CAST PH to stage ‘The Child’ this November
SINEGANG.ph published this press release as shared by CAST PH. No staff writer participated in writing this article.
“What happens when the truth we uncover threatens the life we’ve built?”
CAST PH ends their 2026 season with Nelsito Gomez’s The Child. Based on Norwegian playwright Henrik Ibsen’s The Wild Duck, The Child is a modern adaptation set in present day Norway. It follows a married couple Gina and Hans Ekdal as they prepare for their daughter Hedvig’s thirteenth birthday. Their plans are disrupted by the unexpected arrival of Gregers Werle, a man from Hans’s past, whose hidden agenda sets in motion a chain of events with devastating consequences. Considered by many as Ibsen’s masterpiece, this new version endeavours to streamline the issues and family dynamics into a potent chamber drama while retaining the emotional power and impact of the original.
Nelsito, who is CAST PH’s Artistic Director, shares, “I’ve been wanting to create a version of The Wild Duck for a while now. When I first read it, it landed on me with such devastating force I knew this was something I wanted other people to experience. The original play had about thirteen characters which posed some economical problems for me. So I went to work reimagining the circumstances and structure which slowly grew into a new creation: The Child. Ibsen is truly the father of modern drama and I hope to give it its due respect while stamping it with my own personal interpretation."
Leading the The Child is five-time Gawad Buhay winner Marco Viaña as Hans Ekdal, with Gawad Buhay nominee Alfredo Reyes as Gregers Werle. Joining them are Gawad Buhay winner Caisa Borromeo as Gina Ekdal and Teia Contreras as Hedvig Ekdal. Rounding out the cast are Jaime Del Mundo as Hans’ father, Joseph Ekdal, and Carlitos Siguion-Reyna as Gregers’ father, Thomas Werle.
Nelsito adds, “The moral dilemma is quite universal and very immediately relatable to a Filipino audience especially in this day and age of online truth crusading. Do we expose the truth at all costs? Or are some lies worth protecting if it makes people happy?”
He continues, “Another thing audiences can look forward to is the assembly of actors, all of whom are sharing the stage with each other for the first time. They each bring such a unique background and experience to this play and I’m honored to join them in the room to help shape it.”
Nelsito Gomez adapts, directs, and sound designs the new work. CAST PH executive director Sarah Facuri serves as production designer and Rafa Sumilong as lighting designer.
Performances are scheduled for a limited run of six shows:
November 28 - 2pm and 7pm
November 29 - 2pm
December 5 - 2pm and 7pm
December 6 - 2pm
Venue will be in the 3rd floor of Mirror Theatre Studios in Makati.
Early bird tickets may be purchased through this link.
