As a young boy growing up in the Philippines Jeremy Rafal had few links to the wider world – until his dad bought a TV and he discovered cartoons.
With no mobiles, home computers, internet or social media, in a place with little in live entertainment and where even telephones were rare this was something truly amazing.
Jeremy adored them all – Bugs Bunny, The Smurfs, ThunderCats, He-Man. But it wasn’t just their adventures which caught his imagination, it was the music.
As a result he learned the piano, becoming ever-more passionate after the family moved to Hawaii, and eventually earning a place on one of the world’s most prestigious classical piano programmes, Jacobs School of Music at Indiana University.
But life has been far from straightforward. Aged 10 Jeremy was left devastated by the death of his brother in an accident.
The Boy From Bantay is a solo show with music (and cartoons) which follows his life, its successes and struggles and introduces some of the people who have influenced him along the way.
Jeremy said: “Watching cartoons was a huge part of my childhood and that has led me to become a concert pianist. Come to the show and you’ll meet some quirky characters like my family, piano teachers, friends, and some interesting ones in between.
“This story may be unique to me, but there is something for everybody.
“If you were once a kid, you’ll relate to this show. If you had struggles growing up, there’s something for you. And if you like music, nostalgia, comedy, or anything else in between, you will love this show.”
The Boy From Bantay premiered at the New York Fringe where Playbill named it as one of six unmissable solo shows, Theatre Made Easy described it as “a delightful and lively journey into the life of a brightly smiling and greatly talented artist,” and Inquirer.Net called it “a heartwarming autobiographical journey of growth and self-discovery.”
Jeremy has performed and competed around the US and abroad, collaborated with many artists and, most recently, composed an opera called Standing Above Pajaro inspired by the Watsonville riots in the 1930s against Filipino migrant workers.
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Notes for editors
- Interviews available – just get in touch.
Listings Details
- Venue: theSpace@Surgeons’ Hall – Stephenson Theatre (Venue 53)
- Time: 12:35
- Dates: Aug 1-16
- Duration: 60 minutes
- Ticket prices: Full price £12, family £8, concessions £8.
- Suitability: 12+. Contains distressing or potentially triggering themes about the loss of loved ones.
- Tickets: https://www.thespaceuk.com
Cast and creatives
- Company: Bantay Productions
- Performer: Jeremy Rafal
- Director: Josh Boerman
- Playwright: Jeremy Rafal
- Producers: Kate Morris, Ariel Estrada, Leviathan Lab
About the creative team
- Jeremy Rafal was born in the Philippines, raised in Hawaii, and now a New York City based multi-hyphenate artist as an actor, musician, writer, director, and educator. He was last seen on stage in Heart Strings (The Atlantic Theater), Maple & Vine (Constellation Stage and Screen), Machinal (The Mechanicals), The King & I (Interlakes Theatre), Richard III and King John (American Theatre of Actors). As a pianist, he has performed around the US and abroad including Japan, Russia, the Philippines, Italy, Taiwan, among others. He earned a Master of Music in Piano Performance from CCM in Cincinnati and a Doctor of Music degree from Jacobs School of Music at Indiana University. He is excited to bring The Boy from Bantay to Edinburgh Festival Fringe in 2025 after its premiere in FringeNYC. TV credits include Power Book III “Raising Kanan”, FBI, I’d Kill for You, among others. He has also appeared in films and several commercials. As a writer, his play Where Voices Linger was a runner up at Kingsman Quarterly’s Holiday Playwright Contest. His short film Exit 15 has won several accolades from various film festivals including Best Dramatic Short, Best Actor, Best Screenplay, and an Audience Award. He recently composed the opera Standing Above Pajaro with San Francisco based playwright Conrad Panganiban, inspired by the 1930 Watsonville Riots against Filipino migrant workers. Besides being an actor-musician, Jeremy is also into linguistics, jump roping, and CrossFit with his CF-L1 certification. IG @thatonepinoyguy
- Josh Boerman is a New York-based director and designer. From 2013-15 he worked as costume manager at the Flea Theatre, assisting with and maintaining costumes for shows including Mary-Kate Olsen is in Love, a cautionary tale, and the Drama Desk-nominated The Mysteries. He also designed the costumes for Kapow-i GoGo, currently in monthly residence at the PIT.
- Kate is a graduating arts and entertainment management student at Pace University. She has interned at The Thrasher-Horne Center and The Jazz Gallery, gaining hands-on knowledge in venue operations, marketing, and event logistics. Now, she’s co-producing The Boy from Bantay at Edinburgh Fringe 2025.
The production is supported by Leviathan Lab and Pace UniversityFor media information contact Matthew Shelley at SFPR on 07786 704299 or at Matthew@ScottishfestivalsPR.org