The Philippine Star

Manila Improv Festival tickles funny bones

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The Manila Improv Festival 2015 held at the Philippine Educationa­l Theater Associatio­n (PETA) drew internatio­nal crowd with the hilarious antics and mayhem unleashed by the wacky crew of the Silly People’s Improv Theater (SPIT) Manila and internatio­nal comics from around the world.

Organized by SPIT Manila and supported by the Tourism Promotions Board (TPB), the three-day festival is now on its third year. Making the event interestin­g and unique is the absence of scripts or rehearsals with performers taking their cues from the audience to develop the plots and make the whole performanc­e interactiv­e, spontaneou­s and wildly entertaini­ng.

Performing at the Manila Improv Festival 2015 were internatio­nal groups from Asia, including Tokyo’s Pirates of Tokyo Bay, Singapore’s Improv Company, Beijing’s Beijing Collective, Shanghai’s People’s Republic of Comedy and Zmack, Taichung’s Taichung Improv; and Hong Kong’s To Be Continued, People’s Liberation Improv, 3 Dudes Improv and Lamb Ink. Also joining were wacky troops from the US, Australia and Poland, such as Landry & Summers from Los Angeles, Impro Mafia from Brisbane and IP Show from Warsaw.

Of course, Filipino performers, like Switch Improv and One and a Half Men from Manila, Bacolod Improv Group from Bacolod and Dulaang Atenista from Cagayan De Oro also showcased homegrown humor. A fun experience like no other, the Manila Improv Festival gave foreign tourists an outrageous­ly great time. Both internatio­nal performers and audience members also looked forward to another exciting improv festival next year.

The Manila Improv Festival 2015 is a featured event of the Visit the Philippine­s Year 2015 campaign. For details, log on to www.visitph201­5.com.

 ??  ?? From left: Masahito Kawahata, Matt Danalewich and Mike Staffa of Pirates of Tokyo Bay
From left: Masahito Kawahata, Matt Danalewich and Mike Staffa of Pirates of Tokyo Bay

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