BATALLIA ROYALE 3.0 Opens this Weekend

By Dale Bacar

Manila, Philippines, September 14, 2012 - Witness the darker side of Philippine theater with Sipat Lawin Ensemble's third restaging of the cult favorite live action role-playing game "Battalia Royale" starting this weekend at Museo Pambata along Roxas Boulevard.

Based on Koushun Takami's novel "Battle Royale" and the Japanese movie of the same name, this grim tale tells about a group of high school students that are caught in a kill-or-be-killed adventure, where only one can survive and emerge the victor. With collars around their necks set to detonate in eight hours if more than one student remains alive, these teenagers are given random items that they can use to defend themselves or kill others with.

Together with the cast and crew of almost one hundred, this play also puts the audience in the middle of all the action and chaos, which is a far cry from the usual, comfy theater experience. Here, audience members can have some blood on their hands (literally), and help decide if a student gets killed or not. Ever evolving, "Battalia Royale" presents a different "winner" and varied ways of getting killed for each character in every performance.

Featuring theater stalwarts Bodjie Pascua and Gabe Mercado, sharing the role of Fraser Salomon, the host of the deadly undertaking, "Battalia Royale" runs throughout the weekends of September at 7 p.m.

Access passes to the performances are available at www.facebook.com/sle.ticketroyale.

For more information about the play, visit Sipat Lawin Ensemble at www.facebook.com/sipatlawinensemble.

Sipat Lawin Ensemble's "Battalia Royale" has not been granted an official license by either novelist Koushun Takami or film company Toei Company, LTD.

Photo by Sipat Lawin Ensemble