Hannah had her trip all planned out. Travel to Korea. Visit her birth mother. Spend a golden summer creating precious memories.
But when she arrives in Seoul reality hits hard. Her Umma works in a convenience store day and night, barely taking a break. She seems more interested in stacking shelves and re-arranging the garden gnome display than connecting with her long-lost Australian daughter.
Hannah is Korean, yet in Umma's mind, Hannah is a 'Koreaboo'-a foreigner captivated by K-Pop, kimchi and hanboks. Armed with only Google Translate and unrelenting optimism, Hannah must try to find a place within Umma's world before the end of a sweltering summer.
Taking inspiration from real events of Michelle Lim Davidson's life (The Feather in the Web, The Newsreader), this profound and heartfelt play marks the writing debut of one of Australia's most beloved performers. Michelle herself takes to the stage under the direction of Jessica Arthur (The Dictionary of Lost Words), in a reunion story that reaches across continents, cultures and Spotify(R) playlists.
Michelle's theatre credits include: for Griffin Theatre Company: The Lysicrates Prize and The Feather in the Web for which she was nominated for Best Female Actress in a Mainstage Production at the Sydney Theatre Awards; for Melbourne Theatre Company: A Streetcar Named Desire, Torch the Place, An Ideal Husband; for Sydney Theatre Company: On The Beach, Banging Denmark, How to Rule the World, Top Girls and Power Plays; for Ensemble Theatre; The Plant and Seminar; and for ABC: Play School Live. Michelle's television credits include for ABC: The Newsreader Seasons 1-3 for which she received a Logie and two AACTA nominations for Best Supporting Actress in a Television Drama, Play School, Get Krack!n and Utopia which received the Equity Award for Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Comedy Series; for Channel 9: After the Verdict and Doctor Doctor; for Ten Network: The Secrets She Keeps and for BBC: Top of the Lake: China Girl. Film credits include Goldstone and Beyond the Bubble selected for the Sydney Film Festival. Michelle is a Commonwealth representative on the Board of the Australian Children's Television Foundation. As a screen writer, she has written for ABC Kids and ABC ME and serves as a script consultant on The Newsreader. Her play Where We Love is Home was shortlisted for the Patrick White Award. Michelle was a member of Griffin Theatre Company's 2023 Griffin Studio.
