Review: TENTENTENEN Captures Chaotic, Hilarious Reality of Pinoy Live-Selling Culture

Manila, Philippines—When “Shopee!” notifs, “pa-mine” na lang, and bright ring lights step off our cellphones and onto the small stage at Teatro Marco, the proceedings are equal parts over-the-top hilarious and familiar, especially among Filipino soc med users. In Teatro Marco’s “Tententenen,” the group, which began the “Ampalaya Monologues” 10 years ago, delivers a groundbreaking, no-holds-barred satire that holds up a mirror to today’s wildly loud, chaotic, and high-stakes business of online live-selling.

While other local theater shows or on-demand series, such as HBO Max’s “Call My Manager,” often skim on soc med culture, “Tententenen,” written and directed by Mark Ghosn, marks the first full-length play (for Ghosn’s company and this subject matter) to place the distinct mechanics of Filipino e-marketplace—frantic product demos, manufactured marked-down prices, and the relentless quest for viral fame—at the very center of it all.

Take note, though: Ghosn’s script doesn’t just scratch the surface of the digital live-selling culture. He uses comedy to clearly convey, through his story and characters, how digital stardom, corporate greed, and a consumer-fandom mindset collide in this niche world. By capturing the exact rhythm, jargon, and theatricality inherent in many live streams, “Tententenen” turns the daily scroll we’re all too aware of into a crowd-pleasing night at the theatre, which Ghosn and his team proudly call “fringe theatre.”

Add to that, Teatro Marco’s third-floor black box studio offers a welcoming, intimate home for this original work. The choice of venue brings immediate, raw urgency to the production, where the audience is literally close to the performers (at times, as close as their faces are to their smartphones’ screens).

“Tententenen” follows the classic rags-to-riches story, but twisted through the lens of today’s internet culture: the rise and impending fall of former fish vendor-turned-CEO Betty (played with vibrant energy by Janine Lloce), also known as Miss Bu of Bubu Beauty Company, whose slew of beauty products dominates the TukTok app.

In Betty’s hyper-capitalist playground, every live-selling session, including occasional guest appearances, such as longtime fan Trixie (played exuberantly by Sonson O.) and underwear live-seller Tom (played by Rem Delos Reyes, whose tonal versatility sets him apart), is a theatrical performance, and every online engagement, whether favorable or not, is calculated revenue.

Behind the scenes, Bubu Beauty Company’s ruthless corporate machine is driven by Atty Dick (played by Jin Mikado, whose sharp legal maneuvering offers a peek at the clinical business interests backing digital influencers), marketing guru Mama J (played by the consistently lovable, dynamic Lucky Charles), and marketing newbie Cindy (played by an equally delightful Deana Tria). Together, they serve as puppet masters of Betty and her internal rival, Trisha (played spunkily by Rai Dela Cruz).

In sum, the play's success metric rests squarely on the shoulders of its ensemble, and the cast delivers with on-point comedic timing and their high-octane energy.  Bringing the digital realm to life on stage is no easy feat. Yet, this set of actors and writer-director Ghosn seamlessly recreates the distinct, hyper-kinetic grammar of Pinoy internet culture.

It’s also an “investigative” piece that peels back the glossy surface of influencer culture to expose a darker, far more transactional core. Take it from Betty herself: “Lahat tayo dito ay filtered.”

“Tententenen” runs for nearly two hours without an intermission, which at times has dead-air moments, especially during those minor set-piece changes, which sadly could be a lull, but can still be fixed by some editing.

Reader Reviews

To post a comment, you must register and login.