<Performance Review> Lee Yeon-hee to Lee El, Hilarious Crisis of Housewives... 120 Minutes of 'The Secret of Flowers'
※ This article contains spoilers for 'The Secret of Flowers'.
What I thought was an ordinary day turned out to be a shocking event for ordinary housewives. Their husbands are dead? But why am I laughing? The absurd day of housewives in crisis keeps smiles on the audience's faces. Director Jang Jin's comedy still shines even after 10 years.
The play 'The Secret of Flowers' is set in a rural village called 'Biloperosa' in northwestern Italy, focusing on four women who disguise themselves as their husbands to claim insurance money. It has returned with even stronger laughter to celebrate its 10th anniversary since its premiere in 2015.
Park Sun-ok, Hwang Jung-min, and Jung Young-joo play the role of Sofia, while Jang Young-nam, Lee El, and Jo Yeon-jin play Jasmine. Lee Yeon-hee, Ahn So-hee, and Gong Seung-yeon take on the role of Monica, and Kim Seul-ki and Park Ji-ye take on the role of Gina.
The eldest sister Sofia, the drinker Jasmine, the beautiful Monica, and the female MacGyver Gina gather at Sofia's house after sending their husbands to the soccer field. Gina makes a shocking confession, and they decide to disguise themselves as their husbands to claim the 200,000 euro insurance money. After going through a difficult physical examination with the insurance company's doctor Carlo, they hear the news that their husbands are 'miraculously' alive.
The play 'The Secret of Flowers' embodies the characteristics of what is known as 'Jang Jin-style comedy.' It is not solely based on physical gags. The episodes of housewives in crisis, who say things like "I love my husband" and "I occasionally talk on the phone with my husband," while being told "That's not how family members act," gift the audience with 'laughter bombs.'
The four housewives, Park Sun-ok, Lee El, Lee Yeon-hee, and Park Ji-ye, build a solid story with perfectly timed dialogues that flow seamlessly.
Veteran Park Sun-ok, playing Sofia, leads the housewives from start to finish as the eldest sister. Lee El, as the heavy drinker Jasmine, takes responsibility for the laughter with her witty performance. Lee Yeon-hee, returning to the stage just five months after giving birth, captivates the audience with her beauty and impressive acting skills in the role of the beautiful Jasmine. Lastly, Park Ji-ye, as Gina, plays the role of the comic relief perfectly.
Their witty dialogues and appearances contrast sharply with their situations, making it even more dramatic. Once you get immersed in the conversations of the housewives in crisis, the 120 minutes pass by in an instant. Seeing their joy and disappointment upon hearing the miraculous news of their husbands' survival raises the question of whether the ending is tragic or not, but let's conclude it as a happy ending since opportunities will always arise (?).
Performance time is 120 minutes (no intermission). Suitable for ages 13 and up. Performing at Link Art Center's Bucks Hall until May 11.
[Shin Young-eun, Star Today Reporter]
