London Korean Links

Covering things Korean in London and beyond since 2006

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Selected publications

  • Booklist: Drama (22 titles)
    • The Great Wave plays at the National Theatre

      The National Theatre hosts a new play set in Japan and North Korea. Related talks include an introduction to the book produced as part of a British Council project in North Korea. The Great Wave A new play by Francis Turnly | co-production with the Tricycle Theatre 10 March – 14 April Dorfman Theatre, National … [Read More]

      American Hwangap by Lloyd Suh at Typhoon 2017

      A staged play reading presented by Yellow Earth Theatre: American Hwangap – by Lloyd Suh Sun 26th Nov 3:00pm Typhoon EAST Rich Mix | 35 Bethnal Green Rd | London E1 6LA Tickets from Rich Mix website Directed by Louise Mai Newberry Hwangap /huːæŋɡæp/ noun – a milestone signifying the completion of the Eastern Zodiac … [Read More]

      Fringe review: Kokdu – The Soul Mate

      Intended to be a simple morality tale about respect for the dead and dying, as well as an exposition of Korean folk and shamanistic beliefs about burial customs and the afterlife, this ambitious production combines strong visuals and colourful costumes with storytelling that is an uncomfortable mixture of seriousness and slapstick. Sometimes it’s good to … [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]

      Fringe 2017: two early recommendations

      To help give a taste of the range of Korean talent at this year’s Edinburgh Fringe, the KCC hosted a showcase of four of the acts, at the Lilian Baylis Studio. Of these, the stand-out performances were Behind the Mirror and Black and White Tea Room — Counsellor. LKL went along to the event hoping … [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]

      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]