Jaha Koo performed his one man show ‘Cuckoo’ at the Project Arts Centre on 13 September.
The play derives its name from the popular Korean rice cookers. Three of them are present on stage. Only one of them actually makes rice. The other two only speak and give a light show. I have to say it was the first time I saw anything like it.
The rice cookers, Hana, Cuckoo and Seri play a prominent part in the story. Because of the fact that both Cuckoo and Seri can speak, it creates a more dynamic platform for the performance because Koo can actually go in dialogue with them and it’s not just Koo telling the audience the story. It’s entirely in Korean, with subtitles featured on a screen behind him.
It helps that they all have a personality. They even bicker at one point. I’d never thought I’d see the day where a talking rice cooker would use swear words. Amazing. It was one of the funnier parts of the play.
The rest was a lot heavier.
The first couple of minutes feature footage of the riots after South Korea signed the IMF deal to caused a heavy economic recession. It’s bloody, it’s violent, it’s unsettling and gets under your skin. With those couple of minutes the entire mood is set.
Koo has a way of storytelling that gets you locked into what is basically his life story. He grew up during the recession, he saw the riots. He’s lived through it and with his play, we join him in parts of his life.
There’s a sadness prevalent in his shoulders, in his language and in his gaze. He speaks about a friend he lost, multiple friends and in the sadness, there’s still a kernel of bitterness and anger. Grief comes to us in different ways. In the end he was in tears and I was almost joining in.
Despite the slight delay in the start of the show and a technical malfunction in one part, I have to say this might be one of my favourite performances I’ve seen.
Heartfelt, honest, heartbreaking. I loved it.
Check out this page for the trailer.
