'Septic Tank 4' is one giant backstage inside joke
Eugene Domingo returns as 'Septic Tank' takes aim at theater culture, backstage chaos, and the so-called golden age of Philippine theater.
Daily TribuneEugene Domingo returns as 'Septic Tank' takes aim at theater culture, backstage chaos, and the so-called golden age of Philippine theater.
Eugene Domingo and ensemble
PETA
Uge in Septic Tanke 'cheter'
PETA
JC Santos
PETA
Marlon Rivera
PETA
'Cheter' comedy and satire.
PETA
If you thought the Ang Babae Sa Septic Tank franchise had already ripped apart every cliché in Philippine showbiz, hold onto your playbills. After dragging “poverty porn,” rom-com tropes, and historical revisionism through the mud, the series is diving headfirst into a brand-new pile of drama: the world of live theater.
PETA has officially pulled back the curtain on Ang Babae Sa Septic Tank 4: Oh Sh*t! It’s Live Sa Cheter! It’s a stage adaptation that turns its high-definition satirical lens toward the booming Philippine theater scene. And naturally, the incomparable Eugene Domingo is back to lead us through the madness.
When the first Septic Tank flick splashed onto screens in 2011, nobody expected it to become the country’s sharpest (and most self-aware) satire franchise. Over the years, it’s earned a standing ovation for poking fun at the industry while asking the questions nobody else wants to touch.
For playwright Chris Martinez, this fourth act is all about checking the "vibe" of the industry.
“In Septic Tank 1, what we wanted to say was, ‘Hey, don’t listen to the poverty porn.’ In Part 2, it was about romantic comedy. In Part 3, it was, ‘Why are you changing history?’” Martinez explained at a recent press conference through a pre-recorded video. “So here in Part 4, we thought: We are supposedly at the golden age of Filipino theater. But is it really the golden age of Filipino theater?”
That’s the "To be or not to be" question at the heart of this production. While theater has exploded post-pandemic—complete with viral TikToks and ticket wars—Martinez wants to look past the marquee lights.
“Septic Tank is really meant to satirize institutions or the industry,” he said. “This play is about the state of Filipino theater.”
Unlike the movies that skewered the silver screen, this installment fully embraces the glorious, unpredictable chaos of live performance. It’s a “play within a play” where the actors portray “extra” versions of themselves.
To keep it spicy, Martinez got personal, interviewing the cast one-on-one before finalizing the script.
“I asked them, ‘What does theater really mean for you? Why are you still in theater when you already have all these options in front of you?’” he shared. “It’s not really 100 percent them, but aspects of them.”
Expect a hyperreal setup that blurs the line between the script and the stage door. Think inside jokes, theater-kid energy, and enough name-dropping to make a PR agent sweat.
According to Martinez, audiences should prepare for “laughter, irreverence, daring, meta-moments, name-dropping, and spectacle.”
The jokes might fly fast, but the subtext is ready to leave a mark.
“When you go out of the theater, you’ll probably see a lot of yourself,” Martinez said. “Philippine theater is great, but where does it really go from here?”
Let’s be real: a Septic Tank show without Eugene Domingo would be a theatrical felony.
She’s taking center stage alongside a powerhouse cast including JC Santos, Stella Cañete-Mendoza, Melvin Lee, and the PETA ensemble. The creative team is equally impressive, with Maribel Legarda (known for hit productions like Rak of Aegis, Care Divas, and One More Chance: The Musical) directing and the legendary Marlon Rivera returning to the franchise.
For Rivera, this show is a total “mood.”
“In Septic Tank, it has always been referential. It has always referred to what was happening in the moment,” he said. “I’m really excited to mention and name-drop all of our Filipino actors.”
It’s also a major homecoming for Rivera, who’s been away from the stage lights for a while.
“I went to theater in 1982, and I have been off theater since the ’90s. This is my first time coming back to theater,” he shared. “I’m just really, really excited to come back.”
While there’s a message in the madness, director Maribel Legarda insists that the funny business comes first.
“I really believe that comedy is so important because it opens people’s hearts to listen to you,” she said. “They can be laughing, but when they go home, they think, ‘Hey, was that right?’”
It’s a full-circle moment for PETA, evolving a film franchise back into the medium where storytelling truly breathes.
“This sustains itself and becomes like a tradition,” she said. “More people over time also get to know these works.”
Ready for some "Cheter" drama? Don’t miss the fun:
What: Ang Babae Sa Septic Tank 4: Oh Sht! It’s Live Sa Cheter!*
When: 19 June to 16 August 2026 (A whopping 50-show run!)
Where: PETA Theater Center, New Manila, Quezon City
Showtimes: 2:00 p.m. & 7:30 p.m.
