[On Stage] Stubborn Grandfather and Their Bickering Relationship... Became Family

Play 'Angri Halabeoji wa Na'

Grandfather Henri in the play 'Grandfather Henri and Me,' Lee Soon-jae (left), and Constance, Chae Soo-bin [Photo by Park Company]

[Asia Economy Reporter Byunghee Park] An apartment in Paris, France. A sprightly piece of music plays as an elderly man with white hair appears. With his left arm in a cast, he takes his medicine, but there seems to be no one to help him. The doorbell rings, and the old man grumbles, "How many times is this already?" Then he slowly moves toward the door. His steps are slow. Meanwhile, the doorbell beeps irritably. The old man reacts irritably, saying he's coming. Still slow.

The old man opens the door. A pretty young woman peeks her head out. The old man sees only her face and slams the door shut. The doorbell rings again. Annoyed, the old man opens the door once more. The woman asks, "You’re renting out the room, right?" The old man gruffly replies, "My son rented it out." After some back and forth, the woman enters the house and looks around. The old man has no intention of renting out the room. He keeps complaining: the bathroom is far away and she might pee herself, there’s no showerhead in the bathroom, no hot water, she has to pass an interview test, and so on. The first act ends with the old man and the woman bickering.

The play Henri and Me (L'Etudiante et Monsieur Henri) depicts the process of becoming a family without being one, as the irritable and stubborn grandfather Henri and the bright and cheerful college student Constance live together as landlord and tenant. Henri and Constance build affection through their constant bickering and quarrels. Later, they show deep affection for each other, almost like a grandfather and granddaughter.

Henri’s quarrels are not only with Constance. When he argues with his son Paul, it gets even harsher and more intense. But it’s only on the surface. Deep down, they care deeply for each other. Henri, while helping Paul with his red scarf, scolds him awkwardly, "Take your scarf! Don’t catch a cold! And don’t use that as an excuse to skip work."

Paul also takes good care of his father. The reason Paul secretly rented out the room was to have Constance help take care of his father’s medication.

In the play 'Grandpa Henri and Me,' Park So-dam as Constance
[Photo by Park Company]

Third Performance Since Domestic Premiere in 2017
Ordinary Daily Life Connecting 70s, 40s, and 20s
Laughter and Empathy Perfect for Year-End

Though they cannot express it outwardly, the audience sees how they care for and think about each other inside, prompting reflection on the meaning of family. The warm and heartening scenes of 70-year-old grandfather Henri, 40-year-old son Paul, and 20-year-old college student Constance bickering yet living together make this play perfect to watch with family at year-end.

Another charm of Henri and Me is the absence of complicated narratives or difficult lines. The play tells the ordinary daily stories of characters easily found around us, evoking laughter and empathy. Each character’s personality is simple and clear, making it easy to understand: the stubborn Henri, the bright and cheerful Constance, Paul who is smart enough to work as an accountant but somewhat naive and innocent, and the scatterbrained daughter-in-law Valerie.

Henri and Me is a work by French director and playwright Ivan Calb?rac. It premiered in France in 2012. Calb?rac also made a film adaptation of Henri and Me in 2015.

It premiered domestically in 2017. It was revived last year, and this is the third performance. Usually, actors change over repeated performances, but the cast of Henri and Me has not changed much.

“National Grandpa” Lee Soon-jae and Shin Goo, who play Henri, have appeared in all three performances from the premiere to this one. Kwon Yuri and Chae Soo-bin, who play Constance, have appeared consecutively since the revival. Park So-dam participated in the premiere, missed the revival, and returned after three years. Jo Dal-hwan as Paul and Kim Eun-hee as Valerie have also participated in all three performances in the same roles. Other actors playing Paul, Lee Do-yeop and Kim Dae-ryeong, and those playing Valerie, Yoo Dam-yeon and Kang Ji-won, are performing for the second time.

The actors’ comfortable and natural performances show the strength of their long collaboration, especially shining in scenes where their bickering evokes laughter. The play runs at Yes24 Stage 1 in Daehangno until February 14 next year.

Shin Goo (right), who plays Grandfather Henri, and Park So-dam, who plays Constance, in the play 'Grandfather Henri and Me'
[Photo by Park Company]

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.