Upbeat, entertaining and at times, embarrassingly familiar, ILYYPNC is the perfect anti-dote to relationship blues. With book and lyrics by Joe DiPietro and music by Jimmy Robertson, ILYYPNC has been entertaining theatre goers since 1996.

I’m going to be brutally honest here; I’ve never had much fondness for musical theatre. Perhaps it’s the overly dramatic actors or the way in which tedious songs persist at disrupting the narrative. Quite possibly, the bitterness I feel towards musical theatre comes from witnessing an unfortunate ‘rock opera’ adaptation of Macbeth (I can say with relative certainty, Shakespeare would have turning in his grave).

In the case of I Love You, You’re Perfect, Now Change my animosity was seriously unfounded. Performed by four actors and three behind-the-scenes musicians, ILYYPNC marries music with comedy in a charming way. The genuinely catchy tunes enhance, rather than detract from the performance as the play brings audiences a melange of musical genres with strong singing performances, particularly from the female cast members.

ILYYPNC explores all facets of love and relationships, from awkward first dates to marriage meltdowns. Laced with both hilarity and emotional sincerity, the play will have you giggling at the absurdity of dating and reminiscing about your own romantic blunders. Fortunately, the outrageous scenarios each character finds themself in will put most patrons’ gaffes into perspective.

I Love You, You’re Perfect, Now Change is heart-achingly funny and with Valentine’s Day around the corner, the play might set your own anxieties into perspective. Alternatively, it could be the impetus for a break up but at least you’ll walk away laughing (from the play that is, perhaps not the relationship).

Presented by Brisbane Arts Theatre, the production runs until the 29th of January. For information and tickets head to www.artstheatre.com.au.

-Siobhan Hegarty