After seeing the first iteration of Imelda in the 2022 TILT program, I knew I had to return to for its run in Summer Nights. It initially impressed audiences with its unique approach to exploring the infamous political figure Imelda Marcos, former First Lady of the Philippines, through the eyes of a young child who idolises her. But what really shone through was its undeniable hilarity, which contrasted with striking imagery that left audiences viscerally impacted.
Expanding from its initial 10 or so minutes to a full hour-long production, Imelda has enhanced even more on its comedy elements. Efa Mackenzie, as Imelda, displays insane comedy chops which she uses to expertly send the audience into fits of laughter with just the slightest action, look or word. She bounces well off Jenny Guigayoma, in the role of Maria Clara, who navigates playing the child and adult versions of her character with ease. A highlight for most likely everyone who will see Imelda is this duo karaoke battle to the show’s original and incredibly catchy song (I am still singing this in my head – pls get this on Spotify asap).
Imelda. Photography by Edwin Sitt.
Donita Cruz’s writing is cleverly structured to show the polarising sides of Imelda without chronicling her life. Instead, Donita focuses on the impact she had on people, in particular on Maria Clara who drastically changes her opinion on Imelda as she goes through life. Once thinking of her as a hero or mother figure to now thinking of her as a monster. There is an interesting incorporation of the differing perspectives people today have of her as Maria Clara returns to the Philippines, from Australia, and speaks to her family who have stayed in the country.
Many audio-visual elements are incorporated into the show and a small TV plays a large part in the storytelling. Extra effort has gone into creating ads on the TV and even a scene from an uber dramatic Filipino soap! Of course, you can’t go past the classic karaoke visuals too with the ken burns pan and zoom across vaguely related landscape imagery- immaculate vibes!
I was happy to see projection used again, as was done in the original production. However, I did feel a craving for a bit more of it and could see the content on the TV transferred entirely into projection.
Imelda. Photography by Edwin Sitt.
While we don’t deep dive into Imelda’s atrocities, we are given glimpses of them through vision from media reports and documentaries. We also hear of them through audio which sometimes runs alongside the action on stage. However, we’re left with no question about her character. Quite quickly scenes twist from being light and humorous to dark and confronting where Efa shows us Imelda’s sinister demeanour, and she quite literally ends up with blood on her hands. Just like Maria Clara we are left to grapple with what we’ve just seen.
Imelda strikes the perfect balance between the dark and the light, leaving you with thought-provoking content alongside buckets of laughter.
Imelda is on now at The Blue Room Theatre through to Feb 3.