Fr. Angelo Nuñez (played by Ermar Alexander) is tortured by the henchmen of aswang leader, Malum (played by Mark Vargas). Photo by Stacy Garcia
01 October 2018 LONDON—The only active Filipino-British community theatre group in Europe, Philippine Theatre United Kingdom (PTUK), concluded its three-part Aswang saga with Praemonitus at the Theatro Technis in Camden on 30 September. The first two episodes, The Birth of Malum and Invicta, were staged in 2016 and 2017, respectively.
The Aswang saga, which is an original play written and directed by PTUK founder Ramon Castillanes Teñoso, merges the Philippines' aswang legend with the magic realism tradition of the West. The three-part series is a classic clash between good and evil with the third instalment baring the final defeat of the aswang leader, Malum, who is played by Mark Vargas.
“I decided to write a trilogy hoping to raise the bar of the Aswang mythology,” said Teñoso. “My approach has been to combine science and religion and to make a quintessentially Filipino story a unique and modern one.”
The aswang mythology became popular in the Philippines as early as the 16th century, with the earliest article about the aswang phenomenon published in 1924. Since then, it has spawned various iterations throughout the archipelago and even among Filipino communities overseas. In the UK, groups like PTUK are stoking London’s imagination on this ubiquitous creature of Philippine myth.
Every year, PTUK stages a play to give the audience a glimpse of Philippine values and culture through its rich heritage of folklore and mythology. Proceeds go to the volunteer-led group's selected charity. This year, the show was dedicated to Prostate Cancer UK, particularly for the group's costume designer, Mr. John Beglin, who is currently battling prostate cancer.
“Theatre is one of the most powerful channels to raise awareness of and to deepen appreciation for Philippine culture in the United Kingdom and around the world. Philippine Theatre UK is also an avenue for Filipinos in the UK to show excellence in the performing arts,” said Ambassador Antonio M. Lagdameo.
The Philippine Embassy supported PTUK’s latest show through the presence of the Embassy’s Public and Cultural Diplomacy Officer, Vice Consul Stacy Danika Alcantara-Garcia who urged the actors and the production crew to continue to become purveyors of Philippine culture in the UK.
PTUK was founded in 2002 and has since staged 13 plays in the UK. Next year, the group aims to produce its first musical.
Ickatah (played by Jan Villegas), an elemental who dwells in Mt. Banahaw, weeps in despair as she tells Marben Tumamot (played by Enrico Tee) and Prof. Ernst De Vega (played by Martin Britt) that they are too late to save the world from the forces of the aswang. Photo by Stacy Garcia
Malum (played by Mark Vargas) is resurrected by his daughter, Invicta (played by Victoria Gigante) after a twenty-year slumber. Photo by Stacy Garcia
Bishop Romano (played by Jerry Anton) attacks Prof. Ernst De Vega (played by Martin Britt) at the bishop’s office in the Vatican. Photo by Stacy Garcia
Vice Consul Stacy Danika Alcantara-Garcia (second from right) eagerly waits for the cast of Praemonitus to return on-stage for their final bow. Together with Alcantara-Garcia are PTUK Managing Director Myla Arceño (rightmost) and ENFID representatives in the UK. Photo by Miguel Antonio Garcia