For the final event of K-Music 2016 we were introduced to the first UK visit of Modern Table headed by the multi-talented Kim Jae-duk, who choreographed the work as well as being an integral member of the dance troupe, though much of the time he was also front of stage singing or playing various wind … [Read More]
Category: Performance (page 16)
Gangnam Style remembered on Strictly
Thanks to would-be Labour finance minister Ed Balls for brightening up our dull Autumn on the BBC’s celebrity talent show Strictly Come Dancing. Consistently at the bottom of the scoreboard, he is saved by the popular vote. In the most recent episode he had the guts to do a Gangnam Style inspired Salsa, choreographed (with … [Read More]
Review: Bongsu Park’s Crossing Over – Ritual of Grief
Bongsu Park’s two-part work, Crossing Over – Ritual of Grief, is an ambitious piece lasting for almost two hours which saw its first performance spread over two weekends in two different locations during August. It blends contemporary electronic music with traditional Korean music, and contemporary dance with traditional Korean dance such as Salpuri. Appropriately enough … [Read More]
Korean theatres celebrate Shakespeare
“South Korean theaters have launched a series of reinterpreted Shakespearean plays for the fall-winter season of 2016 to mark the 400th anniversary of the death of the globally revered British poet and playwright.” Full story on Yonhap [Read More]
Event news: DGC K-pop dance show #10
DGC Dance run weekly K-pop dance classes at Fitness First venues in the City and put on a big show every 6 months or so. Coming up this Sunday, their 10th such show. Looks fun. DATE: Sunday 9th October 2016, 2pm – 5.30pm Doors open 2pm. Show starts 2.30pm VENUE: Stratford Circus Arts Centre (C1 … [Read More]
Event news: Flatmates v Zombies 2, at Tristan Bates Theatre
If you missed out on Flatmates v Zombies in 2013, as we did, don’t miss its remake. Coming to the Tristan Bates Theatre for one night only. Flatmates v Zombies II A Korean ‘KPop’ comedy zombie horror musical set in London. Tristan Bates Theatre | 1a Tower Street | London WC2H 9NP | www.tristanbatestheatre.co.uk 3 … [Read More]
Fringe visit: The Tiniest Frog Prince in the World
I was feeling grumpy when I went into this show and had decided I was not going to enjoy it. I had rushed to get there having just got off the train. It had started late, and if it overran I wasn’t going to have time to get to the next show. And I’m not … [Read More]
Fringe visit: Girl
Modl Theatre Company is perhaps best known in this country for its work aimed at younger audiences, but it is a diverse company which also engages with more adult material too. And you can’t get much more adult than a graphic description of the surgical procedure that the Japanese forced upon young Korean girls so … [Read More]
Fringe visit: Dandelion’s Story
What on earth makes a theatre company think that creating a piece about doggy poo is a good idea? How do you persuade an actress that taking on the role of a talking turd is a big break for her? Well, firstly, this production is aimed at children, and kids of all ages find poo … [Read More]
Fringe visit: Tiger in Blossom
This is a simple retelling for children of the Korean folk tale of the Tiger and the Woodcutter, in which a woodcutter, about to be killed by a tiger in the forest, persuades the beast that he used to be human, and is in fact his elder brother. The initially sceptical tiger eventually falls for … [Read More]
Fringe visit: The Song of Beast (after Hamlet)
Imagine Hamlet scripted / co-directed by Park Chan-Wook (Oldboy), Ryu Seung-wan (Veteran / Unjust) and Yoon Jong-bin (Nameless Gangster), with dialogue input from Yang Ik-joon (Breathless), and music by Cho Young-wook (Oldboy) and you’re starting to get close what this production is like. The setting is moved from Denmark to an abattoir which has a … [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]
Brief review: Taming of the Shrew, at the KCC
It was a great treat to see a shortened version of ‘Taming of The Shrew’ at the Korean Cultural Centre recently, performed in English by EDP, student drama club of Soon Chun Hyang University. Even if the academic talks that preceded it were not quite as lively, one valuable outcome of attending the seminar was … [Read More]
Event news: K-music 2016 — Modern Table present Darkness Poomba, 24-25 Oct
The final performance of K-music 2016 blends contemporary dance with traditional song and rock music. Modern Table present Darkness Poomba Monday 24 & Tuesday 25 October | 8.00pm The Place | 17 Duke’s Road | London WC1H 9PY £16 (plus concessions) + Booking fee | Book here Choreographer Kim Jae-Duk and his group of dancer/musicians … [Read More]
Event news: Korean Shakespeare in Theory and Practice
An interesting workshop focusing on Korean Shakespeare adaptations, of which we have seen a fair number in the UK over the last decade. For those planning a visit to the Edinburgh Fringe, there’s an opportunity to catch one of the performances in London before going up, with EDP’s version of Taming of the Shrew, described … [Read More]