When in Manila, it can be hard to get tickets to anything good – especially when it comes to epic performances like Battalia Royale 3.0. I remember hearing about Battalia Royale last February and almost crying when I didn’t get to catch any of the shows. So, when I heard that they were re-staging it at the Museo Pambata this month (the premiere performances of Battalia Royale 3.0 start tonight!), I knew I just had to see it. And I did. I caught the test run of Battalia Royale 3.0 last night. And it was EPIC!!!

Although I am a huge fan of Koushun Takami’s novel Battle Royale, on which Battalia Royale 3.0 is based, you can’t called me biased because I wasn’t a big fan of the movie. I was actually surprised at how much I enjoyed the show, seeing as I was up since 7a.m., hadn’t had dinner beforehand and it ended at 10:30p.m. My hunger and my fatigue simply evaporated the minute I immersed myself into Battalia Royale 3.0. It couldn’t be helped!

The logo of Battle Royale 3.0

What is Battalia Royale 3.0?

In case you haven’t heard of Battle Royale or Battalia Royale 3.0 before, here’s a quick run-through: Battalia Royale 3.0 follows a batch of high school students who go on a class trip, only to be hijacked and forced in a kill-or-be-killed game. Only one student can survive the game. (This book came out way before The Hunger Games, just so you know.)

The best part about Battalia Royale 3.0 is that it presents a different winner every night, so even if you watch the performance over and over again, you will always be in for a surprise ending!

Battalia Royale 3.0 features a large 40-member cast.

If Battalia Royale 3.0 is your first time watching the show as it was for me, then you are in for a real treat. The cast is absolutely amazing! They are convincing. They are gripping. And they really hook you in with their story lines. I can actually look at these “class pictures” of them and still be able to name most of their character’s names – that’s how effective they were at making themselves memorable.

What really makes Battalia Royale 3.0 unique, though, is the fact that you have to move around from scene to scene and really fight to get a good spot of the goings-on in the show. At one point, the cast of Battalia Royale 3.0 splits up entirely and you get told to “Choose Your Own Adventure” because three different scenes all happen at the exact same time at different parts of the premises.

I am still bothered by the fact that I have no idea how some of them were killed (and I really, really, really want to know), so you might want to go with a couple of friends and then split up when the time comes, so you can talk all share the other death stories after Battalia Royale 3.0 ends.

Tickets for Battalia Royale 3.0 are priced at Php450.

Of course, it’s hard not to have favorites and not have anyone to root for. My favorite Battle Royale 3.0 character was Basti. There were actually some parts in the show where I felt the sudden urge to get up and help him out, but I didn’t want to get kicked out (or killed!), so I resorted to screaming and a bit of cheerleading instead. I don’t want to give too much away, but let me just say that Battalia Royale 3.0 is definitely worth the money!

Make sure you dress comfortably, though, and preferably in clothes that you won’t mind getting dirty. You will most likely get splattered with blood, you will definitely be pushing people to get a good view of what’s going on and you will be sitting on the ground for the longer scenes more often than not. No princesses, divas and high maintenance people allowed here!

Would I watch Battalia Royale 3.0 again? Definitely. And so should you. So, When in Manila, become a part of theater history by catching Battalia Royale 3.0 this September 2012!