The people you grow up with see you at your worst. From your childhood, through that monster that is puberty, and into adolescence, they see you at your most awkward, blotchy, and stupid. If you’re lucky, you’ll either lose all contact with them and minimise the chance of being blackmailed with spotty yearbook photos, or you’ll write a show about it.
Max & Ivan: Commitment, now playing at the Queen Dome in Potterrow charmingly embraces the latter, outing all their embarrassing stories, from the many rebrandings of their alt-rock post-punk rock band, to their current misadventures in party planning. Max and Ivan are masters of both witty word play and silly, boyish comedy, which combine in a hilarious spectacle thanks to their exuberant and captivating personalities.
The two quip and banter with each other and the audience to exhaustion, and no one can get enough! Their friendship—or rather, bromance—is truly enviable, as they are completely uninhibited and open to displaying all parts of their friendship through time. Join Max and Ivan in not so much reliving as making fun of their past.
The show works so smoothly because it combines so many different types of humour. Max is a stickman with pro-wrestler dreams. Ivan is a facebusker with his own language. Both are self deprecating, yet genuine in their friendship. Max embodies the rest of their band with a caricature finesse that never ceases to punch a laugh from the crowd. Ivan recounts his vain attempts at reuniting the band while trying out new “boss” new catchphrases like “sizzle.” Surprisingly, however, all these tangents never distract from their main, nostalgic narrative.
Overall, Max & Ivan: Commitment commands the stage with a fresh, hysterical perspective on growing up, looking back, and moving on. They bicker, they play, they’re childish and heartwarming. Technically, Max and Ivan truly understand their modern audience and know how to work a crowd with their superb comedic timing. The show undoubtedly deserves a capital five out of five.
Main Image Credit: Matt Crockett
