Comedy finds a home in BGC
At the official media launch of Brick Wall Comedy Club in Bonifacio Global City (BGC), members of the press were treated to a sampling of some of the finest stand-up comedy performers from Comedy Manila, who now call Brick Wall home. The club will be their homebase in the metro, a haven for shows of all stripes and performers of every experience level.
A little older than a decade, Comedy Manila has been staging shows all over, but it’s good that they finally have a dedicated venue where comedy fans can regularly find quality entertainment. The group now has a roster of almost 50, and aside from the camaraderie and moral support, fosters the development of newbies and more established professionals alike. It’s a community that has grown together, many of whom are branching out into other platforms and opportunities, from their own comedy specials, podcasts, commercial ads; or roles in television, stage, and film.
Emceeing the evening was GB Labrador, one of the pillars of Comedy Manila (you might know him as the father in current MTRCB ads in some theaters), opening with a set of his own (how he dealt with the pandemic lockdown was a highlight) and also introducing what Comedy Manila was all about. He explained how the only thing Comedy Manila didn’t do was insult comedy, and how glad he was for Brick Wall to be a venue for the community. He spoke about his own path to being a comedian, and how many of his fellow comics addressed their own insecurities through their material (himself included).
Margie De Leon was up first, an ex-editor of Rappler who waxed humorously on topics ranging from Enrile’s likely deal with an infernal entity over his longevity to her taste in men, including an MMA fighter (ex) and FlipTop battle rapper (current beau).
Naldo did a riotous set, making light of his experiences as someone who has a nasal speech impediment (some of his bits have gone viral online); he also exhibited a command of comedic structure and timing that belied his demeanor, sometimes allowing the audience to get to a punchline before he did. Nonong Ballinan expounded on the challenges of living in Novaliches, from its distance from Manila, lack of Wi-Fi and (sometimes) electricity, and his accent. Alexio Tabafunda spoke about life as a plus-sized man, proving that they have necks too, given the right motivation. James Caraan (also in the MTRCB ad, as the lead of “Tokwa’t Bad Boy”) recounted life as a ’90s kid and being on the receiving end of corporal punishment.
Main act
The main act of the evening was Rex Navarrete, having just flown in in time for the occasion, with a full set of wry observations about life as a transplanted Filipino, growing up brown in a mostly-white neighborhood, and his current struggles as a person approaching seniorhood.
Brick Wall looks to be an entertainment hub with a diverse set of offerings, from improv shows and open mics to acoustic shows and trivia quizzes. They will also be featuring international guests aside from local talents. Complementing such is a mixture of comfort dishes (baby back ribs, country-style pork chop) and signature items like Bang Bang shrimp (breaded with a spicy kick) and their cocktails, including the Heckler (whiskey, amaretto, angostura bitter, marshmallow) and Carebear (vodka, apple juice, cranberry juice, triple sec, Corona).
Navarrete and Labrador, in a postshow Q&A, reminisced about how there effectively was no standup comedy scene locally two decades ago. When Navarrete first came here to do shows, he looked for opening acts but there were hardly any.
Growing scene
Nowadays they are happy to see the scene growing, not just in number but in diversity, with new talents from the queer community and more comics coming in from outside Manila. Audiences also have grown, more people and a new generation of youngsters for whom local observational humor is less of a rarity and a valid option for a night’s entertainment. With Brick Wall, Comedy Manila and more have a space to enjoy and spread their good work, and all are welcome.
Brick Wall is at Uptown Parade in BGC. Comedy Manila’s schedule of shows can be found at comedymanila.helixpay.ph.
