Nothing is black and white, little is as it appears to be in Theatre Hooam's Black and White Tearoom - Counsellor, presented as part of AtoBiz Ltd's Korean Season at Arts Theatre until the 18th of March.

Strict rules of etiquette regarding the Korean tea ceremony, darye (茶禮) developed over a thousand years, with the ritual designed to promote ease and harmony. Since the 1980s, though, profound cultural and generational shifts occurred in Korea, as student protests as part of the June Democratic Struggle helped to usher in a new age, where the military regime reluctantly gave way to popularly elected leadership.

Black and White Tearoom- Counsellor, written and directed by Cha Hyun Suk, presents a tea ceremony that is anything but harmonious, as representatives from the old and new Korea meet in an attempt to reconcile the discord that erupted in the 1980s. As the script skillfully and incrementally reveals the true nature of the relationship between the older "counsellor" and his "patient", the chances of a harmonious ending become slim. Performers Kim Myung Gon and Yoon Sang Ho deliver impassioned and explosive performances, with moments of black comedy, in Korean, as surtitles are clearly projected on the wall behind them.

 
Korean popular culture has exploded in the Western consciousness in recent years, whether it be through acclaimed works such as Parasite and Squid Game or via the proliferation of fried chicken restaurants. Black and White Tearoom is a further opportunity to expand Western understanding of a nation where, just six decades past, Australian troops were stationed. While some of the symbolism and significance of the work, including the ending, is lost in translation, this simply acts as an impetus to learn more, and in so doing, to facilitate a greater connection between our cultures.