Egg Theater Company stages the dark comedy The Pillowman
at the Pineapple Lab, translated in Filipino and directed by George de Jesus
III. The play is originally written by Martin McDonagh.
Set in an unidentified totalitarian state, fiction writer
Katurian is interrogated by the police with the similarities of child murders
in their town and his macabre stories. Katurian draws inspiration for his
writing from his dark past, killing his parents for torturing his mentally ill
brother. He does everything he can to save his works. His younger brother
Michal is also grilled for admitting the numerous incidents of child killings.
This is supposed to be a comedy. As some parts of the
play may make you laugh, most of it will make you disturbed and breathless.
This is the effect of the masterful acting of the cast. Gabs Santos plays
Katurian while Paul Jake Paule and Paolo O’Hara alternate for the younger
brother Michal. The investigator Tupolski is effortlessly done by Renante
Bustmante who is joined by Ariel, the police played by Acey Aguilar.
The Pillowman is far from being charming. Imagine, a
child’s toes in a box. Fiction is
usually written with inspiration from the darkest moments of life and draws
imagination for the ones who dare to read it. The play echoes the subject of
dictatorship, freedom of expression and its implications in the society.
The play will run from April 8-10 and 22-24, 2016, 8:00
PM at Pineapple Lab, 6071 R. Palma Street, Poblacion, Makati City.
For tickets and inquiries, visit Egg Theater Company’s FB Page or
contact 0917-844-0520.
Verdict: A-. DISTURBING.
Words by Aga Posadas
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