The saying “laughter is the best medicine” may just be an old adage to some, but to entertainers Kim Kyoung-wook, Kim Tae-hwan and Ko Jang-whan of comedy trio Namolla Family, it’s a line that sums up their philosophy of life. In fact, they go even further to say that “a world without laughter is a world not worth living.”
Following the success of “Namolla Family Hot Show 1,” a live variety show held in the trendy performance hot spot of Seoul’s Daehangno last year, the comedians are back with their new live act, “Hot Show 2.”
“This is not a stand-up comedy show, this is a live variety performance,” said Kyoung-wook, during an interview with the trio.
A scene from live singing variety comedy show “Namolla Family Hot Show 2” (N Planet)
From comical parodies to singing, rapping, acting and just all-around showmanship, “Hot Show 2” goes beyond spitting out one-liners. The men turns their comedy into an all-in-one, laugh-out-loud live performance act.
Running daily at Good Theatre in Daehangno, the show doesn’t get too political and it’s mainly about everyday people and relationships.
“What makes our show so much different from the tons of other shows being staged in Daehangno every day is that people come here not just to hear some jokes, but they come here looking to be healed,” said Kyoung-wook.
“One of the best compliments I hear,” Tae-hwan added, “is when guests say that while they were watching us perform, they had such a good time that they completely forgot about their recent breakup, or their horrible day at work, or a fight they had with their friend.”
“This is what our show is all about.”
The trio first drew attention in the comedy world in 2006 when they took home the top prize in SBS TV comedy game show “Smile People” in 2006.
“We may be comedians, but we take our comedy seriously,” Ko said. “We work very hard to get laughs. We sweat and bleed for our audience and they can see that ― literally because the stage is so close.”
The small underground theatre, fitting less than 100 seats, allows the entertainers to get close-and-personal with the audience members, constantly interacting with show-goers and calling-out for willing participants.
“For me, coming onto the stage and performing this show every night, is not only my job, it also happens to be one of the best ways for me to relieve all the stress of life ... sometimes it’s good to not be so serious all the time,” said Tae-hwan. “I think this really transcends to the audience as well because that is why they are here ― to forget all their troubles and just laugh out loud.”
Aside from the stage production, Namolla Family also has a number of albums to its credit, with the group’s next comedy rap single, “The Night You Came,” slated to be dropped later this month.
Namolla Family’s on-going “Hot Show 2” is on an open run at the “Good Theatre” is Daehangno. Tickets prices are listed at 40,000 won and can be purchased in advance online at interpark.com.
By Julie Jackson (juliejackson@heraldcorp.com)
