Category: Theatre

Mikkie Bradshaw-Volante to Star as Sandra in The Olivier and Tony Award-Winning Comedy ‘The Play That Goes Wrong’

Manila-based Filipino actor Mikkie Bradshaw-Volante will play Sandra, a leading member of the Cornley Drama Society who takes on the role of Florence Colleymoore in the company’s increasingly disastrous 1920s murder mystery. She joins principal cast members from Britain, Australia, New Zealand, and the United States, bringing together a company of performers from five countries for the Manila season.

She will be joined by Tom Babbage (Chris), Owen Jenkins (Robert, West End), Sebastiano Pitruzzello (Max, 2025 Australia and New Zealand 10th Anniversary Tour), Liam Horrigan (Jonathan, West End and UK tour), Tom Hayward (Dennis), Olivia Charalambous (Annie, Australia and New Zealand), Jake Curran (Trevor, West End) and Stephanie Astrid (female understudy, Sandra at the Sydney Opera House). The production is directed by Hannah Sharkey.

Carlos Candal, CEO and Founder of GMG Productions, on assembling a global cast:

“For GMG Productions, this casting is deeply personal. Seeing Mikkie Bradshaw-Volante, a Filipino artist of extraordinary calibre, who was also a member of our Filipino-led production of Come From Away, and who brings such a hilarious, unhinged spirit to the stage, stepping into one of theatre’s most iconic roles fills us with pride. Bringing her together with world-class performers from Britain, Australia, New Zealand, and the United States is exactly what we set out to do when we founded GMG: to give Filipino audiences the chance to experience theatre at the highest level, with one of our own shining at its heart.

If this company were any more international, we’d need subtitles; luckily, the chaos of THE PLAY THAT GOES WRONG needs no translation at all.”

Mikkie Bradshaw-Volante has spent over a decade onstage, making her professional debut in 2011 as Liesl in Resorts World Manila’s The Sound of Music. Since then, she has taken on a diverse range of roles, including Carrie in Carrie the Musical, Barbara Smith in Run for Your Wife, Annette in the Asian tour of Saturday Night Fever, Medium Alison in Fun Home, Lauren in Kinky Boots, Cynthia Weil in Beautiful: The Carole King Musical, and Johanna in Sweeney Todd. Most recently, she portrayed Carrie Pipperidge in Repertory Philippines’ Carousel, earning her first Gawad Buhay Award for Female Featured Performance in a Musical.

Awarded the 2014 WhatsOnStage Award for Best New Comedy, the 2015 Olivier Award for Best New Comedy and a Tony Award^Ⓡ for its Broadway transfer, THE PLAY THAT GOES WRONG has grown from a first performance at The Old Red Lion 10 years ago—attended by just four paying customers—to a global phenomenon now playing in over 30 countries and seen by more than two million people. Created by Mischief’s Henry Lewis, Jonathan Sayer and Henry Shields, the award-winning smash-hit comedy continues to delight audiences in the West End and around the world, arriving in Manila as part of its international journey following acclaimed runs in more than 50 countries over the past decade.

THE PLAY THAT GOES WRONG follows the Cornley Drama Society as it attempts to stage The Murder at Haversham Manor, a 1920s murder mystery. But as opening night unfolds, everything that can go wrong does: the set collapses, props disappear, cues are missed, lines are forgotten and the performers must battle on through escalating chaos.

Tickets for THE PLAY THAT GOES WRONG, playing at The Theatre at Solaire from November 6 to 22, 2026, are available through ticketworld.com.ph. For updates and exclusive announcements, visit www.gmg-productions.com or follow @gmg.productions

ABOUT THE CAST

Tom Babbage as Chris

Originally from Somerset, Tom trained at the Royal Central School of Speech and Drama. His theatre credits include Murder for Two (SJT and Bolton Octagon), The Little Mermaid (Watermill), The Two Gentlemen of Verona (RSC), Putting it Together (Playground Theatre/Salisbury Celebrate Voice), Fun at the Beach Romp-Bomp-A-Lomp!! (Southwark Playhouse), The Fair Maid of the West (RSC), The Motive and the Cue(National Theatre), Boundless as the Sea and Miss Littlewood (RSC/Cunard), Cluedo (UK premiere and tour), The Play That Goes Wrong (UK Tour and West End – Duchess Theatre), Peter Pan Goes Wrong (UK Tour), The Wizard of Oz (Brewhouse Theatre Taunton), Toys – The Musical(CityWalk Dubai), The Garden (Tristan Bates Theatre), Around the World in Eighty Days (Brewhouse Theatre Taunton), Arianna in Creta (Royal College of Music), and Widows and Children First! (Jermyn Street Theatre).

His film and television work includes Amandaland (BBC), The Candidate, Memories: Brothers – A Lasting Legacy, Beauty, Spaceboy, Brief Intermission, Easy Ride (music video), and Cracking Shakespeare (educational film).

Workshop credits include Cockfosters (Riverside Studios), Caroline: A New Musical (NT Studios), The Two Gentlemen of Verona (RSC), That Bastard, Puccini! (RJG Productions), Midsomer Murders: The Killings at Badgers Drift (Nicholson Green Productions), a confidential RSC workshop, Iolanthe (JB Theatre Productions Ltd), Legends of Arahma (Central Studio, QMC), Bedbug and Featherboy (both National Theatre), and The Wall (Pink Floyd and Complicité, directed by Simon McBurney).

Tom is also an established voiceover artist, working across video games, commercials, podcasts, and audiobooks for publishers including HarperCollins, Macmillan, and Bloomsbury; his 2025 recording of Tiny Hercules has been shortlisted for “Best Children’s Audiobook” at the British Audio Awards.

Owen Jenkins as Robert

Owen trained at The Oxford School of Drama. His theatre credits include The Play That Goes Wrong (West End), The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy (Riverside Studios), Doctor Who: Time Fracture (Immersive Everywhere/BBC), David Walliams’ The First Hippo on the Moon(International Tour), An Enemy of the People, David Baddiel’s Animalcom, and One Duck Down (UK Tours), as well as Stranger Things and Wishmas (Secret Cinema), The Jolly Christmas Postman (Oxford Playhouse), Raymond Briggs’ The Bear (Birmingham MAC), The Game’s Afoot, and The Marvellous Imaginary Menagerie (Les Enfants Terribles). His screen credits include Milk (Blue Ethel) and Trickle (Ravanburn).

Owen is also a director, writer, and voice-over artist. He is an Artistic Director and writer for award-winning theatre company FacePlant Theatre and co-creator of critically acclaimed audio series At Your Peril.

Sebastiano Pitruzzello as Max

Following the 2025 Australia & New Zealand 10th Anniversary Tour of The Play That Goes Wrong, Sebastiano returns to his professional theatre debut role as Max. His previous credits include the Australian premieres of STOP/OVER (Three Fates Theatre) and BACON (Melbourne Fringe 2023). He graduated from Federation University Arts Academy in 2019.

Liam Horrigan as Jonathan

Liam is an actor and writer from Essex who trained at the Royal Central School of Speech and Drama. His theatre credits include The Play That Goes Wrong (West End and UK Tour), Cluedo and Cluedo 2 (UK Tours), Haywire (The Barn Theatre), Cockfosters (Southwark Playhouse), Ben Hur (Barn Theatre), The Devils (Embassy Theatre), and A Midsummer Night’s Dream (Webber Douglas Studio). His audio credits include The Queen Philippa (2handers/BBC) and DMs Are Open (BBC Studios), and his film credit is Third Bench on the Left (CPO Productions).

Liam is also a co-host of the award-nominated podcast You’re On Tonight, which explores the experiences of actors, understudies, and swings stepping onstage at the last minute.

Tom Hayward as Dennis

Tom Hayward is an emerging performer from Wellington, New Zealand. In 2023, he completed his Bachelor of Creativity in acting for stage and screen at Te Auaha. That same year, he performed in the HATCH showcase for TAHI (New Zealand Festival of Solo Performance), where he demonstrated his skills as a comedic actor and playwright.

Last year, Tom made his professional theatrical debut, playing Dennis in the Australia and New Zealand tour of The Play That Goes Wrong. He is now excited to jump back into that same world to help bring the joy of Mischief Theatre to a brand-new audience.

Mikkie Bradshaw-Volante as Sandra

Mikkie Bradshaw-Volante is a Manila-based actor, singer, and host with over 15 years of experience on stage. Most recently, she played the Baker’s Wife in Theatre Group Asia’s sold-out and critically acclaimed production of Into the Woods. She also portrayed Antonia in Repertory Philippines’ Man of La Mancha and Raquel in Barefoot Theatre Collaborative’s Anthropology.

Her theatre credits include Carrie Pipperidge in Repertory Philippines’ Carousel, for which she received the Gawad Buhay Award for Best Supporting Actress in a Musical, as well as Medium Alison in Fun Home, Carrie in Carrie the Musical, Barbara Smith in Run for Your Wife, Annette in Saturday Night Fever the Musical (Manila, Malaysia, and Singapore), Lauren in Kinky Boots, Una in Blackbird, Cynthia Weil in Beautiful: The Carole King Musical, and Johanna in Sweeney Todd (Manila and Singapore).

Olivia Charalambous as Annie

an Australian actor and director who graduated from the National Institute of Dramatic Art (NIDA) with a Bachelor of Dramatic Art (Acting) in 2013. Her selected performance credits include Les Misérables (10th Anniversary Production, Cameron Mackintosh), Spring Awakening (Original Australian Cast, Sydney Theatre Company), Puffs (Original Australian Cast, TEG/LifeLike Touring), Young Frankenstein (Hayes Theatre Co), and Hamlet: Prince of Skidmark (The Listies/Critical Stages/Sydney Theatre Company).

Her directing credits include Disney’s Camp Rock, Skank Sinatra, Between the Lines JR, Pursuing Pleasure, Spring Awakening, The Understudy, Carrie: The Musical, and Zoë’s Killer Instinct. She recently launched The OC Project, a Melbourne-based company delivering performance-based workshops for corporate and education settings, alongside directing and creative development for live performance.

Olivia returns to the Mischief family as Annie in The Play That Goes Wrong, having previously performed the role throughout Australia and New Zealand in 2015.

Jake Curran as Trevor

Trained at Drama Centre London, Jake Curran’s credits include: film roles in Clayface (2026), Over Your Dead Body (2026), The Owners (2020), Maze Runner: Death Cure (2018), Journey’s End (2018), Fury (2014), Robin Hood (2010), Wrong Turn 3 (2009), Stardust (2007), The New World(2005), and Oliver Twist (2005).

Television appearances in Harry Potter (2026), Robin Hood (2025), EastEnders (2022), The Confessions of Frannie Langton (2021), Gangs of London (2021), Spotless (2015), Whitechapel (2013), Murder on the Homefront (2013), Mayday (2013), Inspector Lewis (2012), Doctors (2011), Summer in Transylvania (2011), Waking the Dead (2011), Criminal Justice (2008), Primeval (2007), Casualty (2003, 2013), The Bill (1998, 2004), The Demon Headmaster (1996), and Grange Hill (1995).

Theatre work in The Play That Goes Wrong (2018, 2019), Christie in Love (2016), A Haunting (World Premiere, 2016), The Young Visitors(2016), Noonday Demons (2015), Fred and Madge (World Premiere, 2014), The Boy Who Cried (2014), and Diary of a Nobody (2014, 2015, 2017); and short films including Boom Chicks (2026), Lily’s House (2026), Lazar (2025), Egg (2025), Full Tank (2025), The Regent (2025), Thou Shalt Not See (2024), Undercurrents (2023), The Ceiling (2022) (Winner of Best Ensemble Award at The World Indie Film Awards), The Moth(2021), The Anchor (2011), Dirt (2011), and Ribbon (2010). Jake is also the writer/director of the films The Psychedelic Biker Killings and Twindrome.

Stuart Vincent, Understudy

Stuart Vincent is a British mixed-heritage actor and professional hip-hop dancer. His theatre credits include the West End production of The Play That Goes Wrong and the lead role of Amir in the UK and Ireland tour of The Kite Runner. On screen, he has appeared as Ross in the BBC soap opera EastEnders, Terry in the feature film When the Screaming Starts, and Cem in Good Luck, an award-winning short film written and directed by BAFTA Award-winning filmmaker Franz Böhm. Alongside his acting career, Stuart brings over 16 years of professional hip-hop dance experience, contributing to his dynamic physicality and commanding stage presence.

Tom Bulpett, Male Understudy

Tom trained at the Royal Central School of Speech and Drama. His theatre credits include The Grapes of Wrath (National Theatre), The Play That Goes Wrong (West End), Macbeth (Chichester Festival Theatre), The Importance of Being…Earnest? (UK Tour), The Burial at Thebes (RCSSD), Seahorse (Theatre 503), and Road (Warwick Arts Centre). His screen credits include Dept. Q (Netflix), Casualty (BBC), The Mummy (Universal Pictures), Quiz (ITV), and Father Brown (BBC).

Stephanie Astrid, Female Understudy

A Green Room Award-winning performer, most recently known for playing Sandra in The Play That Goes Wrong. Her theatre credits include Viola in Twelfth Night (Melbourne Shakespeare Company), Queen Angelica in The Grinning Man, Miss Thorn in Ruthless!, Pam in 50 Shades!, Joyce Byers in Stranger Sings, Genevieve Gryffindor in Voldemort and the Teenage Hogwarts, and Stephanie Necrophorous in NINE. She has also performed in the Australian premiere of Midnight: The Cinderella Musical and Disney’s My Son Pinocchio.

Her voiceover credits include Trudie Poodle in The Underdogs podcast and S.A.M.A.N.T.H.A in Busy Bodies with Mr Snotbottom, winner of Best Kid’s Podcast at the 2023 Australian Podcast Awards. She is represented by Ian White Management.

Hannah Sharkey, Director

Hannah trained at The Royal Central School of Speech and Drama and was one of twelve directors selected for Stonecrabs’ Emerging Directors Programme in 2014, where she was marked “One to Watch.” She is currently Director of Mind Mangler: Member of the Tragic Circle for Virgin Voyages, having previously directed the West End, Off-Broadway, UK tour, and Edinburgh productions.

Hannah was previously Associate Director on Magic Goes Wrong in the West End and Resident Director on the West End production of The Play That Goes Wrong, as well as Director of the Portuguese and Mexican replica productions.

Other directing credits include Cinderella (Theatre Royal Bath/UK Productions), Nomad (The Soho Theatre Young Company at Edinburgh Fringe), Storms (The Vaults), and Low Level Panic (The Albany Theatre).

October 14, 2026
Theater Review: In JC Santos’ Directorial Debut, “A Number” Is a Sci-Fi Play That Asks the Hard Questions

Gripping and so unbelievably relevant today, Caryl Churchill’s play A Number tackles the emotional and moral ramifications of cloning. First produced in 2002, the play’s exploration of its theme hits very strongly to this day of advanced technology and generative AI, as it ask the hard questions of how far technology should be used when facing the harsh challenges of life.

This production marks the directorial debut of actor JC Santos, who also stars as three distinct characters in the play – three clones acting opposite Bart Guingona, playing the clone’s father. It’s a short play, spanning just a little over an hour, the tight narrative unfolds across five confrontation scenes between father and his offspring or a variation of such. Despite its sci-fi foundation, the play focuses on the heavy emotional weight of the effects of society towards the individual and to society. It is a heavy drama that requires the both actors to be wholly present at all times, with Santos having to change characters right before our eyes. It is a demanding piece for its actors and the players do an excellent job at it.

A Number by Caryl Churchill | Image courtesy of WHYNoT

The play opens with a son narrating his experience to his father of seeing his exact duplicate in public. They realise clones of him have been made, their conversation explores the effect of such a discovery on one’s identity. But as the story unfolds, we discover there are secrets that have been kept, dark secrets but with good intentions – if not twisted – behind them. With each encounter between the father and different variations of his son, he must reconcile his own actions, while the clones struggle to define the meaning in their existence when the question of their uniqueness is at stake.

A Number by Caryl Churchill | Photo by Miguel Uy, Courtesy of WHYNoT

As a British play, there’s a sense of formality in the language, but Churchill writes characters who are not the most eloquent or articulate of people. They are so overwhelmed by the events and the discovery of the dramatic situation that they often can’t finish their lines. It is a constant back-and-forth between father and son as they try to piece some level of rationality to their reality, and it’s very grounded and real in the way it captures that human experience. As actors, Santos and Guingona have to embody the confusion and the maelstrom of feelings this situation creates, throwing lines back and forth without missing a beat. It’s a terrific display of each performer’s acting prowess, with Santos having shifting from one clone to the next right on stage, bathed in light with only a slight costume change and an adjustment of his hair. His gait, his posture, and his line delivery all shift seamlessly. It’s a standout performance.

A Number by Caryl Churchill | Image courtesy of WHYNoT

The stage is set at the center – a theater in the round – with the audience watching from all sides. The venue, the artist space WhyNot in Karrivin Plaza, has good acoustics, so neither performer uses a mic, keeping the show intimate and personal. The stage is bare except for two sets of very short glass corridors, which either character uses as an entrance and where Santos makes his costume changes. Cushioned blocks at the center serve as chairs, and at the ceiling, shedding light into the confrontations are LCD screens with an abstract display, to which I imagined as strands of DNA, which I was later able to confirm. There is a drone scoring – I was told it was designed live by sound artist Frankie Lalunio – amplifies the emotions as Santos seems to have directed the performances at a lower register, choosing to let the situation and the words display all the emotions. Everything is kept bubbling inside, not playing for the drama. It’s the sound design that helps cue us there.

A Number by Caryl Churchill | Image courtesy of WHYNoT

With its minimalist approach, the play highlights all the confusion and existential questions that the narrative evokes. The question of how far we will go in using technology to make our lives “better” (quotation marks are necessary) becomes all the more biting as we see the dangerous effects of generative AI and social media on our society today. It’s a smart play. It’s a painful one. And it forces us to think, and hopefully, encourages us to act.

My Rating: 4.5 Stars

Presented by WHYNoT and The Necessary Theatre, A Number marks a compelling reunion for Bart Guingona and JC Santos following their sold-out 2023 hit Red, this time with Santos stepping into the director’s chair. The limited nine-show run plays from October 9–18, 2026 with performances at 3:00 PM and 8:00 PM at WHYNoT. Don’t miss this gripping sci-fi drama. Book your seats now at Ticket2Me.

October 13, 2026
EL FUEGO DEL ALMA Returns for a Special Benefit Run at Circuit Makati this ARTober

Porvenir, in partnership with ArtDirected, brings its Filipino adaptation of Tennessee Williams’ Summer and Smoke to Art Directed Studio, located at the Upper Level of Circuit Lane, next to Blackbox Theater, Ayala Malls Circuit, Makati, for eight performances on October 24–25 and 30–31, 2026.

The Circuit Makati engagement marks a new chapter for the production as it moves into a larger, 100-seat space and welcomes a new audience in Makati.

Rather than simply transferring the original staging, the company will reimagine EL FUEGO DEL ALMA for Art Directed Studio, responding to the architecture and possibilities of its new home while retaining the intimacy that defined its original run.

The production will reunite its original cast for the Circuit Makati engagement. While the staging will be adapted to the new venue, audiences can expect the same ensemble of performers who brought the characters and their stories to life during the production’s previous run.

“This invitation gives us the opportunity to discover the production again,” says director and dramaturg Mark Mirando. “EL FUEGO DEL ALMA was created in close proximity to its audience, so bringing it into a new space means asking new questions about how the audience encounters the story. More than extending the run, we want this version to belong specifically to Circuit Makati.”

Translated into Filipino by award-winning playwright Eljay Castro Deldoc and directed by Mirando, EL FUEGO DEL ALMA reimagines Tennessee Williams’ Summer and Smoke for Filipino audiences.

At the heart of the play is a struggle between the spiritual and the physical, between desire and restraint, and between the lives people are expected to lead and the lives they secretly long for.

The ARTober performances will also serve as a benefit run for Porvenir. Proceeds from the engagement will support the company’s plans to bring its work beyond Metro Manila through a regional tour.

“For us, reaching a larger audience also means looking beyond Manila,” Mirando adds. “We want this run to help us take the next step toward bringing the production to audiences in other parts of the country.”

EL FUEGO DEL ALMA runs at Art Directed Studio, Upper Level, Circuit Lane (next to Blackbox Theater), Ayala Malls Circuit, Makati.

SHOW SCHEDULE

October 24, Saturday – 3:00 PM and 7:00 PM
October 25, Sunday – 3:00 PM and 7:00 PM
October 30, Friday – 7:00 PM
October 31, Saturday – 1:00 PM, 3:00 PM, and 7:00 PM

TICKET INFORMATION

Early Bird tickets are priced at ₱1,000, while regular tickets are ₱1,250.

Tickets: https://tinyurl.com/EFDACircuit

EL FUEGO DEL ALMA is presented by Porvenir in partnership with ArtDirected, as part of Circuit Makati’s ARTober celebration, with Circuit Makati, ARTober, Art Directed, and Ayala Malls Circuit as event partners.

October 13, 2026
Theater Review: Baring It All in “Last Dance – Hubo’t Hubad”

It seems fitting that Jojo Urquico’s brand new play, “Last Dance – Hubo’t Hubad,” would run at a club in Poblacion. Halxyon Club in Poblacion, Makati transforms into a theater with a stage in thrust format for this story about male go-go dancers at a drag club. When a raid stops the show right as it begins, five male dancers share their stories with the newest member of the team. Halxyon Club gives an authentic sense of realism to the setting, though it is suggested to come prepared and wear something warm as the air conditioning is really cold and to get a seat near the front as the seats are monoblocs and you might not see what’s happening on stage if taller audience are sitting in front of you.

Last Dance – Hubo’t Hubad | Image Source: Halxyon Club FB Page

And while the play opens with a drag performance, Fewsha Umb and Lexi Era perform in amazing outfits, the five actors takes the stage: Gerald Magallanes as Ace, Paolo Domingo as Jay, John Segui as Dodong, Kriszan Manipon as Mark, and Robbie Padilla as Rafa (with alternates Ysmael Suarez for Dodong and Lance Cabradilla for Ace). They deliver a striptease and provocative dance in Greek-inspired togas, later shedding them for nothing but black briefs and harnesses. When the raid happens, the men rush to their dressing room, where Mama Lou (played by Jem-jem Ria Lopez) assures them that it was a false alarm, though it would be prudent to close for the night.

Last Dance – Hubo’t Hubad | Photos courtesy of the JAPSCollectives Photo Team

Left with nothing to do, the men begin to dress while questioning Jay, the youngest and newest member of the group.

Running approximately 90 minutes, the play takes “baring it all” to the next level. While catching their breath, the five actors are practically naked, with only their briefs keeping them from full nudity. But it is the stories they share that renders them vulnerable. The advice and insights woven into their individual stories expose each character naked in an emotional way. Every story paints a picture of desperate need, revealing this job as the only way out for these characters.

Throughout their sharing, they truly bare it all, dressing down and then going into casual clothes. The night on stage is over, but for some of these characters, it has just begun.

Of the cast, Magallanes is the only one with solid theatrical experience, and it shows. There’s a natural delivery of Ace’s rough and prickly exterior. His story is one of abandonment and a tough armor, one that is gruff and grim, serving as a safety mechanism. Yet Magallanes also subtly reveals Ace’s softer side in quiet moments. While others are deliver their stories, his expressions betray his character’s empathy. While others are doing their monologues, he’s still in character, reacting, keeping busy. He’s making it all feel real along with Manipon, whose portrayal of Mark has a job, but it isn’t enough to pay the bills and so he does this to provide for his family. There’s a sincerity to his portrayal that works well alongside Magallanes’.

Last Dance – Hubo’t Hubad | Photos courtesy of the JAPSCollectives Photo Team

The rest of the ensemble is still finding its balance. Domingo captures Jay’s exuberance and innocence, but his performance feels timed. It feels forcibly pushed out rather than coming from a genuine place. There’s an old school theater style emanating from his line delivery that feels off when matched with the others who take a more naturalistic approach. Segui and Padilla are hitting their cues, but Sequi often feels rehearsed, while Padilla still needs to work on projection. He’s in the moment but his voice and emotions fail to carry beyond the edge of the stage.

I thought it was quite clever, to have the characters begin practically unclothed, only to dress in front of the audience as they prepare to head home, while sharing their personal stories that leave them even more vulnerable than being naked. The play asks us to truly see them – not just their bodies, but their humanity. This marks Jojo Urquico’s first foray into playwriting, and it shows in places. Some of the stories could be further fleshed out, and the dialogue could be drawn out a little further so the characters can build to their emotional peaks gradually rather than abruptly. Yet there is a cleverness in the direction, evident in how seamlessly the stage transforms from a club into a dressing room in a quick blackout. The blocking within that tiny space, as the actors shift seats, move toward lockers to change while one actor delivers a monologue feels entirely organic and natural.

Last Dance – Hubo’t Hubad | Image Source: JAPSCollectives FB Page

This is not a new story, but it is one that will continue to be told until we can fix the system so that no one has to do this out of desperation, or at the very least, until we can afford to give them dignity in the profession. After all, people do come to watch these kinds of shows. They are entertainers, and this is a profession. “Last Dance – Hubo’t Hubad” pulls back the curtain, revealing what lies behind the stage.

My Rating: 3 Stars

Five men. Five secrets. One last dance. Don’t miss Jojo Urquico’s Last Dance – Hubo’t Hubad as it transforms Halxyon Club in Poblacion, Makati into a stage for raw human vulnerability. The show runs through October 29, tickets available at Ticket2Me.

October 7, 2026
PETA brings Lola Basyang to New Generation

The Philippine Educational Theater Association is currently restaging “Mga Kuwento ni Lola Basyang at iba pa…” at the PETA Theater Center in New Manila, Quezon City, ahead of an extended run in February 2027 and a national tour.

Severino Reyes introduced Lola Basyang in Liwayway Magazine back in 1925. Over a century later, her famous rocking chair returns to the stage. First adapted for PETA by Christine Bellen in 2005, this revival is a lively, interactive response to a modern world dominated by short attention spans, algorithms, and artificial intelligence.

The lineup features two of Reyes’ classic tales adapted by Bellen, “Ang Prinsipeng Mahaba ang Ilong” (which touches on self-worth beyond physical appearance and standing up to bullying) and “Ang Binibining Tumalo sa Hari” (a story showing how wit and intellect can challenge arbitrary authority). Joining them is a third piece by PETA Artistic Director J-mee Katanyag entitled “Ang Bantay ng Huling Buwan.”

Katanyag introduces Uriel, a curious young girl living in a world filled with smartphones, vlogs, and constant online noise. When Uriel encounters Lola Basyang, ancient myth collides directly with digital culture, tackling media literacy, misinformation, fake news, and the mythic Bakunawa through a lens of critical thinking and community action.

“The children who first encountered PETA’s Lola Basyang in 2005 have grown up. Some may now be parents, teachers, artists, and storytellers themselves. The children encountering her today are growing up in a slightly different world, where stories arrive through screens, feeds, memes, videos, and algorithms,” Katanyag revealed.

For director Phil Noble, who helmed earlier iterations of the production, staging Lola Basyang for today’s young audience presents a distinct creative challenge. “Today’s children live in a world of vlogging, AI, TikTok, Facebook, Instagram, and so much more. They can create their own worlds with just a screen. This time, I want them to discover another kind of world – the world of live theatre. I want them to open themselves to other possibilities, to immerse themselves in the stories, and to become part of the magical world of Lola B,” he explained.

Noble’s team, including associate director and choreographer Gio Gahol, set designer Julio Garcia, costume designer Carlo Pagunaling, musical director Kabaitan Bautista, composer Noel Cabangon, and lighting designer Satya Edilo, has revitalized the production. The performance builds on fresh choreography, updated visual elements, and expanded musical arrangements crafted specifically to hold the attention of kids used to fast-paced digital media.

The production breaks down the distance between the stage and the seats. Lola Basyang directly speaks to the kids in the audience, asking questions and drawing them into key decisions throughout the show.

Maribel Legarda, director of the show’s mobile excerpt version with designers Boni Juan, Siglo, and Ian Torqueza, considered this direct audience participation as vital for development. “Reviving a classic does not mean reproducing it exactly as it was. Stories live because they are able to speak to changing generations. As PETA always does, we take the time to finesse certain elements so they can speak more meaningfully and responsibly to children and audiences today,” she shared.

As PETA approaches its 60th year, “Mga Kuwento ni Lola Basyang at iba pa…” proves that folklore is a live, dynamic space where generations can gather, question assumptions, and imagine new possibilities together.

Kiki Baento stars as Lola Basyang with CB Garrucho, Yhuan Gatbunton, Belle Mendoza, Leo Lapitan, Thor Ganchero, Nyla Festejo, Roi Calilong, Ayla Garcia, Mico Esquivel, and JC Sunto providing support as cast members. Yhuan Gatbunton, Ericka Peralejo, Carlon Matobato, James Pe Lim, and Icee Po are part of the excerpt cast.

For inquiries and bookings, contact King Joshua Nalupa via Viber at 09936436018 or email kingjoshuanalupa@petatheater.com.

October 7, 2026
Lea Salonga is Bernarda Alba in TGA’S ‘Ang Tahanan ni Bernarda Alba’

The Tony Award-winning actress and Hollywood Walk of Fame star makes a powerful dramatic transformation in TGA’s highly anticipated Philippine staging of Ang Tahanan ni Bernard Alba.

Last seen with TGA as The Witch in the sold-out run of Into the Woods, this season, Lea Salonga steps into one of theater’s most complex and commanding roles as she inhabits the play’s titular character.

Following an extraordinary career that has taken her from Manila to Broadway and beyond, the multiple award-winning actress, singer, and producer now turns her formidable dramatic talents toward this headstrong matriarch, a woman whose determination to protect her family ultimately becomes the very force that threatens to destroy it. This poetic drama by Federico García Lorca, one of the 20th century’s greatest dramatists, permeates this tragic masterpiece of matriarchal despotism and is adapted by celebrated director-playwright Chay Yew and translated into Filipino by Guelan Valera Luarca.

After the death of her second husband, Bernarda declares eight years of mourning and imposes absolute obedience upon her five daughters. Behind the closed doors of the Alba household, silence, discipline, tradition, and appearances reign supreme. But beneath the carefully maintained order, her daughters’ desires, jealousies, frustrations, and dreams refuse to remain contained. When the arrival of a potential suitor disturbs the household’s fragile equilibrium, tensions begin to mount, forcing each woman to confront what she wants and what she is willing to sacrifice to have it.

At the center of it all stands Bernarda: fiercely protective, uncompromising, and obsessed with respectability. She is both mother and ruler, protector and oppressor, determined to hold her family together even as her methods transform their home into a prison.

For Salonga, whose career has been defined by some of musical theater’s most demanding roles, Bernarda marks a striking new chapter. Best known internationally for her Tony Award-winning performance in Miss Saigon, Salonga has also received the Olivier, Drama Desk, Outer Critics Circle, and Theatre World Awards. She became the first Asian actress to play Eponine on Broadway in Les Misérables and later returned to the musical as Fantine in its 2006 revival. Her Broadway credits also include Once on This Island, Allegiance, Flower Drum Song, Here Lies Love, and Sondheim’s Old Friends. On TV, she was last seen in Pretty Little Liars and The Cleaning Lady. She is a bona fide Disney legend having lent her singing voice to Princess Jasmine in Aladdin and Fa Mulan in Mulan and Mulan II. Most recently, Salonga voiced the dreaded manananggal in the DreamWorks animation Forgotten Island.

Yet Ang Tahanan ni Bernarda Alba presents audiences with a Lea Salonga they have never seen before.

Salonga says, “To be perfectly honest, I hadn’t encountered this play before, which may work in my favor as I have no preconceived notions or strong opinions. After reading both Chay’s English translation and then Guelan’s translation into Pilipino, despite the literal terror I feel in my soul, this is an absolutely important work to tackle. It fits our culture and is timely given the state of current events in the world.”

The “terror” Salonga speaks of emanates from two fronts: First, the striking difference in her parenting style compared to that of Bernarda’s, and second, because the play will be entirely in Filipino.

The iconic performer shares, “Bernarda is a mother who rules the roost and raises her

children not with love but fear. This kind of parenting still exists, whether for cultural or familial reasons, and getting under the skin of such a mother may give me some empathy for her as well as plenty of sympathy for her children. Figuring out what her backstory is will be fascinating, and what her motivations are for ruling her home with an iron fist. Her rule is law for every person living under her roof, and that house is not a happy place. How does anyone reach that point? It’s definitely going to be, dare I say, fun playing detective and piecing all that out.”

She continues, “To borrow a line from Into the Woods, I’m ‘excited and scared’. My Tagalog, strangely enough, tends to lean towards the ‘matatas’ side. I once

wrote a post on Threads in Pilipino from start to finish, trying not to incorporate either English or Spanish. A few folks might’ve been surprised. As for preparations, I’ve enlisted Guelan’s help in navigating the script, and am ready to ask questions about why he chose certain words over others in his translation. His use of the language isn’t just beautiful but adds so many layers of subtext and meaning.

With Lea Salonga at its center, Ang Tahanan ni Bernarda Alba promises not merely a performance, but a confrontation and examination of our own Filipino family dynamics and values.

For more information, visit TGA’s website www.theatregroupasia.com, Instagram @theatregroupasia, or Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/theatregroupasia.

October 2, 2026
THEATER REVIEW: Love and Other Drugs: A Review of CAST’s “The Effect” by Lucy Prebble

At the Doreen Black Box Theater in Arete, Ateneo, the stage design for Lucy Prebble’s The Effect, as imagined by director Sarah Facuri and set designer D. Cortezano places the stage right at the center, completely surrounded by the audience. On the raised platform sit two chairs, tucked into opposite corners of each other. The moment I saw it, I thought of a boxing ring sans ropes. I knew nothing coming into this play, having missed the successful staged reading of CAST which was the reason it was mounted as a full production. But the armbands handed to us with our tickets were fashioned like the hospital identification tags, which already prompted us for what was to follow.

The Effect | Photos Courtesy of CAST PH by Myra Ho

The Effect follows Connie and Tristan, played by Sue Ramirez and Brian Sy, two volunteers who have joined a clinical trial for a new antidepressant. They have to stay in a facility throughout the experiment with no contact with the outside world. They are monitored by Dr. Lorna James (Cathy Azanza-Dy), who reports her findings to Dr. Toby Sealy (Dean Daniel Rosen). As the trial runs, Connie and Tristan begin developing feelings for each other, which threatens to compromise the findings and results of the experiment. And as Dr. Lorna is trying to keep the integrity of the process intact, her personal history with Dr. Toby gets in the way.

The Effect | Photos Courtesy of CAST PH by Ynah Garcia

The Effect is a very modern examination of mental health and human connection. It tries to reduce the concepts of love and attachment to a scientific process that the body undergoes but the play understands that the whole thing is much messier than that. The science sounds believable but that’s not important, it helps dissect the trouble that is brewing between the characters. We see each rule of the clinical trial being broken one rule at a time, Connie and Tristan getting more and more entangled romantically, but also questioning if this is really love or just a side effect of the new drug. Meanwhile, Dr. Lorna has her own issues that are highlighted by the juxtaposition of Dr. Toby’s own success in the scientific community, of which she feels may be unearned.

The Effect | Photos Courtesy of CAST PH by Myra Ho

Director Sarah Facuri keeps the play casual and energetic. Everything feels spontaneous as Facuri and her cast steadily build emotions, pushing towards the play’s rather unexpected finale. Through the use of lights (designed by Jethro Nibaten) to play out scenes of the experiments to create a sort of order and then blacking out the stage during Connie and Tristan’s intimate – and forbidden – encounters. We get the feeling that we are losing control, much like the characters feel like they are losing control of their own emotions or rationality. The effect is arresting.

The Effect | Photos Courtesy of CAST PH by Ynah Garcia

The cast is completely committed to the performances. Sue Ramirez’s Connie is a bundle of nerves, hiding anxiety behind a tough exterior that questions everything in order to have some measure of control. Brian Sy’s Tristan is the total opposite: carefree, reckless, and aimless, he takes action regardless of the consequence. The dynamic is electric on stage, and you never question that they are falling in love right in front of you, despite the possibility it is all a chemical reaction. Dean Daniel Rosen embodies the smugness of a successful man who believes he knows better than everyone else. But there’s a charm to him that makes you believe how he got to where he is.

The Effect | Photos Courtesy of CAST PH by Ynah Garcia

It is Cathy Azanza-Dy’s Dr. Lorna, however, who proves to be a true force of nature. In the first act, she is all business, more like a guide for Connie and Tristan, but there are aspects to her character’s dark side just rumbling beneath the surface. But come Act II, Azanza-Dy’s character has a moment and steals the show. She owns her pivotal moment with a monologue so effectively delivered, it turns the entire play upside down.

The Effect | Photos Courtesy of CAST PH by Myra Ho

Facuri does not tone down the play’s distinct British sensibilities, recognizing that the themes that are tackled in The Effect are deeply universal regardless of culture. It is a hard-hitting piece that can make you laugh and tickle your romantic bone before it hits you with the cold, hard truths in its second act.

My Rating: 4.5 Stars

And that’s a wrap! The Effect by Lucy Prebble officially closed its run at Areté, Ateneo tonight. Missed the show or want to keep up with CAST’s next production? Stay tuned for more theater reviews, coverage, and upcoming show announcements!

September 27, 2026
THEATER REVIEW: Inadvertently, the Enjoyable ‘Muli’ Became The Kakki Teodoro Show

I deeply miss original Filipino musical theater. While some jukebox musicals do good work, nothing beats new and original songs made composed specifically for the show. It’s one of the many good things about Muli, directed by Andrei Nikolai Pamintuan, written by Charissa Pammit and Jose Paolo dela Cruz, and featuring songs by Nica del Rosario and Matthew Chang. The songs are catchy and fresh. As the play travels back through time and explores dreams and “what-ifs,” the score plays skillfully with nostalgia. Certain tracks can sound very contemporary and very now while others can carry the sound of the ’90s. Hearing new original music by talented Filipino songwriters with a production that is vibrant and energetic is a pure delight.

Image Source: MULI An OPM Musical FB Page

Muli follows the story of Anita (Kakki Teodoro), a single mother whose dreams of becoming a pop star quickly ended when her daughter, Kath (Janine Teñoso), was born. As Kath urges her to declutter her home overflowing with decades of accumulated belongings (Kath calls her a “hoarder”), every single object brings back memories of a era when anything was still possible for Anita. With Kath preparing to move out, Anita has vivid dreams, alternate “what-if” realities, and just plain old trips down memory lane via a camcorder footage, all of which are acted out throughout most of the play. Yet beneath this nostalgia lies something being alluded to. Something that is amiss. Something fractured in the past has left Anita completely frozen in time and trapped in her dreams.

Photo Courtesy of MULI, An OPM Musical

Firstly, Andrei Pamintuan’s vision for the piece is genuinely thrilling. The stage, designed by D Cortezano (who also serves as the lighting director), features a wall of shelves filled with things that signal Anita’s hoarder tendencies. It doubles as an interactive space where actors retrieve props for every flashback, a dream sequence, or a fantasy. The shelves even swing open to reveal unexpected entrances and exits that manage to keep things surprising. At times, stagehands step in to roll out furniture pieces like desks and platforms, while other times, the actors and the ensemble handle the transitions themselves. This clever choreography creates a flow that allows the play to shift scenes seamlessly across time and memory.

Photo Courtesy of MULI, An OPM Musical

Essentially, the play functions as an intemate two-hander between a mother and her daughter. Yet, there’s a bigger cast that is present, bringing to life figures from Anita’s past that sometimes call or exist within her dreams, fantasies, and flashbacks. This setup paves the way for big song numbers complete with energetic choreography by Julian Abuda, or bustling crowd scenes whenever Anita envisions alternate paths her life might have taken had she made different choices in high school.

Photo Courtesy of MULI, An OPM Musical

While everyone is fully committed to the madcap tone and feel of these alternate narratives or flashbacks – Baus Rufo, Marvin Ong, and Vien King are excellent at their roles, fitting them to a tee – there is no question that this is the Kakki Teodoro show. Not only must she embody the role of an exhausted single mother grappling with the prospect of an empty nest, but she also has to figuring out what to do with the rest of her life as her daughter leaves home. She has to play all the different facets of her. She turns into a full-pledged pop star, a sketchy CEO, a high schooler with crushes and big dreams. It is a mercurial, demanding lead role performance loaded with quick costume changes (and the costumes! Santi Obcena, take a bow!) and belting powerhouse songs across different genres and styles. Even performing while under the weather during the show I saw her in, Teodoro pulled out every single stop. She delivered every ounce of raw emotion needed for each number, and even if she was struggling with her condition, she carried through like the true veteran powerhouse she is. It’s what great performers are all about. I’m so happy to see her as a lead. It’s about time and well deserved.

Photo Courtesy of MULI, An OPM Musical

The production’s big secret is fairly easy to piece together if you pay close attention to the narrative clues along the way, something one can figure out if they ask the right questions as they are watching the show. I spotted it quickly, and while proven right, the reveal did not did not diminish the show’s ending. What it does, however, is raise valid questions about why certain choices of some fantasies and dreams were included in the first place. The diva pop star and the evil CEO personas feel strangely out of place for a character like Anita’s. In the real world, she has no malicious intent nor a dark side that foul for her to dream up of these characters. The CEO has the best song, though, one perfect for Teodoro, and a real highlight in terms of music and performance and direction, but it feels so off because it doesn’t come off as inherent in the character.

Photo Courtesy of MULI, An OPM Musical

Several of these dreams and fantasies are great when taken as is, without the rest of the narrative, but when included within the full context of the narrative, they inadvertently makes Anita appear that there’s a darker side of her that doesn’t quite fit her character at all. These moments feel disjointed, thrust into the story without real dramaturgical sense. While the political commentary related to the scene about the CEO is very much welcomed but doesn’t feel fully intrinsic to the core journey of the play.

Photo Courtesy of MULI, An OPM Musical

At its core, Muli bursts with immense energy, vibrant creativity, a lot of great songs and exceptional performances. Hopefully, with a bit of fine-tuning in future runs, the play could be revisited so that all the dreams and fantasies could really integrate well with the play’s overall arching themes. Nevertheless, this was an enjoyable show and a great showcase for Kakki Teodoro.

My Rating: 3.5 Stars

Catch Muli, An OPM Musical live at the Globe Auditorium, Maybank Performing Arts Theater for its final weekend run this September 25 to 27! Check showtimes and get your tickets at TicketWorld before this extraordinary show takes its final bow!

September 23, 2026
THEATER REVIEW: A Polished Production with Great Performances, ‘The Notebook’ Struggles to Hit Its Emotional Zenith

I have never read The Notebook by Nicholas Sparks, but I have seen Nick Cassavetes’ film adaptation starring Rachel McAdams and Ryan Gosling. Surprisingly, I have watched a lot of movie adaptations of books written by Sparks; while I cannot say I enjoy them all, there is a distinct formula to them that I find comforting and somehow appeals to my closet-romantic nature. So I was excited to catch Theater Group Asia’s production of The Notebook The Musical, even without knowing much about the stage version itself. The songs were written by Ingrid Michaelson, a singer-songwriter whose music career I have been a fan of during her early record.

The musical’s book, written by Bekah Brunstetter, follows a non-linear storyline depicting the main characters, Allie and Noah, across three distinct timelines. The story opens in a nursing home, where an elderly Allie lives with dementia while Noah refuses to leave her side.

Celeste Legaspi as Older Allie, Rody Vera as Older Noah | Photo: Jyllan Bitalac & Sherie Bolo | Courtesy of Theatre Group Asia’s The Notebook The Musical (Artistic Director: Clint Ramos; Executive Director: Christopher Mohnani)

As he reads to her from her handwritten notebook, a diary she kept, the and this thrusts us into the past, where two different versions of Noah and Allie act out their youth. Young Noah and Young Allie portray their first meeting and their falling in love. While middle Noah and Middle Allie, after years of not having seen each other; Noah has returned from the war to fulfill a promise, while Allie finds herself engaged to be married to another man just as their paths cross once again.

Photo: Jyllan Bitalac & Sherie Bolo | Courtesy of Theatre Group Asia’s The Notebook The Musical (Artistic Director: Clint Ramos; Executive Director: Christopher Mohnani)

At its core, The Notebook is a classic love story about two lovers who meet each other and fall in love but their circumstances try to keep them apart, who nevertheless defy all odds and refuse to let each other go.

Photo: Jyllan Bitalac & Sherie Bolo | Courtesy of Theatre Group Asia’s The Notebook The Musical (Artistic Director: Clint Ramos; Executive Director: Christopher Mohnani)

Directed by Nicholas Polonio, The Notebook The Musical emerges as a very polished staging that showcases some really good vocal performances from its cast, most notably from Morissette, who bring incredible depth and vocal power to Middle Allie and a set design that’s dynamic and inventive. There’s a massive dropdown screen frames that allows Older Noah and Older Allie to have their scenes upstage in the nursing home and as they journey into memory of the past, the screen lifts up to give us some gorgeous set designs by Miguel Urbino.

The stage transitions between a dock, complete with a rowboat, a frame representing the “haunted house” (that carries a promise with immense story implications), a bedroom with a huge bed, and a two-story house with stairs and a balcony. These sets are incredible to look at and Polonio’s use of the dropdown projection screen and some additional sliding screens at the side allows him total cinematic command over the show’s overall imagery of each scene. It’s almost cinematic.

Laurence Mossman as Middle Noah, Jillian Ita-as as Georgie | Photo: Jyllan Bitalac & Sherie Bolo | Courtesy of Theatre Group Asia’s The Notebook The Musical (Artistic Director: Clint Ramos; Executive Director: Christopher Mohnani)

Positioned behind the stage, the orchestra delivers a rich, lush soundscape that far surpasses the arrangements of earlier productions. Musical director Farley Asuncion brings out all the emotions from his arrangement. Later, the orchestra is revealed along with another set change at the height of one of the musical’s most emotional moments for full effect. It’s quite strong.

Morissette as Middle Allie, Laurence Mossman as Middle Noah | Photo: Jyllan Bitalac & Sherie Bolo | Courtesy of Theatre Group Asia’s The Notebook The Musical (Artistic Director: Clint Ramos; Executive Director: Christopher Mohnani)

Without highlighting the root cause of their break-up, overshadowed by all the montages of Noah and Allie falling in love, the musical renders its central conflict feels manufactured rather than rooted in a relatable, universal truth. Hidden by all the romantic parts, the conflict (or lack of it) doesn’t really give the musical the tension to reach its emotional zenith. Yes, Older Allie has dementia but that’s also a conflict that cannot be won over by choice.

Sheena Belarmino as Younger Allie, Benedix Ramos as Younger Noah | Photo: Jyllan Bitalac & Sherie Bolo | Courtesy of Theatre Group Asia’s The Notebook The Musical (Artistic Director: Clint Ramos; Executive Director: Christopher Mohnani)

Yet despite its technical flourishes and a powerhouse performance from Morissette, I found the play to lack a certain tension that would amplify the narrative’s conflict. I feel the problem is in the book. Benedix Ramos, Laurence Mossman, and Rody Vera, playing Young Noah, Middle Noah, and Older Noah, respectively, do a great job at portraying the charming romantic lead. Their collective Noah is a bundle of goodness and devoted to his love for Allie. Because of the way he’s written and then performed, there seems to be no real reason why Allie’s parents would be against him other than class discrimination. There are no rough edges in this Noah; no brusque temper, and no underlying danger. Noah is simply a good man. It doesn’t help that Ingrid Michaelson’s songs give him a lot of high notes (which each actor sings well) to sing and he’s always longing for her that there seems to be no real reason for them to be apart except for this discrimination that doesn’t get enough moments to be fully realised.

Morissette as Middle Allie, Sheena Belarmino as Younger Allie, Celeste Legaspi as Older Allie | Photo: Jyllan Bitalac & Sherie Bolo | Courtesy of Theatre Group Asia’s The Notebook The Musical (Artistic Director: Clint Ramos; Executive Director: Christopher Mohnani)

The cast members, led by Sheena Belarmino, Morissette, and Celeste Legazpi, who embody the three versions of Allie, young, middle, and old, respectively – are also giving it their all but it’s a show that doesn’t fully maximize the elements of its story, especially its conflict.

It still hit home for the ladies beside me when I watched; each one holding back tears and swooning at every romantic milestone. The Notebook The Musical is an impeccably polished production with a lot of great technical work involved and standout vocal performances. There is no question about that. Yet the material itself has its issues that hinder a good show from becoming a truly great one.

My Rating: 3 Stars

A story loved around the world, proudly built in the Philippines by Filipino artists, for Filipino audiences: Theatre Group Asia’s production of The Notebook The Musical must close on September 20 at the Samsung Performing Arts Theater. Experience the music and stellar performances for yourself before the run ends. Grab your tickets now via TicketWorld.

September 9, 2026
Spring Returns: The Sandbox Collective Opens Its 2027 Slate with ‘Spring Awakening’

The Sandbox Collective announces the highly anticipated and limited rerun of the award-winning rock musical, SPRING AWAKENING. The production is set to open in February 2027 at The Black Box at The Proscenium Theater, Rockwell Center, Makati City.

The staging recently received 17 Citations from Gawad Buhay Awards, cementing it as one of the most celebrated local productions of the season. Winner of eight Tony Awards, including Best Musical, with book and lyrics by Steven Sater and music by Grammy Award-nominated recording artist Duncan Sheik, SPRING AWAKENING is a contemporary rock masterpiece based on the controversial Frank Wedekind play of the same name.

Set in 19th-century Germany, the musical follows a group of teenagers navigating their burgeoning sexualities and rapidly changing bodies. As they seek answers to the mysteries of life, they clash with uncommunicative parents, rigid institutions, and a deeply conservative society. Driven by an electrifying alternative rock score, the show channels its characters’ adolescent repressions into the timeless angst and power of modern youth. It is an illuminating, unforgettable fusion of morality, sexuality, and rock and roll that continues to captivate audiences worldwide.

With direction by Gawad Buhay nominee Andrei Nikolai Pamintuan (Muli, Lungs, Sa Wakas, Fringe Manila) and musical direction by multi-awarded Ejay Yatco (Side Show, Next to Normal, Little Shop of Horrors), the SPRING AWAKENING rerun promises to reignite vital conversations while championing The Sandbox Collective’s ongoing education and advocacy initiatives.

Pamintuan and Yatco are joined by Nunoy Van Den Burgh (Choreographer), Missy Maramara (Intimacy Director), Wika Nadera (Set Designer), Raven Ong (Costume Designer), Gabbi Campomanes (Assistant Director), and D Cortezano (Lighting Designer).

Ticket information will be announced soon.

SPRING AWAKENING is presented through special arrangement with Music Theatre International (MTI), New York, NY, USA.

For more information, follow The Sandbox Collective on Facebook, Twitter and Tiktok. You may visit our website www.thesandboxco.com and our social media platforms below:

www.facebook.com/TheSandboxCollective
www.instagram.com/thesandboxco
www.tiktok.com/@thesandboxco

September 7, 2026