Kim’s Convenience a 'love letter' to immigrant parents

Kim's Convenience, a heart-warming comedy-drama play about a Korean immigrant family running a corner shop in Toronto, inspired a hit sitcom and is now on stage in London.

"This is a love letter to my parents and all first-generation immigrants who have made the country they have settled in their home," says the show's creator, Ins Choi.

He wrote the play, which revolves around the everyday life of a family-run Korean store, and starred as the son when it was first staged in Toronto in 2011.

He then co-wrote the TV series, which became a hit in Canada from 2016 and found a worldwide audience after being picked up by Netflix two years later.

Choi is now back on stage - this time in the lead role of Appa (Dad in Korean).

In the play, the family's proud, hard-working patriarch grapples with the changing neighbourhood and the growing divide between his first-generation immigrant values and those of his children.

For instance, Appa tries to convince daughter Janet (Jennifer Kim) to take over the shop, instead of pursuing her dream of becoming a photographer.

He also warns that her "expiration date is over", as she shows no intention to marry as a 30-year-old single woman.

• Listen on BBC Sounds: Kim's Convenience cast talks about 'immigrant life'

While this all-Asian lead cast gives an opportunity to look into one East Asian family’s life, it also resonates with different cultures and ages, says Choi.

"In the end, it's a comedy. It's a story about a family.

"Regardless of your background, I think everyone can relate to parents who they feel they disappointed. Or if you're a parent, kids who don't appreciate you.

"So it's both sides of that dynamic."

When it was first on stage, a show with an all-Asian lead cast was rare.

"When I played [son] Jung 14 years ago, there weren't many Asian actors," Choi says.

"But now, when we do a casting call, there are many Janets that we can choose from. I was so pleasantly surprised that we now have options."

In fact, the genesis of Kim’s Convenience stems from the lack of opportunities Choi had as a young actor.

After graduating from drama school, he auditioned for many roles but kept getting rejected. Eventually, he decided to write his own story, which became his debut play - and later a Netflix hit.

While he understands that directors today are looking for new Asian voices, he feels some theatre companies have quite a "white programme", which still makes plays like Kim’s Convenience stand out.

"I think it’s still kind of a rare thing in an English-speaking city to have an Asian-led play on stage," he says. "So that's unfortunately always been one reason for interest because it’s still the unique thing to watch.

"It's a little different, not a white family's living room. How often do you get that?"

Throughout the play, Appa and Umma (Mum, played by Namju Go) speak in a fairly strong Korean accent. This was also the case with the TV series, and some have argued that heavy accents perpetuate stereotypes.

Choi vehemently disagrees. "Maybe producers don't want people speaking accents because they don't want to be seen as offensive. But then they're just dismissing and erasing [it], which, in my opinion, is more offensive."

He has put both charaters centre stage, celebrating their three-dimensional personalities.

"Whether people want to admit it or not, there's a whole part of society that is unrepresented in media. For fear of backlash, they are not seen and heard," adds Choi.

He says he is doing his best job imitating his own parents and what he grew up hearing. And he says he is, in fact, pulling back from the accent, so a "Western ear" can understand him better.

"When my kids watched the play, they couldn't stop laughing. They loved it. They said I was just like Halabeoji [Grandad]. And I was like, 'Thank you.'"

The play's UK staging precedes a triumphant homecoming to Toronto’s acclaimed Soulpepper Theatre in January 2025. That will be 14 years since it won the Patron’s Pick award at the Toronto Fringe Festival, where it premiered.

Choi originally played estranged son Jung, but it has now been so long since the original run that he has been playing Appa since last year.

"Going back to Soulpepper Theatre will feel almost like a physical, geographic full circle, in terms of the son becoming the parent," he says.

He acknowledges that it was a "strange but normal feeling" when he first played Appa, adding that he has been "rehearsing for the last 10 years" to play the father, as his real-life children have grown up and he has grown into the role.

"I love the sound of Appa - it’s so warm and conjures great feelings," he says.

"So now, when I get called Appa by Janet and Jung, I already respond to that name."

So what does he hope the audience will take from the play, other than laughter and tears?

"This is me being idealistic but I hope a play like this brings communities together, where it's like, 'Yeah, my family's just like your family, guys. My dad is just like your dad.'

"It can actually build bridges and people realise we're all dysfunctional. Yeah, I think it has that power - art, in general."

And having helped out at his uncle's corner shop as a child, he has one more wish.

"I hope that when people come and see the show, they meet this family who owns this store.

"And that the next time they walk into an off-licence, they have an inkling of the person having a whole life behind the counter. And hopefully treat them with more understanding or compassion."

Kim's Convenience is at Riverside Studios in Hammersmith, London, until 26 October.