If you’re like me and have been a long withstanding fan of “Kims Convenience,” the break out sitcom from Canadian playwright Ins Choi, you’re in for a treat! His new play “Bad Parent” is now live at East Van’s historic theatre “The Cultch” from now until October 23rd. As an avid fan of local live theatre and an equally big fan of Choi’s groundbreaking Canadian sitcom, I’m really looking forward to seeing this play. I don’t watch many sitcoms anymore, I’m sure not if my brain has decided that they are outdated or just too unrealistic in this post-pandemic day and age, but Kim’s Convenience is a show that really stole my heart from the pilot. Growing up as a first generation Greek-Canadian, the narrative of growing up in an ethnic family in North America as a child of immigrants really resonated with me.
That’s why I’m so excited to see his work as a playwright firsthand in the live production “Bad Parent.” The play does not specifically tackle the exact same themes from Kim’s Convenience, it focuses more on young millennial parenting struggles. Despite not being a parent myself, I have enough close friends going through these exact same challenges and I know it’ll resonate as Choi’s writing seems to really encompass the struggles of my generation in such a real and relatable way.
BAD PARENT Opens Tonight! ✨
The new play by Ins Choi is at the Historic Theatre until Oct 23!
🎟: https://t.co/fBk6r7eXPB
Congrats to the amazing cast and crew!@vactheatre's BAD PARENT is a co-production with @PrairieTheatre and @Soulpepper
📸: Dahlia Katz pic.twitter.com/GZKVIfVZEX— The Cultch (@TheCultch) October 14, 2022
What’s sure to be a very interesting aspect of this production is that the audience actually plays a role in the production. As the protagonists in this story, Charles and Norah, deal with the challenges of learning how to raise and deal with their first newborn, they address the audience seeking our approval as they navigate through unchartered baby territory.
I myself love interactive plays of this nature and I will most certainly be in attendance later on this week. Bad Parent runs for a week so get your tickets today!