A review of some of the highlights and trends in the Korean cultural year, primarily in London but also with half an eye to anything we might have seen elsewhere in the UK. The review is a personal one, inevitably skewed towards the events we managed to get to. Introduction This time last year I … [Read More]
Category: Physical theatre & mime
Review round-up: LKL at the 2019 Edinburgh Fringe
After a break from the Fringe last year, LKL returned this year to see what was new. A lot of the companies are fringe regulars: Brush, Modl, Cho-in and Hooam have all come over before, and in fact Modl this year was celebrating its 30th birthday. But there were also new acts, including Korean Gipsy … [Read More]
The Illusionists: we went to see the Korean Manipulator, and ended up being fans of all seven performers
The events that LKL covers often involve high culture: dance, visual arts, contemporary or experimental music. So a family entertainment show aimed at a mainstream audience is somewhat outside our usual area of coverage. But that’s not to say we don’t appreciate supreme talent and skill when we see it. Last week we went along … [Read More]
Yu Ho-jin in The Illusionists – at Shaftesbury Theatre
A fun way to spend a summer evening. Afternoon and even morning performances are available on some days throughout the season. The Illusionists Shaftesbury Theatre | 210 Shaftesbury Avenue | London WC2H 8DP | www.shaftesburytheatre.com 6 July – 1 September 2019 | Buy tickets THIS MIND BLOWING SPECTACULAR SHOWCASES THE JAW DROPPING TALENTS OF SEVEN … [Read More]
Korean performances at Edinburgh Fringe 2019
A quick wordsearch of the 2019 Fringe catalogue provides the following items of Korean interest at the Fringe this year. LKL’s reviews of eight of the shows can be found here. The Happy Prince Children’s Shows (theatre, puppetry) Venue 21 | C venues – C aquila – temple 13:15 | Aug 1-11, 13-18, 20-26 | … [Read More]
Korean performers at the 2018 Edinburgh Fringe
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 … [Read More]
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 … [Read More]
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 | … [Read More]
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 … [Read More]
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 … [Read More]
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 … [Read More]
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 … [Read More]
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 … [Read More]
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 … [Read More]
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 … [Read More]
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 … [Read More]