REVIEW: Bahala/o - Metro Arts

Bahala/o was one of those shows that hit me with a wave of energy the moment I walked in. Creator and performer Buddy Malbasias and co-star Clare Dark were already onstage sweeping mounds of rice off their catwalk, a lone pedestal fan whirring at one end, haze drifting from underneath the stage, and a full house buzzing with excitement. I sat front row and immediately learnt two things: cover your bags and drinks unless you want them seasoned, and prepare to get up close and personal with the rice.

Framed by the Filipino philosophy of “Bahala na” (whatever happens, happens), Bahala/o was both playful and cheeky, yet deeply tender and intimate. This genre-bending, rice-rattling explosion of physical theatre was a joyride through contemporary dance, prose, mime, rave, sensuality, and a hint of musical theatre. It was designed for those living in diaspora or balancing multiple cultural identities, without ever feeling too heavy handed.

The duo onstage were a brilliant match, slipping between intense dance sequences, precise partner work, and random little comedic throwaways like “oh naur Cleo!” or the Camp Rock choreography tribute (we love a millennial moment!). We even got to throw rice at them! They encouraged it. They wanted it. Here, rice was more than just a prop. Flinging handfuls into the air added to the beautiful mess of the performance and embodied that Bahala na spirit.

Costuming was also a captivating slow reveal. Layers from their underwear, white flow-flowing cottons, and bristly thatch jumpsuits were slowly peeled back and reassembled, like shedding and reclaiming different versions of self. The sweat was real too. Physical theatre of this calibre is no joke and they truly exerted themselves for every moment. I was exhausted just watching them and could only imagine how brutal it must be under the lights, with rice sticking to your feet!

One of the biggest highlights was the spoken segment on "How to make rice: a staple food that transcends cultures." On paper it sounds simple. In practice, it turned into one of the most impressive multi-genre duologues I have seen. A bell would ring and the style shifted instantly. We heard rice cooking instructions as theatrical declamation, in another language, in a robotic manner, as a seductive spiel, as earnest storytelling, and even as brilliantly expressive nonsense. It was a “dance script” brought to life, constantly flipping between modes of performance and identity. The audience was completely transfixed.

The lighting design took everything up a notch, pulsing from every angle, above, below and along the sides of the catwalk in the round, perfectly synced with the sound effects and high-energy beats. The music alone would have pumped you up, but combined with the strobes, haze and nonstop movement, it genuinely felt like stumbling into a weird-themed rave party.

Bahala/o was messy, sweaty, hilarious, culturally rich and endlessly inventive. Underneath the chaos sat something very heartfelt: a meditation on family, legacy, queer joy and belonging. It lagged a little near the ending (the dancers literally crawling like snails through the rice), but even then it kept its heart firmly in place, like it wanted to give you a moment to sit with everything you had just witnessed.

For me, it was one of my favourite physical theatre pieces this year. If you love genre chaos, bold storytelling, Asian and queer perspectives, or you simply adore rice as much as they do, this one was an absolute must-see!