CSB: Review of REX: Classic Contemporized with Controversy

November 12, 2026

Eddie Po (Martin del Rosario) and his wife Jacosta (Eula Valdez) owned the construction firm which did the flood control projects in their province of Tebes. They have four children: the cripple Pol (Jaylon Lopez), Teo (Irijah Subade), Isme (Yvonne Gaurana) and Tig (Bianca Foz).  Jacosta's brother Creon (Bong Cabrera) was their company's lawyer. Their house helper Cora (Sheryl Ceasico) had been Jacosta's personal maid since she was a child.

The monsoon was specially strong this time, and the floodwaters were rising fast, even the highway was inundated. The Pos were being bashed online for botching their projects, and this was giving Eddie realistic nightmares which made him want to sleep with a gun at hand. That morning, Creon brought with him a blind woman named Teresa (EJ Jalorina), who had information for Eddie about his old friend Tom, who had been missing. 

The story of a wealthy couple who was able to wrangle all the contracts to do various flood control projects in their province was very familiar because it was very big news earlier this year. Playwright Joshua Lim So had the bright idea of incorporating that sensational news item with a classic tragedy play by Sophocles, even making the controversial couple as the inspiration of the lead characters of his adaptation, and somehow making it work. Those familiar with the Sophocles play would recognize how the character names were derived.  

The set was designed by director Tuxqs Rutaquio. The center stage had an office desk, swivel chair, and a lounge. On both ends of the Po mansion, there were arches made from what looked like drainage pipes. I guess this was to represent the nature of their flood control project business. There was a part where Eddie pulled another tube out from inside one of tubes, one on each side, but it was not clear what those were supposed to represent, even up to the point that they were pushed back inside the bigger tube. 

View of the Stage

It was fascinating that Lim So, a Chinoy, made Eddie Po, a man of less than savory character, to be Chinese-Filipino. Could it be just be because Eddie Po sounded like Oedipus, or was there a deeper reason? Even Jacosta's late first husband Leo Yu (Emilio Macabantad) was a Chinoy. In fact, in one remarkable rather lengthy scene when Eddie called his mother to ask her a question, she was speaking to him in straight Hokkien language over the phone, with no noticeable surtitles for translation. Too bad Del Rosario did not attempt to reply in Hokkien.

As the plot required, Valdez is much older than Del Rosario, a 24 year gap in their actual ages. Ever-reliable veteran Valdez portrayed Jacosta as would a middle-aged wife, mother and businesswoman is expected to act. However, in contrast, boyish Del Rosario felt miscast as Eddie Po. His Eddie seemed too immature and insecure, hardly the type of man a worldly Jacosta would marry, nor the type of man who could amass wealth by corruption. He did not even look like a man with four teenage children. In fact, Eddie even looked and acted younger than his eldest son Pol. 

EJ Jalorina

An interesting character was Teresa, a blind woman who knew Eddie's secrets. As an extension of the flood theme, Lim So made leptospirosis the cause of her blindness. In Sophocles' original play, the name of this character was Teresias, a blind prophet. Lim So was also able to incorporate into his adaptation another legend associated with Teresias -- that he was turned into a woman. Transwoman actor EJ Jalorina was riveting as Teresa, especially in that first interview scene with Eddie when she revealed how she knew what she knew.

Bong Cabrera was passionate as Creon, especially when he was feeling that Eddie was already losing his confidence in his loyalty. The way he was portrayed by Cabrera, we as audience were also unsure of his loyalty to the Po family, as he expressed that he was in it for himself. Sheryl Ceasico can play housekeeper roles like the back of her hand, but her Cora here also had a big secret that also had a major revelation scene. The younger actors in the cast tried to keep up but their roles were not exactly fleshed out enough to stand out. 

Eula Valdez and Martin del Rosario

Del Rosario and Valdez gave their all during that climactic reveal scene and it was well-executed especially how all the drama peaked with a bang. The aftermath of the tragedy was rather prolonged and awkward, especially when the Po kids were looking for their parents in the dark as the city around them becomes inundated. The presence of Teresa during those final scenes felt rather extraneous and intrusive to the family drama. The ultimate fate of Eddie Po was a departure from the Sophocles original, but was thought-provoking nonetheless. 

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REX runs from November 12 to 22, 2026 at the Power Mac Center Spotlight Blackbox Theater at the Circuit in Makati. Showtime is 7pm from Thursday to Sunday, with 2pm matinees on Saturdays and Sundays. Tickets available from Ticket2Me, prices at P2700, 2300 and 2000. 

DUP: Review of FIESTAS Y MUERTOS: Reliving Rizal's Remonstrations

November 8, 2026

Every Filipino should have read National Hero Jose Rizal's "Noli Me Tangere" when we were in high school, and learned about the stormy lives Filipinos lived during the Spanish occupation, under the influence of the Catholic friars. Watching this iconic novel come alive on a stage should surely make it easier for us to understand Rizal's patriotic messages which he encoded within his eloquent prose full of rich metaphors, and take them seriously to heart.  

There had been a classic straight play version of Noli called "Kanser" which was first staged in 1979, written by Jomar Fleras, starring Tommy Abuel as Ibarra. It was regularly staged and re-staged for 35 years, holding the record for the longest-running stage play in Philippine history. I was only able to see it when it adapted into a musical -- "Kanser@35" (2015, MY REVIEW), music by Joed Balsamo and libretto by Jomar Fleras, with Jacob Benedicto as Ibarra. 

The three other stage adaptations of Noli that I have seen were also musicals. First was "Noli Me Tangere, the Musical" (2011, MY REVIEW), music by NA Ryan Cayabyab and libretto by NA Bienvenido Lumbera, with Mark Bautista as Ibarra. I also saw two separate stagings of the opera version in 2011 (MY REVIEW) and in 2014 (MY REVIEW), with music by NA Felipe Padilla de Leon and libretto by NA Guillermo Tolentino, both times with Ivan Nery as Ibarra. 

The Peaceful, Lilting  Boat Scene

"Fiestas y Muertos" is the latest straight play adaptation of "Noli Me Tangere," written by Andrew Estacio based on the Filipino translation by NA Virgilio S. Almario. Estacio's version covered all the important events of all the main characters we have read before, and will all call to mind upon watching. The directing style of Ms. José Estrella, marked by the use of stylized movement in storytelling and breaking of the fourth wall, sets it apart. 

A remarkable departure from the book occurs from the very first scene, with a new character named Inay Dorang (Peewee O'Hara) narrating the introductory story. Later, you will realize that she is a female parallel of Pilosopo Tasyo,  Her role was very prominent in Act 1, specially in that scene when Ibarra visited her to seek her advise about the school he wanted to build. Her advice about clashing with the powers that be is as valid now as back then. 

Another memorable scene was the picnic scene when Crisostomo Ibarra (Jerom Canlas) and Maria Clara (Justine Peña) where riding on two separate boats. The illusion of the boats floating on water was created by all the characters stand up and do little rhythmic bouncing movements. This scene was capped by sad but beautiful "Awit ni Maria Clara," with music by Ms. Angel Dayao, with lyrics as written in NA Almario's translation. Peña's soprano was pristine, breathing justice to the song's noble patriotic sentiment.

An Intimate Scene Between Elias and Salome

The character I gained more new realizations about with this play was Elias (Ross Pesigan). He was the boatman who wrestled with the crocodile, and there was indeed a symbolic staging of that scene with a net. But I learned much more about him in that scene he shared with his beloved Salome (Elora Espano) and then, in that secret meeting he had with Ibarra where they argued about their preferred style of resistance against colonizers.

Padre Damaso (Jojo Cayabyab in his grating Spanish-inflected Filipino) had a very long intensely hateful sermon that violated practically all the cardinal sins. To make this more tolerable, Estrella cut the friar's tirade into a number of smaller chunks and interspersed them in between truly joyful scenes of Ibarra and Maria Clara dancing with the townspeople during the feast of San Diego. The contrast of these scenes was very sharp and undeniable.

All of this was just in the two-hour-long Act 1, which also introduced Kapitan Tiago (Jonas Garcia), Padre Salvi (Joseph Pe), the pitiful madwoman Sisa (Iris Montesclaros) and her two lost sons Basilio (Quiel Campo) and Crispin (Daphne Galang), the flamboyant Dona Victorina (Kiki Baento going full on campy mode) and her rival Dona Consolacion (Rigel Hechanova). After a 15-minute intermission, there would still be an hour-long Act 2 ahead. 

Ibarra Holds Padre Damaso at Knifepoint

As Filipinos, we should know "Noli Me Tangere" and its message by heart. By reading the book and watching this show again and again, we recognize that, despite having declared our independence from foreign oppressors since 1946, we are still pretty much tied down in misfortune as a people, this time weighed down by shameless corrupt political leaders. Rizal keeps reminding us to stay vigilant, educate the youth and fight for what it right.  

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FIESTAS Y MUERTOS runs from October 23 to November 15, 2026 at the IBG-KAL Theater in the UP Diliman campus. Showtimes are at 7pm on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays, with 2 pm matinees on Saturdays and Sundays. Tickets at P1,200 each (Free Seating) on Ticket2Me. 

The set of Charles Yee consisted of a raised hexagonal stage with a rectangular block which can emerge from the middle section to serve as dining tables or a platform for actors. The backdrop was the facade of the church of San Diego, with three arches where actors can go in and out of during scenes. 

Also in the artistic team are Sir Anril Tiatco and Jem Javier (Dramaturgy and Additional Lines), Carlos Siongco (Costumes), Angel Dayao (Sound and Original Music), Barbie Tan-Tiongco (Lights), Joyce Garcia (Video), Al Garcia (Movement), Mykee Ababon (Technical Direction), and Aji Manalo (Sound Engineering).

GMG: Review of THE PLAY THAT GOES WRONG: Delightfully Disastrous

November 8, 2026

After a series of low-budget, actor-deficient shows, the Cornley Drama Society is finally staging a full-length play on a perfectly-sized stage and a full cast. The show was "The Murder at Haversham Manor," a 1920s murder mystery. It was opening night, and the director Chris (Tom Babbage), stage manager Annie (Olivia Charalambous) and light and sounds guy Trevor (Jake Curran) putter around the stage doing their last minute checks around the set.  

The butler Perkins (Tom Hayward) found his master Charles Haversham (Liam Horrigan) dead on the couch of his room on the night of his engagement to Florence Colleymoore (Mikkie Bradshaw-Volante). They call Inspector Carter (also played by Babbage), who proceeds to interview the people in the house, including his best friend Thomas (Owen Jenkins), his brother Cecil and Arthur the Gardener (both played by Sebastiano Pitruzzello). 

The Set Before the Mayhem

"The Play That Goes Wrong" was created by Mischief’s Henry Lewis, Jonathan Sayer and Henry Shields. It was first staged in 2012 at The Old Red Lion Theater in London, supposedly with only four paying customers in attendance. It has since become a long-running play that won an Olivier for Best New Comedy (2015) and a Tony for Best Scenic Design of a Play (2017) for its side-splitting physical slapstick comedy of errors on a disaster-prone set. 

The play had already begun pretty much while the audience was filling up the seats at the Theater at Solaire. The stately-looking set seemed ready, but the stage manager Annie was having trouble with the front door that won't close and the mantlepiece that kept falling. The sound tech guy Trevor seemed distracted because he was missing his favorite Duran Duran CD. These minor issues portend the delightful roller-coaster of stage mishaps about to unfold. 

The ensemble work of the cast here was astounding, as perfect timing and precise coordination among the actors are key to avoid real accidents that can cause serious injuries. Each actor had their respective quirks to make their character stand out, like Jenkins with his gruff voice and demeanor, Pitruzzello with his breaking character and sign language bits, and Hayward with his mispronounced words (in my personal favorite British accent of the show).

The Curtain Call

Pitruzzello, Bradshaw-Volante, Babbage, Charalambous, Jenkins, Horrigan, Hayward

While watching, I did not know that the sly, seductive Florence Colleymoore was played by Filipina stage actress Mikkie Bradshaw-Volante! She seamlessly gelled with the well-oiled cast like a true-blue trouper. She did not feel like a cast newcomer at all, with her impeccably British line delivery, and full-on dedication to the wacky, dangerous-looking stunts of her character, from being hit on the face by the door to being thrown out of windows. Her grandfather's clock trick was an amazing piece of stage magic.

I've seen a number of British and American screwball stage comedies (thanks to Rep), but this one really takes the cake for being the most outrageously slapstick that I've seen, what with its unpredictably topsy-turvy set, complete with a "faulty" elevator. The wry British-style jokes may not immediately settle in at first, but eventually you do get the drift. One highlight of Act 2 was that exasperating loop of repeating dialogue that was super hilarious. Those wild scenes of exhilarating physical comedy were all unmistakable riots. 

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"The Play That Goes Wrong" runs at The Theater at Solaire for only 15 shows from November 6 to 22, 2026. Ticket prices range from P6,300 to P2,600, from Ticketworld. 

Teatro Kapamilya: Review of THE ART OF BREAKING UP: Sentiments on Separating

November 6, 2026

Ben (Teroy Guzman) was being discharged from the hospital after recovering from his third heart attack, When his wife Anita (Roselyn Perez) came to pick him up amidst talking about the doctor's advice and medications, Ben suddenly asked Anita if she still loved him after being married to him for 34 years. When she hesitated with her answer, Ben suddenly brought up the topic that maybe it is time they should just break up and live separately. 

Carla (Yesh Burce) broke up with Dino (Jameson Blake) over pizza at home. Ferdz (Dingdong Bahan) broke up with Erwin (Jude Hinumdum) after a trip to Siargao got botched. Hector (Jel Tarun) broke up with Gab (Yen Santos) during a heated argument in a taxi. Lou (Nikki Valdez) moved out on Kat (Anna Luna) a year after they broke up. Jake (Brent Manalo), the ex of Gab, is the new boyfriend of Ina (Analain Salvador), who was the ex of Dino.

Ms. Roselyn Perez

"The Art of Breaking Up" is a play written by the late George de Jesus. It was originally written and presented as a one-act play "Kung Paano Maghiwalay" at the Virgin Labfest 2008. De Jesus adapted it for a screenplay in 2013 and won Second Place at the Palanca Awards that year.  It was presented as a full-length play in 2017 by Egg Theater Co., directed by de Jesus himself, and has been staged a number of times by various theater clubs since then. 

Casting was an interesting mix of theater veterans, sharing scenes with film and TV stars making their theater debut. In this press preview show, Teroy Guzman and Roselyn Perez, two of my favorite theater actors of all time, delivered with remarkable restraint. For me, Nikki Valdez, Anna Luna, and Yesh Burce gave the most memorable turns. Among the neophytes, Yen Santos and Dingdong Bahan stood out best with their flawed, maddening characters. 

Sir Teroy Guzman

Director Dudz Terana had a couple of major innovations that distinguished his version from previous iterations.  First was a pair of young singers Benedix Ramos and Kolette Madelo went in and out of the various scenes providing dramatic musical interludes. The songs they sung are all pre-existing songs from the catalog of Star Music. The only song that was not from Star Music was the final song "Ikaw at Ako," a 2010 song by Johnoy Danao. 

Terana's second gimmick were cameos of various minor characters in each of the scenes to serve as comic relief. All of them were played by one delightful actress -- Meann Espinosa. She improvised all those scene-stealing wacky characters herself during the play's creative process. They all became instant audience favorites, especially the coffee house staff, the taxi driver, the socialite shopper, the cheer dancer and the balloon vendor. 

Meann Espinosa 

One vignette after another of couples in the process of breaking up can be difficult to watch for an entire first hour, although there were moments of comedy interspersed within to provide some buffer from the intense emotional bitterness. That was not the whole play though. After everyone broke up, there was a 15-minute intermission before an entire Act 2 that went back and forth in time to untangle and clarify the web of relationships woven in Act 1. 

There can be some parts that may seem confusing because of the non-linear sequence of events, or inconsistent because of the varying intensity of dramatic impact per scene. While there were disappointing scenes like the unexpectedly tepid Dino-Ina breakup, there were very strong scenes like Ben-Anita or Lou-Kat which more than made up for these. More importantly, the words of de Jesus will make you reflect on the fragility of our own relationships, and resolve to be proactive about protecting those bonds we value most. 

Kolette Madelo, Dingdong Bahan, Nikki Valdez, Leigh Atienza, Benedix Ramos, Jude Hinumdum

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"The Act of Breaking Up", presented by Teatro Kapamilya in cooperation with PETA Plus, runs from November 6 to December 6, 2026 at the PETA Theater Center. Tickets are available at TicketWorld at the following prices: VIP P2,575, Orchestra P2,060, Balcony A P1,545 and Balcony B P1,236. 

Certain roles have alternates. Carlos Siguion-Reyna and Bibeth Orteza will also take on the roles of Ben and Anita, and being a real-life married couple should give their interpretation a different spin. Alternating for Dino is Jake Cuenca, while for Lou, it is Janella Salvador (also on her theater debut), and for Jake is AJ Sison. For the two singers, the alternates are Sheena Belamino and Kolette's fellow PBB songster, Jarren Garcia. 

PhilStagers: Review of RIZAL 3000: Futuristic Father Figure

October 29, 2026

On the approach to the year 3000, the Philippine president was the dictatorial Forti Zaragoza (Joseph Tañada), who believed that the country should concentrate only on progress and development. So with full support of his Imeldific First Lady Rosinie Ravensthorne (OJ Arci), Zaragoza declared a law that would abolish all teaching of history in general, and Jose Rizal in particular, because he believed these had no value whatsoever. 

It was revealed that back in his college days, Zaragoza lost the Summa Cum Laude honor to his best friend Josephus Raval (Vince Tañada) who aced his thesis about his idol Jose Rizal. When Zaragoza's anti-Rizal law was passed, Raval was still actively teaching about Rizal in his school. Raval was arrested by Gen. Alambre (Chris Lim) and tortured by Dr. Abisado (Adele Ibarrientos), which left the professor with his precious historical knowledge lost.

While the real Jose Rizal's son Francisco was stillborn, Raval's son Franchesco (Peter Parker Tañada) grew up to be a teenager. As fate would have it, Francesco would meet Zaragoza's daughter Eden (Clare Bautista), while Josephus would reunite with his college sweetheart Leonne Riguerra (Vean Olmedo). Eden had an AI nanny Yay-AI (Bea Martin) who seemed to be developing "feelings" for Leonne's AI assistant AI-Lalay (Awin Valencia).

The Set with LED screens for lyrics and graphics

Using this futuristic scenario as takeoff point, Tanada retells the story of Jose Rizal (Johnrey Rivas) in flashbacks -- his romance with Leonor Rivera (Yvonne Ensomo), his reunion with his mother Dona Teodora (Stephanie Quitlong), his interactions with Andres Bonifacio (Jeremy Peter) and Marcelo H. del Pilar (Gabriel Bautista), his marriage to Josephine Bracken (Renee Escurel), and his arrest and death at the hands of Gov. Gen. Polavieja (JP Lopez). 

The catchiest musical number of the show was that one about the seven women Rizal had romantic relationships with -- from Segunda Katigbak to Josephine Bracken. I imagine that this number could have been inspired by the 2017 British musical "SIX," about the six wives of Henry VIII. But the big difference of this number was the showstopping appearance of Jose Rizal himself, with gyrations as only a Johnrey Rivas could deliver. 

The play went back and forth in time until that moment when both Rival and Rizal seemed to emotionally address the audience directly with teary eyes. When Rizal proclaimed that the youth is the future of this nation, the audience erupted in spontaneous applause. Climactic events then began to unfold in parallel on both sides of the stage -- from the heroes cradling their unconscious sons in their arms, until they faced and fell by firing squad. 

Felix Redado, Vean Olmedo, Yvonne Ensomo, and Bea Martin

The very first time I watched a show by the Philstagers was coincidentally also about Jose Rizal -- "Joe: A FIlipino Rockssical" (2012). From back then to now, their style of music (by Pipo Cifra), comedy, romance, and fiery melodrama was not intimidating nor highbrow, very accessible for the Filipino mass audiences. Based on the rousing reaction of this Gen Z crowd today, they could still stimulate the kids' "kilig," as they did to the Millennials back in 2012. 

I have seen all the shows of the Stagers from 2012 to 2019. This is only the second one I saw since the lockdown lifted. I still recognize all the veteran actors and it was great to see and hear them onstage again. I was glad that I was able to watch Peter Parker Tanada acting with his father Atty Vince in today's show, playing son and father to boot. Acting-wise, he may still a bit raw, but singing-wise, he's got his father's style and range -- a talent to watch out for. 

I watched the second show on a Thursday, from 1230pm to almost 3pm. They just finished a 9am show, and will still have another show to follow at 330pm. The songs of this show were definitely not easy to sing with their soaring notes. In the confrontation scenes, the characters were practically shouting at each other throughout. Yet here they are, doing three grueling, vocally-challenging shows one after the other, all in fully-charged 100% -- very impressive.

Joseph Tanada, Johnrey Rivas, Vince Tañada and OJ Arci

When I went to watch this afternoon, the Skydome at SM North was filled to the rafters with students of a university that is owned and run by a religion group with a political reputation. This was remarkable considering the sharp references made in the play against dictatorship and historical revisionism. The senior faculty seated in the row in front of me were enjoying the show, although they did look uncomfortable during scenes with light off-the-cuff profanity. 

Another noteworthy aspect of any PhilStagers show was their very friendly ticket prices. A ticket for walk-ins was only P700, with due discounts for seniors.  The price for students is even half that of walk-ins. As you can see from the curtain call photos posted above, they certainly do not skimp on the quality of their costumes and sets, so you do not feel shortchanged. Their souvenir program was in the size of a 1/4 pad paper, but it was in full color and printed on glossy paper, and cost only P30. 

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Here are my reviews of the Philstagers musicals I've seen before:

JOE: A FILIPINO ROCKSSICAL: MY REVIEW

BONIFACIO: ISANG SARSUWELA: MY REVIEW 

FILIPINAS 1941: MY REVIEW 

#POPEPULAR: MY REVIEW 

KATIPS: MY REVIEW 

OBRA NI JUAN: MY REVIEW 

SUPREMO REDUX: MY REVIEW 

SINDAK 1941: MY REVIEW 

HERO Z: MY REVIEW 

Apothecary: Review of WHATCHA SAYING?: Hearing with the Hands

October 24, 2026

One day, CJ (Juner Quiambao) was sitting on a bench on campus on his gadget, minding his own business. Fellow college freshman Liam (Nathan Molina) approached CJ, wanting to make friends with him. However, it turned out that CJ was deaf, which left Liam confused as to what to do next.  Another student Sarah (Onix Valerio) noticed the impasse between the two guys, and offered her help as an interpreter as she just to happened to know sign language. 

"Whatcha Saying?" was originally a 2023 graphic novel of the same title, written and illustrated by deaf Filipino artist and advocate CJ Reynaldo. It was adapted into a one-act play by Heart Romero, the founder of Apothecary Productions, whose maiden project was "Emulsion --  A Twinbill" in November 2024. Now living in La Union, fate reunited Romero with former theater colleagues, which then connected her with Komiket, the publisher of Reynaldo's book. 

The book version of "Whatcha Saying?" is a manual teaching Filipino Sign Language used in various day-to-day situations, with a humorous approach. It informs us on proper etiquette how to react and interact in the presence of deaf people -- like how to catch their attention properly, or how to talk directly to them and not to the interpreter. It also tells us that the deaf do not like term "hearing-impaired" because it implied that the deaf are broken or lacking. 

Romero's adaptation of "Whatcha Saying?" for the stage made it a BL (boys' love) romantic comedy, jumping off from the LGBT references in the book.  Both boys were mostly shy and clueless, so Quiambao and Molina played it coy and cute. Audiences did whoop it up during their "kilig" scenes. It was up to the weird, wild character of Sarah with her matchmaking prowess to liven things up. Valerio clearly went all-out outrageous in her gleefully eccentric portrayal. There were some naughty jokes like the one about the sign for "interpreter" that led to this play to be rated R-16. 

Surtitles projected on a screen above the stage. 

An unconventional technique that Romero used was having a parallel trio who sort of mirrored the main trio. They were: swing Bruce Mendoza as alternate CJ who can talk, Wayne San Juan as alternate Liam who can sign, and Bev Palileo as alternate Sarah to duplicate all her wackiness. Honestly, this device can be rather confusing. Their purpose was unclear, and they can distract attention from the main actors. They also seemed inconsistent in their portrayals, but this coordination should improve with more shows in the run. 

The main purpose of the book was to teach Filipino Sign Language, so of course Romero had to somehow squeeze them into the script. We were taught about sign names and how they were chosen and created for each person. The part in the book about Filipino street food was given its own scene, with Aura Payawan playing a barbecue vendor. We were taught how to say daily expressions like "Thank you" or "I am sorry." Maybe they could break the fourth wall once in a while and engage the audience to return demo the signing for a more interactive learning experience. 

At the beginning of the play, they played a video of author CJ Reynaldo's welcome address. He was signing throughout so we had to read the subtitles, which can be hard to read when a tall person is seated in front of you. During the play, whenever CJ was signing, these were interpreted as surtitles projected on a screen above the stage. They need to limit the amount of text that the audience needs to read and the speed at which they are projected. The more we are reading the surtitles, the longer our eyes won't be on the action on stage. 

Valerio, Quiambao and Molina take their bows

With the nature of my day job, I also have a sworn duty to help patients with ear conditions that make them hard of hearing. I am happy to support and promote this play that informs us about how the deaf communicate with each other, and their interaction with the hearing world. I had taken up lessons in sign language when I was younger, but eventually lost the skill due to lack of opportunity to use and practice. Watching this play made me go buy a copy of the book after the show (P500 at the gate) and try to relearn sign language all over again. 

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WHATCHA SAYING -- A STAGE ADAPTATION runs at the auditorium of Thames International, located along Calle Industria, in Libis, Quezon City from November 4 to 7, at 8pm, with 5 pm matinees on November 4 and 7. Tickets at P800 only. 

It will have another run of shows in Lorma Colleges in San Fernando, La Union on November 14 to 16, with shows at 3 pm and 7 pm for all three days. Tickets at P500 only. 

GMG: Review of CIRQUE ALICE in Manila: Astounding Aerial and Acrobatic Adventures

October 17, 2026

The wistful underground world Lewis Carroll described in his 1865 children's story "Alice's Adventures in Wonderland" is the home of a number of wacky colorful denizens. This out-of-the-box quality made this classic book a natural theme for a theatrical production rendered in the style of Cirque de Soleil, where acrobatic and strongman feats are incorporated with music, dance and special visual effects to create one dazzling extravaganza. 

"Cirque Alice" by Tim Lawson and Simon Painter had its world premiere in April 10, 2025 in Brisbane, Australia, and had since been brought around the world.  The creative team of this touring production is led by creative directors Ash Jacks McCready and Kirsty Painter, with choreography by Dane Bates, costumes by Angela Aaron, lighting design by Hugo Mercier, and musical arrangements by Martin Raabe-Olsen and Marius Christiansen.

When we entered the Theater at Solaire, the stage is already adorned with garlands of small blue lights suspended above it. There was a raised rounded platform in the middle, with steps of both sides. There was an arch at the back where the actors would make their entrances. On either side of the platform were three rows of chairs with tables, to seat those who bought the premium VVIP tickets, giving them an ultra-close-up view of the circus spectacle. 

Mad Hatter, White Rabbit and Alice with the dancers 

The show started with the White Rabbit (Raphael Papo) skillfully playing Monti's "Czardas" on his fiddle, then an entranced Alice (Layla Schillert) responded by singing "Flower Duet" from the opera "Lakme" with her soaring soprano. She went weaving around a group of dancers before deciding to follow the White Rabbit go down a hole in the platform, and then her big adventure begins. Variations of this sequence -- violin playing, operatic singing, ethereal dancing -- would serve to smoothly transition one act to the next for the rest of the show. 

The first act started with the Mad Hatter (Darren "Dizzy" Partridge), who picked volunteers from the audience to help him with his funny magic tricks, spiced with pickpocketing finesse. Tweedle-Dum used his powerful legs to flip his partner Tweedle-Dee around in the air. March Hare used a large hoop called a Cyr Wheel to spin around using centrifugal force. There were also a quartet of contortionists (Caterpillars), a power aerialist on a suspended pole (Butterfly), and a couple in white rapidly spinning on roller skates (White King and Queen). 

The Caterpillars curling up

The Butterfly soaring high

The White King and Queen spinning on their roller skates

The second act had one breathtaking highlight after another. The Dormouse showed off his skills in balancing on an unstable pile of moving tubes. The petite Queen of Hearts who slinked around a crescent moon displaying unreal feats of strength and flexibility. The Flamingos were a glamorous couple in pink leotards who regaled us with their death-defying yet romantic aerial ballet. The Knights were a strongman act where one precariously balanced his partner head upon head while going up and down steps -- twice!

The Dormouse's delicate balancing 

The Queen of Hearts graceful display of strength and flexibility 

Crowd favorites The Flamingos in full flight

This is only the third Cirque production I have seen in Manila. My first one was "Kaos" at the Newport Performing Arts Center in 2011 (MY REVIEW). The next was "Cirque du Soleil's Toruk - The First Flight" at the MOA Arena in 2017 (MY REVIEW). Compared to those two, "Cirque Alice" is of a smaller scale and more intimate in atmosphere, which gives it a unique charm all its own. This show gathered the best specimens of human athleticism and provides them a grand beautiful showcase to display their talents. We watch, enjoy and gasp in collective awe. 

A final look at the whole Cast

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CIRQUE ALICE runs from October 16–25, 2026, at The Theatre at Solaire. There are shows from Tuesday to Friday (8 pm), Saturdays (3pm and 8pm) and Sundays (1:30 pm and 6pm). Ticket prices range from P6,500 to P2,000 for Tuesday to Thursday shows, P7,500 to P2,000 for Friday to Sunday shows.