Review: Love You Hate You Drive You Wild
Picture: The cast of Love You Hate You Drive You Wild —credit Images By Anderson (NOT a Creative Futures Photography image).
Love You Hate You Drive You Wild is a funny and heartening tale that comes with warnings of themes of depression and suicide. If you are wondering if this is one for you, be reassured that Wednesday night audience members walked out of the PIP Theatre space with smiles on their faces. And lots of material for post-show chatter about personal experiences of weird job interviews, and random beginnings to lifelong friendships.
There are many reasons for moving to the other side of the world. For Molly (Alisha O’Brien), Australia represents a fresh start: new job, new friends, and a clean slate. When the job working for Clive (Daren King) isn’t quite what Molly anticipated, and when the new friendship circle comprises the manic Annika (Bianca Butler Reynolds) and Bowie tribute artist Gavin (Matthew Filkins), Molly begins to question whether she truly can escape. And ‘escape’ is particularly difficult when your close companion is that ever present voice of doubt, beautifully played by Colin W Smith (Moose) in a fabulous portrayal that more than lives up to the glorious antler headpiece. After all, why would a Canadian have a black dog of depression? In Molly’s life, the dark Moose looms large; Moose (Smith) reappears throughout the show, as a lover and a demon, and the simple set is dominated by a moose head artwork (Morrigan Moore, Production Designer).
First performed at the ‘old’ Metro Arts, in 2017, this 2025 reprise of Love You Hate You Drive You Wild is produced by Minola Theatre and PIP Theatre. The show is clearly important in the lives of Minola Theatre collaborators, Kat Dekker (Director) and Bianca Butler Reynolds (writer and performer), and it’s great to see how well the show works in the PIP Theatre space. Moore’s stage design works well, and it is always wonderful to see actors in a space where you can hear every word without the use of head mics, and where the lighting design complements the action (Sound, Lighting and Stage Management by Ursula Heesh and Joe Rogers).
Minola Theatre has attracted a strong cast for this production. Alisha O’Brien gives a compelling performance as Molly—on occasion vulnerable, timid, nervous, browbeaten and sad, and sometimes bold, relaxed, upbeat, and happy. I look forward to seeing O’Brien on many of Brisbane’s larger stages in the years to come. Matthew Filkins is well-cast as Gavin, in an entertaining portrayal of the empathetic neighbour who is facing a mid-life crisis by turning to Bowie’s Ziggy Stardust years. Filkins is a strong comic actor and embraces the stardust sparkle costumes with joy. Daren King is a delight to watch, and I particularly enjoyed King’s toe-curling Clive and also the clever portrayal of the ‘guru’ friend. Bianca Butler Reynolds (Playwright) embraces the role of the manic, funny, and passionate Anika—so much so that I find it difficult to see whether anyone else could embody that character in quite the same way.
I particularly enjoyed the scenes between O’Brien and Smith (that glorious line about Molly being ‘deliciously dark today’), and between O’Brien and Filkins. The relationship between Reynolds’ and O’Brien’s characters is cleverly developed—making some often uncomfortable scenes watchable and enlightening. I have two suggestions for future iterations of the work: to consider the placing of the interval break (just a scene sooner?), and to reduce the number of scenes. I found the episodic nature of this show to be a little distracting and felt that the unsuccessful interviews with both the depressed and the sexist potential employers might be left to the imagination.
I Know It’s Gonna Happen Someday, is arguably about the beginning of a romantic relationship. David Bowie covered Morrissy’s song, which is understood to be an ode to Bowie, so it is a great choice for a key moment in this show. Trying to avoid spoilers, let’s just say that Love You Hate You Drive You Wild reminds us that not every important relationship has to be romantic, that being human is a ‘blessing’ and not a curse, and that we should all heed the call of the “Please, don't lose faith” chorus. Congratulations to PIP Theatre on another great show, and I look forward to seeing future works by the Minola Theatre crew.
Picture: Love You Hate You Drive You Wild —credit Images By Anderson (NOT a Creative Futures Photography image).
Audience information: Love You Hate You Drive You Wild, PIP Theatre, 20 Park Road, Milton QLD 4064 (1-10 May 2025, 7pm—plus 2pm show on 10 May). 15+. Warnings include adult themes, coarse language and sexual references, with discussions of mental illness and suicide. 140 minutes, including 20-minute interval. Tickets $35-$45, plus booking fee.
The reviewer attended the 7 May 2025 7pm show.
NB: All photographs supplied, credit Images by Anderson (NOT Creative Futures’ photographs)