About the Project
What happens when you move to Korea for K-pop and a paycheck?
Vickie unexpectedly became a D-list celebrity, ate bugs on national TV, and puked up Christmas cake—before being saved by the mafia. This solo show is about chasing fame, finding identity, and surviving someone else’s K-drama plot.
Kimchi Life Crisis is a solo comedy show charting an expat fever dream: the half-decade Vickie unexpectedly became a South Korean D-list celebrity.
What begins as a naive, K-drama-inspired move abroad spirals into a collision of ambition, performance, and identity, played out on variety television stages, in comedy clubs, and in moments of private unraveling.
Between chaotic variety TV gigs, first stand-up sets, puking up Christmas cake, eating bugs on camera, and being literally deus ex machina saved by the mafia, every day unfolds like a K-drama episode. Everything is 짱 (amazing!) … until it isn’t.
Blending stand-up with character work and sketch-based storytelling, Kimchi Life Crisis traces the seductive pull of fame and the desire to be seen, and how that longing can leave you vulnerable to exploitation and mistreatment in the name of opportunity.
At its core, Kimchi Life Crisis follows a journey from naïveté to empowerment.
Written and Performed by: Vickie Hayley
Developed and Directed By: Barri Tsavaris
Content Warnings: Eating disorders, adult language, and mature themes
Learn More at instagram.com/kimchilifecrisis
Production Team
