With the same charm as a comedic sitcom despite pre-dating many of the televised shows we know and enjoy today, Neil Simon’s 1965 production of The Odd Couple is an entertaining and quirky theatrical production, even on its 50th anniversary. Presenting something reminiscent of the saying “opposites attract”, viewers are treated to a peek at the eventful lives of two very mismatched individuals, who through their own romantic misfortunes find themselves as roommates. Serving as the final work of Queensland Theatre Company Artistic Director Wesley Enoch prior to him taking up a new position with Sydney Festival, this show proved to be a solid end to his mostly strong line-up of productions over the past five years.
When the neat, fastidious and introverted news writer Felix Imgar (Tama Matheson) is kicked out of home by his wife and left with nowhere to go, a lifeline is given to him by his slobbish and more down to earth poker buddy Oscar Maddison (Jason Klarwein). Having recently gone through a divorce himself and worried that his friend might kill himself out of depression, Oscar offers Felix a place to stay. Personalities soon collide and intermingle, and not even their best efforts can stop the pair having an impact on the daily life of one another. Although somewhat satisfied with their new arrangement at first… cracks quickly begin to show in their relationship and livelihoods.
The Odd Couple is split over what I would consider four “episodes”, each of which are marked by a brief musical interlude or interval and cover a particular event. These events range from Oscar and Felix adapting to their new living situation, to them preparing a luxurious dinner for two ladies in the building (with multiple hiccups along the way). Each event on its own might not deliver anything particularly unique, but often shone with the sheer entertainment value they provide. Although not going overboard, which could have made the show come across as more “silly” than “clever but entertaining”, the wealth of humourous dialogue and actions undertaken by each character regularly earned laughter from the audience (myself included).
Even though The Odd Couple is fifty years old, its storyline, characters and approaches to keeping an audience entertained through dialogue and actions remain relevant and enjoyable today. These foundations have been improved upon through Queensland Theatre Company recruiting a strong main and secondary cast. Jason Klarwein and Tama Matheson are both highlights in the show, with both managing to encapsulate the eccentricities, general personality and shifting moods of their respective characters effectively.
Although they may feel underutilised, Klarwein and Matheson were joined on-stage by Tim Dashwood, Bryan Probets, Steven Rooke and Colin Smith on multiple occasions; taking on the secondary roles of poker buddies Roy, Vinnie, Speed and Murray respectively. Rounding out the cast are the Pigeon sisters Cecily and Gwendolyn, portrayed by Amy Ingram and Lauren Jackson. A special mention must also go to voice and accent consultant Melissa Agnew, who managed to get the cast complementing their characters with authentic-sounding Bronx / British accents. Overall, the casting choices in my opinion were solid, with each cast member managing to effectively reflect their character.
Reflecting an ordinary living room with kitchenette and dining room, the set design is supposed to resemble an ordinary apartment (albeit one which is messy until Felix moves in with Oscar). From a variety of doors cast members can go in and out of to multiple points of interest adopted by scenes throughout the show, the set created by Queensland Theatre Company was both versatile and pleasant to the eye. While a minor feature, I did like how the set was renewed during brief musical interludes halfway through each act, where the curtain would drop temporarily and spectators were treated to some energetic jazz music.
In terms of a show to conclude his time at the Queensland Theatre Company with, Wesley Enoch managed to end things on a very positive note with The Odd Couple. Featuring a well structured storyline with a strong cast/crew and plenty of hilarious moments on offer, age was not a boundary with regard to what this show manages to present audiences in my opinion. It just goes to show that theatrical productions from decades past still have much to provide audiences today.
The Odd Couple is currently being performed until November 8th 2015 at the Queensland Performing Arts Centre Playhouse theatre. Tickets are priced from $52.00 – $82.00, with discounted tickets available to those under 30 years old ($33.00) or part of a booked school group containing ten or more school age children ($27.00). Tickets can be purchased via the QPAC Website or Box Office.
Notes
- Complementary tickets to see The Odd Couple were provided for the purpose of this review.
- All images in this article were taken by myself during the show’s media call.
