Brush

Brush is a new piece of experimental theatre from the Korean theatre company, Haddangse. It follows the story of only child Dae-Sung, played with a lovely whimsical quality by Miriam Woo, who is desperate for a younger brother. So his grandmother sends him on a quest into the forest to find the secret Buddha nose dust, which is rumoured to have magical properties. But there is a twist in the staging of this Korean folk tale: the entire set is being painted during the performance.

From the start, both children and parents were onboard with this production.

Haddangse manage to cram in all the right elements needed for a good children's show. Despite the somewhat strange premise, there is some incredible physical comedy, puppetry and of course painting. It’s mesmerising watching the cast work together on stage. Although a few scenes come across as a bit long winded, the show does well to overcome the language barrier, considering that most of it is performed in Korean.

From the start, both children and parents were onboard with this production. The woodland fairies, the show’s chorus, always brought smiles to faces and Dae-Sung’s best friend, a pig called Dal-Bong, completely stole the show. The whole play was accompanied by traditional live music performed by Sang Guon Heo on the accordion, which added to the folky quality.

The staging is inspiring and there are some incredibly beautiful and subtle moments throughout the show. There is a particularly magical scene where Dae-Sung and Dal-Bong are chasing each other through the forest. All of the set and props have a lovely playful quality about them and one of the details I loved about the show is that the entire set is made out of recyclable materials. If you're looking to take your family on a fun, kooky adventure, this will do the trick. The show is one of a kind, so make sure you check it out before the end of the month.