‘Ang Babae sa Septic Tank 4’: a glorified yet chaotic mirror to the Philippine theatre scene

This disillusionment with the industry drives the central plot: a wildly ambitious adaptation of Aurelio Tolentino’s Kahapon, Ngayon at Bukas. First staged in 1903, the anti-colonialist and historically censored play is considered one of the most significant works in Philippine theatre. Determined to make a daring, contemporised statement, Eugene Domingo—who in real life graduated with a degree in Theater Arts from the University of the Philippines under the tutelage of greats like Tony Mabesa, Behn Cervantes and Anton Juan—decides to stage the production on a boat sailing right in the middle of the West Philippine Sea.

However, as the rehearsal process unfolds, the familiar chaos of the Ang Babae sa Septic Tank universe sets in. Domingo begins by suggesting to her designated producer, Melvin Lee, director Marlon Rivera and playwright Joshua Lim So that they need to make the show more appealing to the Gen Z crowd. In typical Septic Tank fashion, the grand artistic vision quickly devolves into a travesty. Caught in the middle of it all, Domingo recruits the “Ugeng-gengs”—a troupe of aspiring performers she personally selected—rallies an eclectic team of collaborators, and pushes the project far beyond the limits of practicality. Described as visionary, charismatic, exasperating and impossible to ignore, she becomes the driving force behind a production that threatens to spin out of control just as she tries harder to keep it under her full command.

For audiences familiar with previous iterations of Ang Babae sa Septic Tank, this production can feel formulaic and repetitive at times. However, this repetition is a typical and deliberate manifestation of Domingo’s caricature of herself. She is persistent, domineering and even manipulative, culminating in her bold claim: “I am Philippine theatre!”

The play’s satirical take on the contemporary Philippine theatre scene is exceptionally sharp, though its full effect relies heavily on the audience understanding its in-jokes and asides. The script touches on pertinent, often unspoken industry issues, such as sexual abuse allegations on Reddit, the rising threat of AI to playwrights’ creativity and the heavy use of musicals to make historical retellings more appealing to younger audiences. Avid theatregoers will undoubtedly connect the dots on the numerous references to actual theatre personalities, productions and shows. For non-theatregoers, these niche jokes might present a minor barrier, but the production smartly compensates through explicitly clear and entertaining dialogue.

Because the play attempts to tackle so many topics, it ultimately chooses not to dwell on any single issue in the interest of time. As an audience member, one may occasionally feel that the rapid pacing enables the very errors we see in Philippine theatre today. However, this lack of resolution is an intentional philosophical choice central to the Septic Tank franchise.

As playwright Chris Martinez explains: “The play doesn’t try to resolve that. It just puts it onstage.” The production is designed to invite audiences to laugh at the characters, wrestle with their dilemmas and continue the conversation long after the curtain falls. Perhaps the ultimate goal is not to solve these grave matters within the running time, but to prompt the audience to bring these discussions outside the theatre doors.

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Marlon Rivera, who directed the first three cinematic instalments of the franchise and now stars as a cast member in the fourth, captures this sentiment perfectly: “Once the tyrant is expelled and the star is covered in sh*t, does the audience walk out clean, or are they left holding the ticket stubs of their own complicity?”

It seems the local audience is eager to find out. Audience demand has already translated into incredibly strong ticket sales, with the production starting with two sold-out weeks and several other performances fully booked throughout its run. For those looking to secure their seats, tickets are still available via TicketWorld and through designated Showbuyers.

For now, the best approach to Ang Babae sa Septic Tank 4 is to simply sit back and enjoy the “sh*t-show” as it hilariously unfolds.

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