REVIEW: 'Ang Babae Sa Septic Tank 4' is the sh*t
Ang Babae Sa Septic 4 is the official stage play continuation of the popular film franchise, featuring Eugene Domingo in the title role, a fictionalized version of herself. As conceived by Chris Martinez (Here Comes the Bride) and Marlon Rivera (Ang Huling Henya), the franchise is known for its hilariously, mercilessly meta humor on the conventions and pretension(s) of mainstream film and entertainment culture. For their fourth entry, the target is Philippine theater, with all the pomp, circumstance, and egos that implies.
Presented at the PETA Theater Center, in partnership with Metrobank, from June 19 to August 16, the opportunity to finally see the full play was too good to pass up, as PhilSTAR L!fe was on hand for the media preview back in May. As sets, costumes, and blocking had yet to be finalized at the time, being able to compare the performances was a joy, as—despite everything that had been added since—the show retained every bit of the anarchic insanity we’d previously fallen in love with.
Of course, given that effective satire can only be achieved when the people behind it know what they’re talking about and have something meaningful to say (as opposed to just making lazy references), it is no exaggeration that everyone in this production understood the assignment.
The powerhouse cast is led by Domingo as an actor whose delusions of grandeur are (still) matched only by her astounding lack of self-awareness. She’s joined by director Rivera himself, PETA president Melvin Lee, stage veterans Stella Cañete-Mendoza and Andoy Ranay, as well as Palanca Hall of Fame playwright Joshua Lim So, all playing (slightly more) neurotic versions of themselves.
The play begins with a group of Domingo’s friends and collaborators engaged in a spirited debate of current stage trends and tropes. Spurred on by a combination of camaraderie, wine, and edibles, no stone is left unturned, with PETA, Repertory Philippines, and Dulaang U.P. all taking hits, in addition to pointed observations on political awareness, onstage nudity, and the popularity of musicals (jukebox or otherwise). Amidst shoutouts to Meisner and Shakespeare, Domingo declares her intention for the group to buck trends and stage a modern production of Aurelio Tolentino’s Kahapon, Ngayon, at Bukas. Under the stipulation that Domingo will star as “Inang Bayan,” and roles will be awarded to her newly revealed “Ugeng-geng” street crew, the production moves forward, with Rivera, Lee, et. al. onboard.
Fair warning to anyone with breathing difficulties: get ready to laugh—A LOT.
As with the films, the divide between real life and narrative fiction is blurred to the point of irrelevance, with practically the entire cast riffing on their public personas. From scenes of Ranay expounding on the joys of theatrical nudity, and Domingo trouncing Alex Eala, to Rivera’s mental health hanging by (crocheted) threads, the actors attack the script—penned by Martinez!—with unbridled gusto, delivering punchlines so expertly as to elevate the audience into a state of comedy nirvana.
Raunchier and more unhinged than anything we saw in the preceding films, Ang Babae Sa Septic Tank 4 has lost none of its subversiveness in the transition, bolstered by the cast’s real world friendships translating into onstage chemistry. As one absurdity gives way to the next, the show hurtles with breathless abandon toward a stomach-turning denouement that people will be talking about for years.
By the end, what started out as a surgical deconstruction of Philippine theater has revealed itself as something else entirely: a brilliantly realized tribute to the audacity, vitality, and passion that keep this art form alive.
Holy sh*t.
