The 14th Busan International Comedy Festival (BICF) (hereafter "BICF") enters its second week of performances.
The festival, which opened to great success on the 21st, continues its 14th journey while spreading cheerful energy throughout Busan. Starting with the opening performance, "Kim Hak-rae and Lee Yong-sik's chaotic talk show", "Jeon Yu-seong show without Jeon Yu-seong", "Gag Concert", "B-grade hearing", "Gal-gal-i gag concert: the return of the legend", and "Woo Seok-hoon comedy short selection", as well as overseas stages such as "Double (Double)" and "Mime de Lyon (MIME DE RIEN)", various performances received enthusiastic responses from audiences. Riding that momentum, BICF has prepared a rich program in the second week to target varied tastes.
First, at "Conte Assemble@BICF", five teams will take the stage: Snack Town (Lee Jaeyul, Kang Hyun-seok), Youth Desk (Koo Jeong-mo, Yoo Young-woo), Ttuksadae W (ODD, Woo Da-on), Bread One (Jeon Ye-won, Yang Hye-won), and Kkirikkiri (Joo Won-bin, Park Sang-ah). Each team, showcasing distinctive characters and solid acting skills, will present unpredictable situational skits and lead the audience into fits of laughter.
"Seoul Comedy Allstars" presents bold comedy for adults using only a microphone. Kim Dong-ha, Song Ha-bin, Komiko, Danny Cho, Won So-yoon, Park Jin-joo, Kim Jong-chan, and Shin Seung-su are expected to ignite the nights of Busan with candid and unrestrained banter. Since they perform relying solely on words and ad-libs without makeup or sound effects, they promise raw laughter that is hard to find elsewhere.
Next, at "Mandam Assemble@BICF", trending comedian Kwak Beom will raise expectations as host. Four teams — Botta (Kim Won-sik, Jo Da-hyun), Youth Desk (Koo Jeong-mo, Yoo Young-woo), Heegiginz (Shin Yun-seung, Park Min-seong), and Ttuksadae W (ODD, Woo Da-on) — will captivate the audience with dialogue alone and display perfect back-and-forth timing. Attention is focused on what kind of synergy will emerge as each team's different colors and wit meet.
Nonverbal comedy performances that transcend language barriers will also meet audiences. Ongals, which has toured 56 cities in 26 countries delivering laughter to global audiences, will bring to the Busan stage the repertoire it first presented in Daehangno. Aiming to be a performance "that everyone, young and old, can enjoy", it promises a time when anyone can laugh together through gestures and physical performance rather than words.
Japan's nonverbal performance "Japan Nonverbal Live G Team" will also appear. Showcasing diverse skills such as juggling, magic, and balance art on one stage, it will deliver a riveting performance. Three Japanese artists representing Japan — Moriyasu Banbanbigaro, Mr. Okuchi, and Kinoshita Jaku — will complete a special stage that unites audiences across borders and languages with laughter.
The two-week run of BICF will conclude with the closing performance "I am a dog singer." Hosted by MC Kim Dae-hee and featuring Cho Hye-lyeon, Lee Seyoung, Young-ki, Lee Ji-yo, Lee Bong-won, Sambuja, and members (member, a Japanese team), "I am a dog singer" is BICF's representative music comedy show. As a comprehensive entertainment performance where the cast's witty banter and vocal talents can be experienced in one place, it will splendidly cap the festival.
Executive chairman Kim Jun-ho said regarding the second-week performances, "We have prepared a variety of content, from stand-up that young audiences enjoy to nonverbal performances that people around the world can laugh at without language," and added, "I hope you will set aside your worries, if only for the moment you laugh."
[Photo] Provided by the Busan International Comedy Festival organizing committee
[OSEN]