoy it, and the reviews are very favourable, particularly from families with children. I myself couldn’t help feeling that I’d seen it all before: the sort of sleight of hand magic tricks you see done on TV variety shows. On […]
Event news: Ongals – Babbling Comedy returns to Kingston
The comedians from Ongals are always a hit wherever they go, so it’s good to have them return to Kingston for another gig down at the Rose Theatre this summer: Ongals: Babbling Comedy Fri 5 Aug 2016, 7.30pm Kingston Rose Theatre Tickets £11 – £16 + £2.50 booking fee | Book here Come and celebrate […]
Korean performers and artists at Edinburgh Fringe 2016
Once again there’s a strong Korean showing at the Fringe this year. It’s particularly nice to see Modl Theatre in the UK again, this time with three productions. Two of them are geared towards families and children, but the third is a something darker: a new and topical production on the theme of the wartime […]
KWK Performance: Ongals in Babbling Comedy, 1-2 Aug
These guys were hugely entertaining when they came to the Edinburgh Fringe (LKL review here), and they’ve also entertained us at the Thames Festival. They are also the first comedy act to have performed at the Seoul Arts Centre – so do support them when they come to the Rose Theatre Perfordian Factory: Ongals in […]
Jump returns to the Peacock
There was a time when Ye Gam Theatre were coming to London once a year to do their outstanding production, Jump. They’ve had a break of a year or two, and now it’s time to welcome them back: Jump — Ye Gam Theatre Peacock Theatre Portugal Street, Holborn, WC2A 2HT 28 Oct – 15 Nov […]
Korean performances at the City of London Festival
This year’s City of London Festival has a Korean focus. And although most of the performances in the festival are of Western classical music, there is a Korean Hamlet from Yohangza Theatre Company (who do a wonderful Midsummer Night’s Dream), fusion music from Ensemble Sinawi and contemporary and street dance too. Sunwook Kim (piano) Wednesday […]
Concert notes: A Little Nightmare Music – Igudesman and Joo
“His parents must be so disappointed” I overheard a Korean woman say, of Joo Hyung-ki. “They wanted him to be a concert pianist, and he’s doing comedy instead.” It was the sort of thing that Maureen Lipman would say, in character as the proud Jewish mother. Joo, one half of the hilarious musical duo Igudesman […]