Get 25% off when you book more than one show across our Autumn Season (September - December 2024).
Baklâ: noun, Tagalog. 1) homosexual; 2) unable to reproduce; 3) F****t.
1521. The start of 300 years of Spanish colonial rule, sparking a genocide across the islands now known as the Philippines. The loss of my ancestral homeland sends ripples through time, emitting a cultural amnesia. A young man struggles to remember his first time after a night out at a gay club and a transgender priestess summons the spirit of her mother to protect her village. Worlds collide in a production where audiences are presented with a kaleidoscope of vignettes, and are invited to weave together a theatrical journey dripping with symbolism.
A whirlwind of catholic guilt, moaning (in pain or pleasure?) and with more lines on a mirror than a sonnet.
After tearing up the Edinburgh Fringe, a national tour and the International Dublin Gay Theatre Festival, Baklâ returns to London.
“This teasing tomfoolery is devilishly smart” - ★★★★ The Guardian
Winner of the Best Show category at the Asian Arts Awards 2023, an OffFest nomination, and nominations for Best Male-Identifying Performance, Best Cultural Exchange and Best New Writing in Dublin.
Tobi King Bakare and this theatre deserve a shout-out for such a young, diverse audience. There is so much talk about audiences being full of over 60s and why, why can’t theatres get the crowds in to reflect society in general? Well, I’m happy to say that on a rainy Thursday evening, the theatre was completely full.
Caiti Grove on Before I Go in CPT's Spring 2023 season London Theatre Reviews
