CinemaBravo

Following a successful and well-received run, Virgin Labfest XX: Hinog is making a comeback for a special one-night-only performance on July 24 at 8 PM. Theatergoers can catch the show at the Tanghalang Ignacio B. Gimenez (CCP Blackbox Theater), offering another chance to experience some of the standout works from this year’s milestone edition.

Titled VLF XX: Extended, the event will showcase three selected plays from the recently concluded 20th edition:

• Minating ni Mariah ang Manto ng Mommy ni Mama Mary by Eljay Castro Deldoc
• Presidential Suite #2 by Siege Malvar
• Don’t Meow for Me, Catriona by Ryan Machado

This limited encore aims to celebrate the creative voices that continue to shape the festival, highlighting the evolution of Virgin Labfest from a space for untried, untested, and unstaged plays to a platform that champions bold and compelling storytelling.

Tickets for VLF XX: Extended’s are priced at P800 (regular) and P1000 (premium), available at Ticketworld and Ticket2Me websites, and at the CCP TIG Box Office.

About the plays

In Deldoc’s one-act play, Minating ni Mariah ang Manto ng Mommy ni Mama Mary, former con artist Mariah repents his sin by joining the annual Lenten Exhibit. However, things turn when Mariah is accused of stealing the antique veil of St. Mary Magdalene.

In his biting VLF debut, Presidential Suite #2, Malvar presents a darkly comedic glimpse into the Philippine political landscape. When Senator Zaragoza falls into a coma after being accused of money laundering during a Senate hearing, her children step into the spotlight—eager to keep the family’s political legacy (and scandals) alive. 

A daughter finally pursues her dreams in Machado’s play, Don’t Meow for Me, Catriona. While waiting for the bus with her mother, she reflects on the complex familial love that binds and breaks families. For the extended run, actress Manok Nellas will step into the role originally played by TV-theater actress Angelica Panganiban.