A Filipino drama troupe is gearing up for the first ever kabuki performance in the Philippines. "Kanjincho" ("Subscription List") opens in Manila on Friday.

Members of the University of the Philippines troupe hope the show spurs Filipinos to pay more attention to the country's domestic drama output, as well as to other Asian plays. In the Philippines, Western plays, including Shakespearean works, constitute the mainstream, according to the group.

"Kanjincho," one of the most popular kabuki dramas, tells the story of the famed warrior Minamoto no Yoshitsune (1159-1189) and his escape from the clutches of his half brother, the warlord Minamoto no Yoritomo (1147-1199), who founded the Kamakura regime.