Discover the innovative world of award-winning Play Art, where creativity and imagination come to life in unprecedented ways.
The British-Filipino actor, most recently seen in Bridgerton Season 3, arrives in the Philippines this June to star in award winning play “Art”, the Olivier- and Tony Award-winning comedy by Yasmina Reza. It’s a sharp, funny, and emotionally fraught piece about three friends — and the silent wars that build between them over time.
It also marks Sarreal’s first time performing with Repertory Philippines, a moment he calls “full-circle. “To do this in Manila, with a Filipino director and an international team — it feels like a collision of all the places I’ve called home,” Sarreal notes about his role in the award-winning play “Art.”
West End’s Victor Lirio is back to direct for Repertory Philippines after the success of Harold Pinter’s Betrayal last season. (SHARED PHOTO)
When a White Painting Unravels a Friendship
In Art, Rem Zamora Sarreal plays Serge, a man who proudly buys a minimalist painting—modern, all white, and absurdly expensive. His friend Marc, played by British actor Freddy Sawyer, is horrified. Yvan, portrayed by Manila-based Brian Sy, finds himself caught in the middle, clumsily trying to keep the peace.
What starts as a debate over aesthetics quickly deepens into something messier—a takedown of assumptions, buried resentments, and the emotional codes that have quietly bound the trio’s friendship for years. These themes resonate strongly in the award-winning play Art.
For Filipino audiences, the tension feels eerily familiar.
“We’re great at keeping things harmonious—at swallowing hard truths,” says director Victor Lirio. “But this play drags it all into the open. And sometimes, the audience isn’t sure whether to laugh or wince.”
Three Men, One Room, No Way Out
The entire play unfolds in real time, in a single space: a minimalist living room that becomes a psychological minefield. Scenic designer Miguel Urbino embraces that sparseness. The clean lines and emptiness reflect the painting’s provocation—and amplify the emotional weight of every silence, characteristic of award winning plays like Art.
“This isn’t flashy theater,” says Lirio. “It’s precise, controlled. A piece that trusts the acting—and the tension—to carry the story.”
Sarreal shares the stage with two formidable scene partners: Brian Sy, a Manila-based actor known for Othello and Tiny Beautiful Things, and Freddy Sawyer, a Bristol Old Vic alum with credits across London’s stage and screen. Their chemistry crackles.
Because Art isn’t really about taste. It’s about ego. About how we process opinions, and how even the deepest loyalties can bend—or snap—under the weight of one honest remark. Such themes are what make Art an award-winning play.
A New Stage, A New Season
Art also marks a new chapter for Repertory Philippines, christening its Eastwood Theater in Quezon City. Sleek and intimate, the venue brings audiences closer to every glance, breath, and awkward silence—a perfect match for a play where subtleties speak volumes.
Why It Hits Home
At its core, Art isn’t about avant-garde paintings. It’s about modern friendships—the kind we assume are solid, safe, permanent. It asks: what happens when someone you love sees the world—or a canvas—completely differently than you do?
“That push and pull between honesty and harmony—that’s deeply Filipino,” says Sarreal. “That’s why the story lands so personally.”
In a city full of distractions, Art is a sharp, funny, and quietly devastating reminder that even the most stable relationships are works in progress and encapsulates the essence of award-winning storytelling.
It’s also a rare chance to see a global Filipino talent return to the local stage—with a story that cuts close to the bone, laced with wit, humanity, and just the right amount of sting.
Catch Art — and bring someone you love enough to argue with.
Art runs from June 13 to 21 at REP Eastwood Theater, with shows on Fridays and Saturdays at 8:00 p.m., and Saturday matinees at 3:30 p.m.
