Thursday 6 April 2023

We Forgive You, Patina Pataznik review (Melbourne International Comedy Festival)

There's plenty of people from high school we would love nothing but sweet sweet revenge on for making our life hell. At least that's the case for Jake and Liv and their arch nemesis Patina Pataznik. In the comedy show We Forgive You, Patina Pataznik, the two find themselves at their high school reunion where a chance encounter leads to a rare opportunity to exact their payback...but at what cost?

Written and performed by Jake Glanc and Olivia McLeod, the show is packed with sass and laughs. The energy they have throughout complements each other's character and adds fun chaos to the ridiculous situations they find themselves in. They are not afraid to mess with genre and style and the French car ride is an absolute joy to watch. Their time travel back to high school is simply executed but highly effective, as is Jake's date with a fellow classmate.

The story culminates at their Year 8 Anzac Day Assembly (yes, there's time travel) and unfortunately it's here where the narrative falters. The 'incident' doesn't really explain how it "single-handedly destroyed Jake and Liv’s reputation forever" and how it has impacted their lives all these years later. The character's decision at the end happens so quickly and so suddenly, I'm surprised no one in the audience suffered whiplash. There needs to be a rethink of the conclusion and to make sure it doesn't undo all the hard work and wackiness presented up until that point.

Glanc and McLeod are a formidable pair and together on stage are extremely captivating and charming. It's a winning combination and would definitely be keen to see a deeper exploration of how Patina Pataznik ruined their lives, and to have Jake and Liv examining what that means to them and how they move on from that, if they do at all.

SHOW DETAILS



Venue: The Motley Bauhaus, 118 Elgin St, Carlton

Season: until 12 April | 8:45pm
Duration: 55 minutes

Tickets: $28.50 Full | $25.50 Conc and Tightarse Tuesday
Bookings: The Motley Bauhaus and Melbourne International Comedy Festival

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