Written by Max Percy

Directed by James Newton

Baklâ,

It’s a noun in Tagalog meaning homosexual, specifically of a more feminine projection. The connotations of the word spread further into the disparaging, stereotypical and slanderous – from the off writer and performer Max Percy embraces the identification, simultaneously utilising the term to share their experiences growing up Queer in the Philippines (and later American) culture and explores the impact of Spanish and American colonisation on the region and generations of people. 

A vivaciously charged one-person performance which wields physical theatre and trauma, Percy undertakes a mammoth decision to start the journey in 1521 and arrive at the present day. But with the loss of ancestral homes, genocide, abuse, and turmoil – is sex really the best cure for trials and tribulations? 

Constructing itself around dishonesty, self-liberations, and the toxicity of some coping mechanisms, Baklâ primarily manifests these expressions with dance, aerial feats, and movements through Percy’s exceptionally gifted sense of physical storytelling. Some remarkably effective forms of movement, from a more recognisable club-scene moves to more interpretive, violent and contortions.

Grim, dark, seedy and at times intoxicatingly addictive, Baklâ revels in the undergrowth and the grime of its storytelling and settings – unafraid to walk the treacherous road to liberation, and have some fun along the way…But despite the tight humour, there’s an unmistakable exploration of the intergenerational trauma at the foundation of the modern Filipino and the Philippines. Percy’s storytelling and performance are truly open and unadulterated – no question is off the table, and no subject is shirked or talked down. 

Newton’s direction is ambitious but struggles to find full cohesion throughout the production in attempting to balance varied storytelling mechanics which individually are a triumph in their own way. Movement is the keystone here – just as equally as Percy’s manner and vexing charm, but dipping between the time periods, settings, and occasional use of video does cause slight breaks in momentum over the course of the hour.

Resoundingly impactful, however, Baklâ achieves a delicate balance of dark humour with a sense of clarity amidst the complexities of sex, history, colonialism, trauma, and more sex. Physically, the storytelling is captivating in movement and expression, with Percy’s personality ensnaring the audience effortlessly with their presence and daring feats.