Theatre Review: Koreaboo

The Play: Koreaboo by Michelle Lim Davidson

The Theatre: The Lawler at the Malthouse

Runtime: 80 minutes

Season ended 10 October

Stars: 4

I came to the ticket for Koreaboo in an unusual way. Having booked two tickets to another show by accident, I had some sucking up to do with a friend who works in the box office, begging nicely to change the ticket to another show. Thankfully, my friend was able to assist me, and I was found a ticket to this. I'm so glad I got to see this. 

The other thing that came to mind was my late niece, Lauren, who as a fan of all things Korean. She would have loved this. The music. The sensibilities. The culture shock. The culture.

Me, I loved the story. 

Michelle Lim Davidson is an Australian actor who was born in Korea and adopted by Australian parents. This play is based around her experiences of meeting her birth mother in Korea and a subsequent trip back to spend some time with her. This play is taking from her experiences of being a Koreaboo - somebody who is only interested in K-Pop, Kimchi and bulgogi. 

In Koreaboo, Lim Davidson plays Hannah, woman who's returned to Korea to spend time with her motherm, Umma (Heather Jeong), who works almost without a break at the family's corner store in the back blocks of Seoul. With not only a language barrier, the two women try to find a way forward, finally bonding over K-Pop, which takes the play in yet another direction. 

Mostly set in the family's shop, looking like every stereotypical Asian corner store, Lim Davidson's wisdom and comic timing shone through here. The foibles of both sides were looked on lovingly, while also having a good dig and the K-Pop phenomenon. Jessica Arthurn's direction made sure that there were no lags in the show, while keeping a slightly tongue in cheek. By the end of the play, you've got a good understanding of where both women are coming from, with a good understanding of how things came to pass. 

I'm so glad I got to see this. It's a bit of a sleeper hit, but its loving look at the Korean diaspora is remarkable. I'm just sorry my niece couldn't have seen this. 

Today's song: