★★★★

“funny and warm, balancing real laughs with touching moments”

This is the U.K. premiere of a beloved Canadian play, originally staged in 2011, which spawned a highly successful five season CBS TV series. The show became an international hit after being broadcast on Netflix.

Ins Choi, who wrote and starred in the original, has returned to the cast, but is now starring as the father of his previous character. There is something moving in the cycles of time that this represents. It is in keeping with the themes of the play, which explores intergenerational relationships, and the very different struggles of first and second generation immigrants.

The play follows Mr Kim (Choi) known as Appa by his family, as he wrestles with plans for the future of his convenience store. For him, his wife (Namju Go), his daughter, struggling photographer Janet (Jennifer Kim) and his estranged son Jung (Brian Law) this place represents far more than just a store – it is a burden, a legacy and a curse.

Choi’s script is funny and warm, balancing real laughs with touching moments that makes the play feel genuine and moving. Esther Jun’s directing is energetic and joyous.

“Ins Choi’s performance is sublime”

There are some moments which are played for laughs in a way which may detract from the deeper emotions. I struggled with some of the comedy violence, especially in light of the discussions throughout the play about Appa’s history of violent temper tantrums. Controversial comedy is at the heart of this play, and some of the shock factor moments still feel as taboo in 2023 as they must have in 2011. Much of this comes through discussions of race, especially when Mr Kim talks about black people. Miles Mitchell, who multi-roles all non-Kim family parts in the play, is black, and Mr Kim interacts with this in a way which is at times hard to watch. Some moments are hilarious, in a cringe comedy way, but some are truly difficult.

Ins Choi’s performance is sublime, he keeps the tragedy of Mr Kim bubbling under the surface, allowing us to forgive his more unpleasant moments. Namju Go is also powerful as Mrs Kim. Her performance is subtle and moving. At some points she and Choi speak in Korean, but the strength of their performances means non-Korean speakers can follow along easily. It adds to the feeling that the audience is peeking into a private moment in the lives of this family. Miles Mitchell is also a particular standout, effortlessly shifting between roles and bringing depth to every minor character.

Mona Camille’s set is built as a convenience store, with actual snacks and packets of cigarettes. It is meticulous and evocative.

Jonathan Chan’s lighting design manages to conjure both the strip store lighting of the corner store, as well as shifting to create memory sequences. It plays both with extreme naturalism and a nod to the opposite, and is beautifully thought through.

This is a play about people who are rarely the stars of plays. It is a small snippet of a very real life. I can see why this play was vital in 2011 and why it has enjoyed such success in Canada. Nearly 15 years on, it does feel less fresh, but the warmth and charm has remained.

THE MOTIVE AND THE CUE at the Noël Coward Theatre

★★★★★

“a stylish and stylised homage not just to a moment in time, but to theatre itself”

When Richard Burton and Peter O’Toole were filming the feature film ‘Becket’ in 1964, the two actors came to an agreement as a kind of joke. After the shoot was wrapped, they would each go on to play ‘Hamlet’ on the stage, either in London or New York. The London production would be directed by Laurence Olivier and the Broadway show by John Gielgud. To decide which, they tossed a coin. O’Toole won the toss and chose London and Olivier, leaving Burton to persuade Gielgud to fulfil his side of the wager. The production was a financial hit, achieving the longest running production of the play in Broadway history.

During rehearsals, the actor Richard L. Sterne decided to furtively record the conversations and the clashes as Burton (the modernist striving to be the classicist) squared up to Gielgud (the classicist striving to be the modernist). More than half a century later, the recordings of that ground-breaking moment in theatrical history were taken by Jack Thorne and moulded into an equally ground-breaking play; “The Motive and the Cue”. It is a stylish and stylised homage not just to a moment in time, but to theatre itself.

As the drama unfolds over a day-by-day account of the rehearsals, each scene is captioned with a surtitle lifted from Shakespeare’s text, some bearing a tenuous relevance to the action. The dynamic between Burton and Gielgud is established early on, simmering with electricity until later the sparks truly fly. In the middle ground is Elizabeth Taylor who foreshadows the confrontations, but also covertly and intricately smooths the way. Tuppence Middleton, as Taylor, wonderfully plays the outsider looking in, despite her own star status already. Johnny Flynn is the antagonist as a fiery yet vulnerable Burton. Often whisky-fuelled, he is forever on the verge of a fight, but in the verbal battles his mantle is torn to reveal hints of the fatherless boy seeking direction. Flynn harnesses the restless energy, while brilliantly capturing the rich tones of speech that still echo the valleys of South Wales.

“the overall feel is of a heartfelt tribute to a golden age of British Theatre”

It is Mark Gatiss, however, to whom the show truly belongs. We frequently catch ourselves believing the knight himself is up on the stage. Gatiss personifies Gielgud with a mix of intelligence, charm, pathos and acidity, coating his outstanding performance with mannerisms as detailed as they are emotionally revealing. Moments outside of the rehearsal room reveal the layers of self-doubt that plague these great players. One can assume that the original tape recordings were confined to the rehearsal room, so it is Thorne’s writing that powers these external, highly charged scenes. The power is beautiful and invariably moving, and Gatiss’ hold on the material is a master class in acting. Gielgud was in a fragile place at the time, aware that his position in the profession was precarious with a new kind of modern theatre creeping into the West End. He took the Broadway job because he wasn’t getting other offers.

There is much humour too in the piece, much of it aimed at theatre lovers (dare I use the term ‘luvvies’?). The ensemble cast supports the dominant trio tremendously. We often forget that these are actors in a play, playing actors playing roles in a play. Sarah Woodward as Eileen Herlie as Gertrude is particularly watchable, as is Luke Norris (playing William Redfield playing Guildenstern). Sam Mendes’ sophisticated production runs at close to three hours but not one moment is wasted, nor is our attention allowed to slip for one second. Excerpts from Shakespeare’s texts link the scenes on Es Devlin’s set that, with Jon Clark’s evocative lighting, switches from the harsh white light of the rehearsal room to the blood red hues of the Burton-Taylor lounge, to the cold blues of Gielgud’s hotel room.

The rehearsals are over, and the play reaches its conclusion as Burton prepares for opening night. The writers and performers alike are careful to avoid sentimentality. The result is an exceptionally moving finale. There is satire on the way, and some affectionate mocking of the key players, but the overall feel is of a heartfelt tribute to a golden age of British Theatre.

‘The Play is the Thing’. “The Motive and the Cue” is the thing: the play to see at the moment. Thoroughly modern. Instantly classic. No clash there at all.

KIM’S CONVENIENCE at the Park Theatre

★★★★

“funny and warm, balancing real laughs with touching moments”

“Ins Choi’s performance is sublime”

KIM’S CONVENIENCE at the Park Theatre

Reviewed on 12th January 2024

by Auriol Reddaway

Photography by Mark Douet

Previously reviewed at this venue:

KIM’S CONVENIENCE

KIM’S CONVENIENCE

THE MOTIVE AND THE CUE at the Noël Coward Theatre

★★★★★

“a stylish and stylised homage not just to a moment in time, but to theatre itself”

“the overall feel is of a heartfelt tribute to a golden age of British Theatre”