London’s Grand Theatre will be back on stage this October, kicking off its 2023-24 season with the performance of crowd-pleaser Kim’s Convenience.
The Ins Choi-written play is notable for inspiring the hit CBC series of the same name, and chronicles the proprietor of a Korean-Canadian convenience store owner and the gap between him and his second-generation children. The London production is directed by Esther Jun, who previously starred as Janet when the play was first performed at the Toronto Fringe Festival in 2011, and will star Choi himself as the senior Kim, with his family portrayed by Kelly J. Seo, Leon Qin, and Vicki Kim, with Emeka Agada playing various roles.
There will be 10 performances of the play, including two matinees and an accessible performance with captions, in an effort to attract all kinds of theatre and comedy lovers from neighbourhoods like London North.
Kim’s Convenience is designed to launch the Grand Theatre company’s season, which will include nine plays in all. Six will be on the large Spriet Stage, including crowd-pleasing adaptations Charlie and the Chocolate Factory and Clue, while the Auburn Stage will feature more intimate works, including puppeteer Ronnie Burkett’s adult-only holiday play Little Dickens. Local theatre companies big and small use methods such as flyer printing and social media to help reach a diverse audience.
The Grand Theatre performance of Kim’s Convenience will be staged between October 17 and November 4 at the Spriet Stage.
