On Stage
Leaping for laughs
By Suwitcha Chaiyong, Photos by Varuth Hirunyatheb and BEC Tero
Korean comedians jump into action
With Thailand�s insatiable
appetite for Korean entertainment, the action-packed comedy show Jump is bound
to be huge when it hits Royal Paragon Hall from June 18 to 22.
• Did you know • |
 Jump
recently finished 200 successful performances at New York City�s Union Square
Theatre. |
If you like watching old-school kung fu comedies, you�ll love Jump. The show won the comedy award at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival and continues to dazzle audiences around the world with a unique combination of martial arts, non-verbal humour and stunning acrobatics.
Student Weekly met with the two lead performers � 25-year-old Han Jin and 28-year-old Kim Young Gee � to learn about their roles and their lives behind the scenes.
STUDENT WEEKLY : Tell us about your roles.
HAN JIN: I play the father, who has excellent skills in martial arts but still can�t beat the grandfather. My character is funny and likes to joke around.
KIM YOUNG GEE: I play the daughter with a split personality. I�m sweet and pretty, but on the other hand I�m tough and freaky. I can shout loudly, too!
STUDENT WEEKLY: Which side of those personalities is more like the real you?
HAN JIN: The tough one. [Laughs.]
KIM YOUNG GEE: I�m actually shy and calm.
STUDENT WEEKLY: How did you guys become involved in Jump?
HAN JIN: I saw an ad for auditions while I was studying acting at university. It sounded interesting, so I went along and passed the audition.
I had to learn basic martial arts during
the training sessions.
KIM YOUNG GEE: I was a champion gymnast when I got invited to see the show. It was interesting, so I asked them if I could join.
I trained for three months before I could perform my first show.
STUDENT WEEKLY: What do you find more difficult � acting or martial arts?
HAN JIN: Both are difficult. Jump is a non-verbal performance, and it�s hard to express emotions through body language. With martial arts, there�s always a lot to learn.
KIM YOUNG GEE: Learning to act is much harder than practising martial arts. It took about a month of training before I could call myself an actress.
STUDENT WEEKLY: Do you guys ever get hurt during performances?
HAN JIN: We�ve had minor injuries during
practise and performances. We never feel the pain until after the show because
everybody�s concentrating so hard. There�s been no serious damage � mainly just
backaches and injured ankles.
STUDENT WEEKLY: Which performance has been your most memorable so far?
HAN JIN: My first big performance in front of a non-Korean audience at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival in 2005. It was a great experience.
KIM YOUNG GEE: The Israel Festival in 2005. Nobody there knew what Jump was, but we got a very positive response.
STUDENT WEEKLY: Do Asian audiences respond differently than Western audiences?
HAN JIN: Asian audiences tend to keep their feelings to themselves. When we performed for a Japanese crowd, they didn�t laugh. We thought there was something wrong with the show, but afterwards, the applause was huge.
European people usually laugh all the way
through.
STUDENT WEEKLY: What do you think makes Jump so successful around the world?
KIM YOUNG GEE: The performance features family issues that everybody can relate to. We use slapstick comedy, which is easy to understand. Also, martial arts adds excitement to the show.
STUDENT WEEKLY: Do you think Thai audiences will enjoy Jump as much as they like K-pop bands and Korean TV shows?
HAN JIN: Of course. Come to the show and you�ll see!
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insatiable (adj): always wanting more of something IDIOM on the other hand: used to introduce different points of view, ideas, etc., especially when they are opposites |
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captions: Kim Young Gee
Han Jin
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