New Earth Theatre in association with Arcola Theatre and The North Wall present

The Apology

by Kyo Choi

Directed by Ria Parry

Arcola reunites with New Earth for this powerful human story that asks how a nation can apologise for the crimes of its past.

“I exist now. Don’t tell me that I didn’t exist before.”

Seoul, 1991. Priyanka is beginning the UN investigation into the ‘comfort women’ of the Second World War. Yuna is about to learn the family secret her father has shamefully concealed for her whole life. And Sun-Hee, having kept her silence for over forty years, speaks out – an act which will ignite a fire that could spread across the world.

Three women’s lives intertwine as they campaign for the truth against those who would rather it remain forgotten.

Based on true accounts by survivors, The Apology is a play about what it takes to forgive.

The Apology was developed with support from the National Theatre.

Kyo Choi is a South Korean writer based in London and Portugal. The Apology was developed as part of New Earth Theatre’s Professional Writers Programme. She was selected as one of the playwrights on the programme to develop the play further at the National Theatre Studio. As a screenwriter, she has recently written a landmark episode for Hollyoaks and is also working with Little House Productions on a biopic film about Wendi Murdoch. Last year, she was commissioned by the Royal Central School of Speech and Drama to write a play for a large cast, resulting in Galápagos, performed at Bridewell Theatre in March 2022. She is currently under commission to write a new musical.

 

Ria is Co-Director of The North Wall Arts Centre in Oxford. She has produced four Fringe First Award winning plays by Gbolahan Obisesan, Paul Charlton, Marika Mckennell and most recently Brown Boys Swim by Karim Khan. As a freelance director and producer she has worked with Arcola: The Island Nation (2016); Jane Wenham: The Witch of Walkern (2015) and companies such as the Bush Theatre, Young Vic, Unicorn Theatre, Salisbury Playhouse, National Theatre, Southbank Centre, Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre, Rada, Lamda, New Earth and Touretteshero. She was previously a Creative Producer at Watford Palace Theatre, Resident Director at the National Theatre Studio, and is an alumna of the Step Change Leadership Programme.

 

★★★★★ – The Telegraph

★★★★ – Reviews Hub

★★★★ – Everything Theatre

★★★★ – London Theatre Review

“Powerful...shocking...intelligent” – The Guardian

“Filled with humour and sensitivity” – The Times

“A story that needs to be told” – Evening Standard