Esplanade Presents

Theatre

Haribo Kimchi

Jaha Koo / CAMPO (South Korea / Belgium)

1 Aug 2025, Fri, 8pm

2 Aug 2025, Sat, 8pm

3 Aug 2025, Sun, 3pm

1hr 10mins

(Intermission: None)

Esplanade Theatre Studio

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Photo Credit: Bea Borgers
Photo Credit: Jaha Koo
Photo Credit: Bea Borgers
Photo Credit: Bea Borgers
Photo Credit: Bea Borgers
Photo Credit: Bea Borgers
Photo Credit: Jaha Koo
Photo Credit: Bea Borgers
Photo Credit: Bea Borgers
Photo Credit: Bea Borgers
Photo Credit: Bea Borgers
Photo Credit: Jaha Koo
Photo Credit: Bea Borgers
Photo Credit: Bea Borgers
Photo Credit: Bea Borgers
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Synopsis

★★★★
“Haribo Kimchi is both a refined as well as a raw performance about life in a country that isn't yours.”
– De Standaard

 

“A performance that inimitably blends Korean cooking with personal stories and reflections on comfort food, identity and migration.”
– pzazz

 

The surprising flavour of seaweed soup, the sharp sound of a knife slicing cucumber, the hiss and sizzle of mushrooms on a scorching fire.

 

In Haribo Kimchi, we find ourselves in a pojangmacha, one of the typical late-night snack bars found on the streets of South Korea. There, we meet three characters—a snail, a gummy bear, and an eel—who take us on a culinary journey, exploring food as shelter for those dislocated from their culture. In a series of intimate, absurdist anecdotes, they recount the evolution of kimchi culture, the bitter pain of unadulterated racism, the shame of trying to blend in, and the deep umami taste of home.  

 

This work comes from South Korean theatremaker and composer Jaha Koo, whose practice oscillates between multimedia and performance, encompassing his own music, video, text, and robotic objects. He rose to international prominence with his Hamartia Trilogy (2015 – 2021), a series of critically-acclaimed works which delved into the far-reaching imperialism in East Asia. The first two works of this trilogy, Lolling & Rolling and Cuckoo, were presented to packed houses at Singapore International Festival of Arts 2023, receiving rave reviews from audiences and critics alike.

 

Employing a hybrid style that combines music, cutting-edge video, and robotic performers, the artist reflects on cultural assimilation with all its conflicts and paradoxes. In an exceptional performance that plays with all the senses, he serves up personal stories marinated in sweet-and-sour melancholy. 

 

More food for thought—how do you express your artistic values through theatre? Check out Jaha Koo’s masterclass on Valid Languages for the Intersection, perfect for performance-makers, arts students and practitioners.

 

Concept, Text, Direction, Music, Sound & Video Jaha Koo

Performance Gona, Haribo, Eel, Jaha Koo & Two Guests 

Dramaturgy Dries Douibi

Scenography, Research Collaboration & Media Operation Eunkyung Jeong

Artistic Advice Pol Heyvaert

Technical Coordination Korneel Coessens

Technique Bart Huybrechts, Babette Poncelet & Jasse Vergauwe

Production Coordination Wim Clapdorp

English Proofreading Jason Wrubell 

Snail Animation Vincent Lynen

Production CAMPO

Co-production Kunstenfestivaldesarts (Brussels), Rideau De Bruxelles, Theater Utrecht, SPRING Festival (Utrecht), Festival d’Automne À Paris, Théâtre De La Bastille (Paris), Tangente St. Pölten – Festival Für Gegenwartskultur, &Espoo Theatre (Espoo), International Summer Festival Kampnagel (Hamburg), Sophiensaele (Berlin), Meet You Festival (Valladolid), Bunker (Ljubljana), National Theatre And Concert Hall Taipei, The Divine Comedy International Theater Festival / Teatr Łaźnia Nowa (Kraków) & Perpodium

With the Support of The Taxshelter Of The Belgian Federal Government Via Cronos Invest & The Flemish Government

 

The prototype of the eel was developed as part of Innovation:Lab's funnel in co-production with Theater Utrecht and creative technologists Adriaan Wormgoor & Willem Vooijs.   

Accessibility

Captioning Assistive Listening

Advisory:

There will be a post-show dialogue after each performance. 

Admission Age:
6 and above.
Language: English, Korean
Surtitle Language: English
Things to Note:
Accessibility: All our venues are wheelchair-accessible. We offer various services to support patrons with access needs. For assistance, please contact Esplanade Customer Experience at 6828 8377. Concessions are available for Persons with Disabilities (PWDs) and one accompanying companion. To learn more, read our accessibility guide.
Ticketing: Prices exclude ticketing agent’s booking fees. Entry to performance venues is granted to patrons with tickets that have been purchased through authorised ticket agents only. Read about ticketing or check our FAQs.
For information about late seating, photography and more, please read our general advisory.
With the growing threat of online phishing scams, please remain vigilant. Use official ticketing channels such as Esplanade.com or Sistic.com.sg and check that you are on legitimate websites before logging in to book tickets.
Artist Information

Jaha Koo

Website

Jaha Koo (he/him) is a South Korean theatre/performance maker, music composer and videographer. His artistic practice oscillates between multimedia and performance, encompassing his own music, video, text, and robotic objects.

 

His Hamartia Trilogy includes Lolling and Rolling (2015), Cuckoo (2017), and The History of Korean Western Theatre (2020). The trilogy represents a long-term exploration of the political landscape, colonial history and cultural identity of East Asia. Thematically, it focuses on structural issues in Korean society and how the inescapable past tragically affects our lives today. His newest creation Haribo Kimchi premiered in June 2024. 

 

Koo majored in Theatre Studies (BFA, 2011) at Korea National University of Arts and earned a master's degree (MA, 2016) at DAS Theatre in Amsterdam.  

Assistive listening icon

Assistive Listening

Assistive listening system is available for this venue. Hearing aid users with a Telecoil-enabled programme can benefit from the system provided. Please arrive at the venue 30 min before the performance so we can assist with the setup.

Captioning

Captioning is available for this performance.

Date & Time

Assistive Listening

Captioned

1 Aug 2025, Fri

8pm

Esplanade Theatre Studio

2 Aug 2025, Sat

8pm

Esplanade Theatre Studio

3 Aug 2025, Sun

3pm

Esplanade Theatre Studio
Tickets & Prices
Standard

Students, NSFs, Seniors & PWDs
(Limited)

Price $40 $32

  • Standard Ticket

  • Concession Ticket 

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For more details, please contact Esplanade Box Office at 6828 8389 or email boxoffice@esplanade.com.

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