Daniel Kennedy appears as Crumpet the elf in “The Santaland Diaries.” / Courtesy of Michele Farley

By John Redmond

David Sedaris as an elf? A Christmas comedy that everyone can enjoy.

Saving the cash and staying put in Korea this Christmas? Don’t worry, there is still plenty to do to maintain that festive spirit in Seoul.

Probationary Theatre plans to help homesick Seoul dwellers this Christmas by staging the hilarious one man comedy “The Santaland Diaries” by David Sedaris for what was supposed to be two shows only ― this Christmas Eve and Christmas Day at the White Box Theatre in Yongsan.

Due to the overwhelming popularity of the show, the company is proud to announce a special 4 p.m. Christmas Eve matinee performance as well. Tickets are now available, so people are urged to book now to avoid disappointment. The show runs for 60 minutes, so those people with plans for dinner on Christmas Eve can still make it.

“Due to an unprecedented amount of advanced bookings, both our Christmas Eve and Christmas Day 8 p.m. performances of ‘The Santaland Diaries’ are now officially sold out. Please email us at probationarytheatre@gmail.com to be placed on our wait list,” states a press release.

Fans of Sedaris, and his multitude of best selling essays including “Me Talk Pretty One Day” and “When You Are Engulfed in Flames” will be familiar with his trademark wit and sarcasm, and this show is no exception. It was the launching point for the writer’s flourishing career and is his only essay to have been turned into a piece of theater.

The 60 minute comedy tells the true story of Sedaris’ stint working as Crumpet, an elf at Macy’s department store. Sedaris leaves no stone unturned in his cynical, hilarious look at the inner workings of “Santaland” and the producers promise that you will never look at Christmas in quite the same way again.

Probationary Theatre’s disgruntled elf will be played by Daniel Kennedy, a theatre graduate perhaps best known in Seoul for his stand up comedy, having recently opened for Kyle Kinane, a professional comedian from Los Angeles. But comedy isn’t the only string in Kennedy’s bow as he is also a trained and experienced actor, playing the title role in Macbeth as well as writing and producing plays and performing at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival.

“It’s great to have an actor with such a natural sense of comic timing” director, Desiree Munro, explains. “I have been lucky to have found an actor that has a natural talent for both acting and comedy. It makes my job so much easier, and of course his stage presence is incredibly commanding, not to mention downright hilarious.”

The show becomes further accessible to audiences by being the first show at White Box to be performed with Korean subtitles.

“Christmas is a time for sharing with friends and family, we’ve been trying to do shows with subtitles for a long time, to make the theater more accessible and inclusive to our Korean friends. I’m glad we’ve got it done in time for Christmas.” Munro said.

Tickets to “The Santaland Diaries” are a reasonable 15,000 won and can be booked through the website www.probationarytheatre.com

The White Box Theatre is located a three minute walk from exit 2 of Hyochang Park Station (line 6) or a five minute taxi ride from Itaewon. More information, including a map to the venue can be found on the website.