Jake Mace
Concert pianist Jeremy Rafal is bringing his show The Boy From Bantay to the Edinburgh Festival Fringe later this week – exploring a journey of growth and self-discovery through his childhood in the Philippines, a technicolour blur of cartoons and classical music, to what led him into his dream career. We caught up with Jeremy for a pixelated pint to find out more about why he decided to bring his story to the stage.
You can catch The Boy From Bantay from August 1st – 16th at Stephenson Theatre at theSpace @ Surgeons’ Hall from 12:35 (60mins). Tickets are available through the EdFringe Online Box Office.
Jake: Hi Jeremy! Your upcoming EdFringe show explores your journey to becoming a professional concert pianist – tell us about why you decided to put that journey on stage, and what it has to do with cartoons.
Jeremy: Growing up, I remember feeling out of place…a lot. While everyone else was obsessing over ‘N Sync and Whitney Houston, I was secretly busy comparing different recordings of the Chopin Ballades or trying to hunt down the sheet music for the original 1847 version of Liszt’s Hungarian Rhapsody No. 2. When I watched my favourite Saturday morning cartoons, I listened to the music first before I paid attention to the plot and the jokes. I’d play this little game with myself, where I would figure out whether the music is a piece of actual classical music or newly composed music composed for the episode. Now as an adult, I look back at this and think… yeah, I was a weird kid! Perfect for a solo show.
Jake: Tell us about what the audience can expect coming into the show, and what they might not expect about the show.
Jeremy: Audiences can expect a mix of storytelling, live classical piano, vintage carousel projector, and yes, one of those good old CRT TVs from the 1980s. It is a solo play that brings together classical music, cartoons, and Filipino family drama, with a bit of nostalgia mixed in.
What audiences might not expect is that all this vintage tech isn’t just for show. It actually works! The CRT TV will be playing real cartoons and the slide projector lights up, whirs, and clicks through old photos like it’s 1988. Unlike today’s gadgets, these were built to last and they don’t disappoint!
Jake: What are you hoping the audience might take away from the experience, if anything?
Jeremy: While this show is based on a personal story about a provincial Filipino kid with a wild dream of becoming a concert pianist, I like to think there’s something in it for everyone. During our preview performances in New York, I was intrigued by how different moments resonated with different people. Some connected deeply with the immigrant experience. Others lit up at the nostalgia of old cartoons and vintage tech. And for some, it was the classical music, hearing Brahms and Liszt in a whole new context, that really hit home. That’s what excites me about telling a layered story. You never know which thread someone will grab onto. So my hope for the Fringe is that audiences will find something in the show that speaks to their own journey, and leave feeling a little more connected. To the kid they used to be. And maybe, even to each other.
Jake: With Edinburgh Fringe 2025 just around the corner, what are you most excited for?
Jeremy: Oh, the last couple of months have been wild. You know, juggling all the logistics of planning for our trip like transportation, accommodations, insurance, props, fundraising, and on and on. It’s been nonstop. So honestly? I’m just excited to finally be there. To stand in the middle of all the chaos and creativity, to feel that buzz in the air, and to be surrounded by artists from all over the world who’ve also poured everything into getting here. That energy, that mix of nerves, excitement, and possibility, is what I am looking forward to the most.
Jake: Given the themes of Binge Fringe, if your show was a beverage of any kind (alcoholic, non-alcoholic – be as creative as you like!), what would it be and why?
Jeremy: YES! Fun question. I’d definitely start with basi as the base, an Ilokano liquor from our region in Bantay, made from fermented sugarcane and aged in clay jars. It’s earthy, complex, and full of history. Let’s call the drink “Rhapsody Basi.” Start with two ounces of basi, add a splash of pomelo soda for sparkle, and a squeeze of calamansi juice to brighten it all up. Finish it off with a salted ginger rim and a sprig of rosemary. Like the show, it’s grounded in the Bantay heritage, layered with bright and bold flavors with a hint of class and nostalgia.
A reminder, you can catch The Boy From Bantay from August 1st – 16th at Stephenson Theatre at theSpace @ Surgeons’ Hall from 12:35 (60mins). Tickets are available through the EdFringe Online Box Office.
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