Hummed hymns are the first sounds to grace our ears as the lights come up on a quaint convenience store. Mr. Kim is getting ready to start his day, but he certainly doesn’t know how this day is going to end. Written by Ins Choi and directed by Weyni Mengesha, Kim’s Convenience is not only wildly funny, but it’s also an insightful look at life for an immigrant family in the big city.
Mr. Kim, or Appa as he’s affectionately called, is a proud Korean immigrant. He runs his store with his wife, called Umma, and their daughter Janet. We find throughout the course of the play that their eldest child, Jung, has been estranged from the family for many years after an intense altercation with his father. However, on this day, Mr. Kim is faced with far more existential challenges than usual: he receives a life-changing offer to sell the store. Mr. Kim has to consider if his children will inherit the store as planned, or should he take the offer and retire?
Before the lights fully come up on the set, the buildings which can be seen above the store become awash with photos: real families, in their stores, just like the story we’re about to witness. Nicole Eun-Ju Bell’s projections give the audience their first reminder that this story is not just about one family, but rather is emblematic of many experiences happening all over the city. The use of projection returns when Umma goes to church, and we see many young ones and families taking part in various religious services and events. These are glimpses into the hearts of Mr. and Mrs. Kim and where they have found community. The store itself is note perfect. One thing I wonder, and heard others wondering as well, is where do they get all of the stuff? This is a fully stocked convenience store with chips, drinks, candy, chocolates, toiletries, even cards and gift wrap! Where does it all come from? And who gets to eat all of that once the run is over? Joanna Yu’s set is full of details like the South Korean flags, the kitschy Canada merch, and everywhere you look you spot something which instantly sparks memory. Ming Wong’s costumes truly speak for themselves; Choi gets his own “Appa style” with a T-shirt, puffer vest, and slides. Umma’s conservative and neat attire speak to her calm disposition, while Janet’s funky shirt and moto jacket show an artsy rebelliousness.
Choi has infused his script with emotional drama and witty comedy in equal measure. While Mr. Kim at times racially profiles his customers, the way it’s presented to us is undeniably hilarious. Yet there are moments of deeply moving and thought-provoking topics like legacy and generational trauma highlighted by Choi’s text. Mr. Kim initially feels like his children, who he has given up everything for, should repay him in kind and take over the store. Much of his open dislike for the Japanese (and their cars) comes from Japan’s long history of fighting Korea. It’s up to Janet, as the main representation of the younger generation, to attempt to sway Mr. Kim’s ways of thinking. This generational clash provides powerful conflict which thankfully comes to peaceable resolution.
The story of this play and its rise to stardom is an inspiring one. Kim’s Convenience first premiered at the Toronto Fringe Festival in 2011 with author Ins Choi playing the son, Jung. It then got picked up at Soulpepper in 2012 with none other than Weyni Mengesha directing. It was revived at Soulpepper again in 2017, a year after the show began airing on CBC (and yes, you can watch all 5 seasons on CBC GEM). This 2025 revival is special, of course, because now Choi is playing Appa rather than Jung. There is an unmistakable gravitas to Choi’s performance as Appa – a sense of cosmic inevitability.
Choi’s Mr. Kim is a complicated and multi-faceted character; on one hand, we see him truly learn and grow over the course of the play, on the other, we catch glimpses of the fearsome man who was able to strike his own son in anger. To see such character development as well as the depth of personality is impressive and vital to the story. Kelly Seo’s Janet is a formidable sparring partner for her Appa. Janet’s feisty determination is vividly brought to life by Seo, yet the softer side of Janet we witness with Alex is equally riveting. Esther Chung’s Umma is kind and gentle, and Chung gives her a sweetness that makes her instantly loveable. Umma and Appa speak to each other exclusively in Korean, with no English translations provided; through the prowess of Chung and Choi’s performances, none are required. Ryan Jinn plays their estranged son, Jung, who we don’t meet until quite a way into the play. Despite this, Jinn gives a memorable performance: one of forgiveness and contrition, along with the promise of something new for the next generation. Brandon McKnight plays everyone else we meet at Kim’s Convenience: Alex the police officer, Mr. Lee the realtor, as well as some customers. McKnight seamlessly changes from one to the next, endowing each character with their own accents, characteristics, and lives.
I was living in a small town in South Western Ontario when I first began to watch “Kim’s Convenience” on TV. I used to see the B-roll of Toronto and wonder if this is what living in the big city was like. After living here for 4 years, it’s evident that Kim’s Convenience embodies the experiences of this family and other families like them, of their neighbourhood, and of Toronto, deeply rooted in the humanity of us all. Kim’s Convenience continues its legacy with pride, and seeing it in person gives it a whole other life in my mind.
Kim’s Convenience runs in the Baillie Theatre in the Young Centre for the Performing Arts until March 2. For more information and tickets, visit: https://www.soulpepper.ca/performances/kims-convenience
Cover Photo: The Cast of Kim’s Convenience; Written by Ins Choi, Directed by Weyni Mengesha (2025). Set Design by Joanna Yu, Costume Design by Ming Wong, Projection Design by Nicole Eun-Ju Bell, Lighting Design by Wen-Ling Liao, Sound Design by Fan Zhang. Photo by Dahlia Katz.
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