My Festival Angella Kwon

There are thousands of shows in Edinburgh this month. Please explain why we should come and see yours.

The Korean Season embraces the ethos of “variety, energy, surprise, old friends” as its slogan. If you’re up for any of these, I urge you to experience Korean culture. The season is a curated selection of music, theatre, physical theatre, K-pop and more.

What will we learn from your show that we didn’t know before?

You will witness a fresh interpretation of a Shakespearean tragedy by young Korean artists and touched by beautiful illustrations of newly-created physical theatre. You’ll learn that K-pop is not just singing, dancing and pretty faces, there’s so much more! We’ll transport you to the space between the Sun and the Moon with dreamy moods and relaxing sounds of Korean traditional instruments. All shows will give you a better grasp of Korean culture.

Who or what was the biggest inspiration for your show?

It varies but one thing that never changes is the city (our biggest inspiration) and the Fringe, the world’s largest festival.

What’s the best review you’ve ever had, and the worst?

Best, for The Maids: “Tightly directed and powerfully performed from exquisite beginning to emotionally resonating conclusion.” And for Hello, the Hell: Othello, we’ve got: “Breathtakingly beautiful, compelling, and haunting.” Nothing worse and we’re grateful.

Who or what are you most excited about seeing this year?

I was excited to see the return of some of my favourite productions – Circa, 7fingers and Slapstick etc. Mainly, I’m excited to see my festival friends and artists from all over the world.

Who do you most like spending time with in Edinburgh?

My festival friends. We meet once a year in Edinburgh and it has become a ritual.

Tell us something about you that would surprise people.

My new book, Festival People, came out 48 hours before

I got on a plane to Edinburgh. It’s an essay about the Edinburgh festivals. It contains how I first visited in 1999 and the people I have met and considered friends for more than 25 years. William Burdett-coutts and Kenny Mathieson offered their precious photos to enrich the book – historic and artistic photography. Simply, it is telling stories about 25 years of friendship with Edinburgh festivals people.

What are the best and worst things that have happened to you at a festival?

I fell in love with someone I met in this festival 13 years ago and we’re still together. My brain doesn’t contain one single bad memory of Edinburgh.

What’s the first thing you do in the morning and the last thing you do at night? When I wake up, I drink two cups of warm water very slowly and then stare at the street with a morning coffee. Last thing, I drink warm water or milk before bed. Boring.

Thanks for the interview! We’d like to buy you a drink. Where are we going and what are we drinking?

Let’s go to Assembly Club Bar and drink prosecco.

Angella Kwon is artistic director of Atobiz and the producer of the seventh Korean Season in partnership with Assembly Festival. This year it includes five shows, running at various Assembly venues.