K–Box

K-Box is a play that has a refreshing approach to a much-neglected topic. George and Shirley's daughter, Lucy, has yet to come to terms with the complications of being Korean and having white, Anglo-Saxon adoptive parents. The cultural implications of this begin to have an impact on her psyche as she gets older so she returns to the suburban family home to take a step back from her life. The white, middle-class privileged atmosphere is wonderfully constructed in the set and in the highly accurate stereotyping of Lucy's parents.

All the characters go through an awakening triggered by the somewhat bizarre presence of Lucy's new-found love, Kim. He is a former K-Pop star and finds himself uncomfortable among the cultural denial that he uncovers in Lucy's family dynamics. This makes for a mostly engaging story with a somewhat predictable happy resolution.

Maude Davey as Shirley is exceptional. She captures the naivety and complexity of her role with a great sense of timing and rhythm in the flawless delivery of her lines. She is well supported by Syd Brisbane as George and Susanna Qian as Lucy. Jeffrey Lin as Kim demonstrates real K-Pop talent He belts out a couple of very moving K-Pop songs and this creates a fabulous interlude in the vignette style of the narrative. 

This show is a delightfully heart-warming and often funny exploration of a very sensitive issue.

Patricia Di Risio 

Photographer: Phoebe Powell