Koreaboo (Griffin) ★★★

Written by Michelle Lim Davidson. Griffin Theatre Company. Belvoir Downstairs. 14 Jun – 20 Jul, 2025.

Griffin’s nomadic Grand Tour of Sydney venues continues with Koreaboo setting up shop in Belvoir’s downstairs theatre, usually the home of Belvoir’s 25a programme. It’s interesting to see the space used for a grander, if still very intimate, production.

Hannah (Michelle Lim Davidson) has flown to South Korea to see her birth mother (Heather Jeong). After their first reunion last year, Hannah wants to spend time with the mother she never knew and form a new bond but her mother, her Umma, feels less enthused. She works all day, every day, in the 24hr Mart she owns and runs, but Hannah starts to suspect that her reticence stems less from the awkward language barrier and more from their separate pasts. Thankfully, they find common ground in the world of K-Pop.

Koreaboo plays out like a two-handed sitcom. Expect silly laughs served with a side of hammy, or should that be “spam-my”, acting. It’s not my favourite kind of theatrical comedy, but others obviously enjoyed the clearly signposted punchlines much more than I did. Personally, the silliness and inorganic acting undermined the mother/daughter story, which felt all talk and no genuine heart. The text contained emotion, but I just didn’t care about these plastic caricatures.

Meanwhile, Davidson’s script impresses. Drawing from her own experience, it’s both broad and fun, while also packed with the specific details that make a play feel real and lived-in. Even when the plot mechanics felt obvious, it was fun to watch the story unfold and discover the gems in the dialogue. My only gripe comes from a moment of narration near the play’s end that felt unnecessary. 

As you’d expect from a Griffin production, the technical aspects shine. Kate Baldwin’s lighting design adds moments of whimsy that bring extra life to Mel Page’s busy and deep design work. The costumes are a delight.

So chalk this one up to just not being my personal cup of tea — as is the case with many broad comedies. It may not be for me, but there’s certainly a lot to appreciate here. The show has racked up plenty of four-star reviews, so check it out for yourself and see.