Philippine theater company The Sandbox Collective has announced the complete cast for their upcoming staged reading of Duncan Macmillan’s ‘People, Places and Things’ this August.
Directed by Sab Jose, ‘People, Places and Things’ tells the story of Emma, a successful actress whose life begins to unravel as she checks into a rehabilitation clinic and confronts her addiction and past trauma.
The staged reading will have a strictly limited four-performance run on August 15 and 16 at The Blackbox at the Proscenium Theater in Rockwell, Makati City. Ticketing details will be announced soon.
Who is the cast?
The lead role of Emma will be alternately played by Gabby Padilla and Bela Padilla, who is making her stage debut.
Bela Padilla is a television and film actress known for ‘100 Tula Para Kay Stella’ (100 Poems for Stella) and ‘Meet Me in St. Gallen’.
Gabby Padilla, meanwhile, starred in queer coming-of-age film ‘Billie and Emma’ and Cinemalaya entry ‘Kono Basho’.
She is also a critically-acclaimed theater actress, with her recent productions including ‘I Love You, You’re Perfect, Now Change’ and ‘Tiny Beautiful Things’.
Stage and screen actor Jake Cuenca will take on the role of Mark, one of the patients Emma will meet at the clinic.
Veteran thespians
Joining them are veteran thespians Menchu Lauchengco-Yulo as the Doctor, Therapist, and Mom, and Audie Gemora as Paul and Dad.
Other cast members include Robbie Guevara (Foster), Reb Atadero (T), Brian Sy (Shaun and Mark, understudy), Mariella Laurel (Laura), Pamela Imperial (Charlotte) and Miel Abong (Jodi).
Salve Villarosa van Schoonhoven will be the narrator and production dramaturg.
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Advocacy Theater
The play was first staged at the Dorfman Theatre at London’s National Theatre on September 1, 2025.
‘People, Places and Things’ explores addiction, trauma, and the obstacles a rehab patient faces throughout their recovery.
This is the second time this theater season that Sandbox will stage a production that addresses difficult topics that are often viewed as taboo in conservative Philippines.
In February, the company staged ‘Spring Awakening’, a coming-of-age rock musical by Duncan Sheik and Steven Sater about teenagers in 1800s Germany that tackles mental health, abuse, and sexuality.
“Since our inception, advocacy theater has been at the heart of The Sandbox Collective’s identity,” said Jose, who is also the company’s artistic director.
“Following our production of Spring Awakening in February, Duncan Macmillan’s ‘People, Places and Things’ continues our commitment to bringing difficult yet necessary conversations to the stage and beyond—expanding our reach, fostering understanding, and helping normalize discussions that matter most,” she added, as quoted by TheaterFansManila.
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