'Cirque Alice,' 'The Play That Goes Wrong' set limited Manila runs
MANILA, Philippines — A couple of renowned productions will be arriving in the Philippines for a limited time during the last quarter of the year.
First among these is the Manila premiere of "Cirque Alice," a spectacular modern show inspired by Lewis Carroll's popular children's novel "Alice's Adventures in Wonderland" by blending world-class circus artistry and theatrical storytelling.
Aerialists, acrobats, contortionists, puppeteers, and special guest artists all come together to bring Wonderland to life.
Creative producer Simon Painter described the show as "the perfect canvas for an extraordinary cirque production" in his excitement to bring "Cirque Alice" to Manila, a sentiment shared by executive producer Tim Lawson.
The other is the award-winning comedy "The Play That Goes Wrong" by Mischief, the British theater company created by Henry Lewis, Jonathan Sayer, and Henry Shields — who all starred in the orginal production's West End and Broadway shows.
This live performance turns a theatrical disaster into comedy gold through chaos, collapsing scenery, slapstick, and perfectly timed mishaps.
The original West End production won the Olivier Award for Best New Comedy in 2014 and continues to run as the Duchess Theatre, the longest-running play in the venue's history.
"The Play That Goes Wrong" opened on Broadway in 2017 with Lewis, Sayer, and Shields leading the original London cast where Nigel Hook won a Tony and a Drama Desk award for his scene design.
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In 2019, "Be More Chill" replaced it on the Lyceum Theatre — which is currently running "Oh, Mary!" — but the production remains off-Broadway at New World Stages.
Both productions will run at the Theatre at Solaire courtesy of GMG Productions, first "Cirque Alice" from October 16 to 25, then "The Play That Goes Wrong" from November 6 to 22.
GMG's founder and chief executive officer Carlos Candal said in a statement the company deliberately chose the two productions to be distinctly different from each other.
Candal praised the acrobatics and visuals of "Cirque Alice" and called "The Play That Goes Wrong" one of the funniest shows he's ever seen, sharing that he recently took his children to see the show in London.
"It's brilliant slapstick comedy with perfectly choreographed chaos, spectacular physical comedy and nonstop laughs from beginning to end," the executive continued about the latter. "It's the perfect introduction to live theater for families because everyone, whether you're six or sixty, laughs together."
He pointed out that the upcoming "Harry Potter: A Yule Ball Celebration" would run simultaneously with both productions in the nearby The Space at Solaire, labelling the first official Harry Potter live theatrical experience in the Philippines as another major milestone for the company.
"These productions represent an extraordinary season of world-class live entertainment, reflecting our commitment to bringing audiences unique, immersive experiences that surprise, inspire, and create lasting memories," Candal ended. "These are exactly the kind of shows people will still be talking about long after they leave the theater."
