The hit Netflix sitcom drama "Kim's Convenience," which is originally a play that premiered in Toronto twelve years ago, is returning to the stage in a first UK appearance starting Jan. 8 until Feb. 10 at London's Park Theatre.
Ins Choi in rehearsal of "Kim's Convenience" which will run in London's Park theatre from Jan. 8 to Feb. 10.
History of Ins Choi's 'Love Letter' to First-Generation Immigrants
In an interview with The Guardian, show-runner and writer-creator Ins Choi said that the story itself is his affectionate tribute to "first-generation immigrants," especially his mom and dad.
Choi continued by saying that he hopes the production becomes a "reminder" regarding the lives "behind the counter at a convenience store" and the "dignity, joy, and dreams" these people possess.
According to the Korean director, "Kim's Convenience" was his attempt at success following a chain of failure to break through in the acting industry during the '90s, difficulties that he attributes to "barriers" and lack of "opportunities" that East Asian actors had to deal with at the time.
Choi debuted the self-produced comedy-drama in 2011 at the Toronto Fringe Festival which told the tale of a Korean-Canadian family that runs a convenience store in the Ontario capital amidst neighborhood changes.
The production earned the festival's Patron's Pick award after a sold-out initial seven-show run at the Bathurst Street Theatre, which then earned it an eighth show that also showed out in a matter of hours.
Its momentous success during its start propelled it to new heights, making a multi-city tour across Canada and the US possible in the following six years after its debut.
This led to an even more popular 2016 TV adaptation that premiered on the state-run Canadian channel, CBC. For the show, Choi took the production backseat as its writer and executive producer.
'Kim's Convenience' Emerges Off a Low Point
Although the show has been widely celebrated for its thoughtful and accurate depiction of the Asian immigrant experience through the portrayal of cultural hijinx that would arise from misunderstandings, it isn't free from controversies.
As it approached its final season on Netflix, "Kim's Convenience" came under fire after a Time magazine report came out that publicized the apprehension from the cast and crew of the production regarding a work environment that was allegedly "racist."
These allegations include a lack of representation behind the scenes and a writer's room that is dominated by "white" writers which consequently results in episodal scripts that were both "insensitive and false."
Jean Yoon, who played the role of "Kim Yong-mi" or "Umma," posted a statement in X (formerly known as Twitter) saying that the show, at that point, was exhibiting an alarming absence of Korean female writers which made her and other cast members' time on the show strenuous.
She also said that Choi's presence during shoots was slowly diminishing in the latter seasons, being replaced by another producer who took on show-running responsibilities.
Adding to the backlash was a now-canceled spin-off of the main series called "Strays," which sparked a separate outrage after it focused on the main show's only non-Asian character that didn't even exist in the initial theatrical play version.
In regards to this, Choi told the British publication that this particular period was "difficult" and that he isn't fond of speaking about it, saying, "Things should've happened very differently and that's all I can really say about that."
However, since the finale of the show aired, the cast has moved on to new and bigger projects.
Most notable is Simu Liu, who played "Jung Kim" in the TV show, and has since starred in the first Asian superhero-centered Marvel Cinematic Universe film, "Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings."
In regards to his show's cast members achieving new heights in their careers, Choi remarked that he is very "happy and proud of all of them."
