Eat Bulaga! Stars Jose Manalo and Wally Bayola Head to Etihad Arena
Jose Manalo and Wally Bayola bring The Ultimate Dabarkads Comedy to Etihad Arena on Yas Island on Sunday, 22 November. It is an afternoon show built on what the pair do best: sketches, live music and plenty of back-and-forth with the audience, in Tagalog and English. There is no minimum age, which makes it one of the few comedy dates of the season the whole family can attend together; under-16s must be accompanied by an adult aged 21 or over.
Generations of Filipino viewers know the two from the noontime variety show Eat Bulaga!, whose hosts are known as the Dabarkads. Bayola became a full-time host in 2000, while Manalo joined as a production assistant and has been on air since 2002; together they headlined the sketch show H3O: Ha Ha Ha Over and later The Jose and Wally Show Starring Vic Sotto, and with Paolo Ballesteros they form the trio JoWaPao. In 2015 Bayola's character Lola Nidora was back in the spotlight thanks to the Kalyeserye segment and the rise of the AlDub love team, and in 2016 Manalo won the Aliw Award for best stand-up comedian. Big venues are nothing new for them either: the duo played their first joint concert at Smart Araneta Coliseum in Manila in March 2012.
The show runs on a Sunday afternoon at the height of the Abu Dhabi Comedy Season, an easy slot for families with children. Doors open an hour before the start. Bring the kids and get there early: Jose Manalo and Wally Bayola tickets at Etihad Arena.