Directed by Gain Amy Park and produced by Jaemin Yu and Euna Ko, Counterattack: Youth reached London after appearing at Brighton Fringe in May 2026. Its cast of performers of Korean heritage brings together different cultural backgrounds, while the story holds on to specific experiences and memories.
Four women sit talking over freshly poured, cold beers. The audience sits close by with drinks in hand and sometimes raises a glass to join a toast. It feels as though we are at the next table, celebrating a friend about to get married. Counterattack: Youth was performed on 14 and 15 October 2026 in the back room of The Bread & Roses Theatre in Clapham. It was part of Lambeth Fringe, which runs from 24 September to 25 October across venues in South London. The real pub setting creates an intimacy that draws us into the friends’ private conversation.
The four women have been friends since high school, and the cast’s natural performances make that shared history believable. Their conversation moves freely from beauty and Botox to careers, love and marriage. They speak openly as close friends do, but their honesty can hurt, bringing tension to everyday chat. The setup is light, but the story is far from it.
Ella (Hazel Oh) seems to lead a stable life but struggles with the gap between love and reality. Hannah (Siyun Leem) is finding her way through a major change in her married life. Yuna (Mireia Espluga) is preparing to marry and hopes to keep pursuing her dream of becoming a ceramic artist. Sarah (Lia Lee) works in advertising and dreams of leaving her demanding daily life behind to travel. They became friends in high school, but their lives have since taken different paths, and their views have changed too. Being friends doesn’t mean agreeing with every choice the other makes. But when they disagree, does friendship mean speaking up and then knowing when to step back?
By their late twenties, they’ve been adults for years. They must support themselves and take responsibility for their decisions, but feeling fully grown is another matter. All four carry hopes and fears about the future. They compare themselves with others and can still act immaturely around those closest to them. They want to support one another, yet still judge each other by their own standards. This brings me back to the title, Counterattack: Youth. Their fight back seems to begin with admitting that life is difficult and that they still do not know what they want. Faced with the expectation that this age should settle work and relationships, the four friends share their doubts. Drinking, talking, arguing and listening again become a small act of resistance against the pressure to fit a fixed idea of adulthood.
Directed by Gain Amy Park and produced by Jaemin Yu and Euna Ko, this production reached London after appearing at Brighton Fringe in May 2026. Its cast of performers of Korean heritage brings together different cultural backgrounds, while the story holds on to specific experiences and memories. The music, dancing and K-pop songs that recall their younger years give the piece a strongly Korean feel. As a Korean woman who has lived through that age, I found much to relate to. I also wondered how audiences from other cultures might respond to such a personal and culturally specific story. The same songs may not bring back the same memories. But the fear of falling behind friends, the struggle to balance love and work, and the wish to be understood by those closest to us may find a place in their own experiences.
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