Koreaboo

Tender and sharply funny, Koreaboo will be making its La Boite Theatre debut this September. The play follows our heroine, Hannah, a Korean-Australian woman who travels to Seoul to reconnect with her birth mother. In her mind, Hannah envisages a month spent creating precious memories as she discovers her heritage, origin and culture firsthand. 

Dismissing Hannah as a “Koreaboo” (a foreigner captivated by K-pop, kimchi and hanboks), Umma seems more interested in restocking shelves night and day at her convenience store job. Met with her Umma’s disinterest in getting acquainted, Hannah arms herself with Google Translate and unrelenting optimism in aid of finding a place in Umma’s world before the summer is over and she must return home.

Marking the playwriting debut of Australian performer Michelle Lim Davidson, Koreaboo is a story that takes you by surprise, asking you to sit with the duality of discomfort and joy of loving someone across a divide. 

“There is grief in this story and real joy too, alongside a lot of comedy that comes from the particular absurdity of meeting someone who is family and a stranger at the same time,” shares Michelle.

Koreaboo plays La Boite’s intimate Roundhouse Theatre from Wednesday September 2 to Saturday September 19.