Stop me if you’ve heard this one before: a fussy, fastidious man is left slack-jawed and shocked when his wife up and leaves him, taking the kids with her. He moves in with his best friend, a slovenly, obnoxious guy. Lifestyles clash, and hijinks ensue. It’s The Odd Couple, of course – legendary playwright Neil Simon’s famously wry tale of male friendship and fallibility.
First staged in 1965, it quickly became a feature film in 1968, starring Jack Lemmon and Walter Matthau. Then, the first of four TV series went to air in 1970, with Tony Randall and Jack Klugman as the bickering bros. It’s a cultural touchstone, having been through countless variations in multiple media, but always retaining its simple, singular concept. Simon himself retooled it twice, flipping the genders in 1985’s The Female Odd Couple, and updating the cultural references for 2002’s Oscar and Felix: A New Look at the Odd Couple. And now we have a shiny, new, but exactingly faithful production at Sydney’s Theatre Royal.
As the central duo, Jacobson and McKenney are superb...
This time around we have Australian comedian Shane Jacobson (of Kenny fame) and musical theatre legend (and Dancing with the Stars judge) Todd McKenney as Oscar Madison (the slob) and Felix Ungar (the fusspot), respectively. With those names on the cast list, you might think that we might be getting an Australianised take on the material – after all, Jacobson is an avatar of easygoing Aussie masculinity. (Imagine Felix and Oscar sparring in properly ocker vernacular!)
Instead, director Mark Kilmurry, who previously mounted a production of the play at Ensemble Theatre, gives us a classic take – all broad New York accents and mid-century design details. The static, roomy set by Justin Nardella is wonderfully appointed, and the costumes by Billy Roache evoke the era while still revealing character – think Mad Men by way of The Marvellous Mrs Maisel and you’re on the right track.
As the central duo, Jacobson and McKenney are superb, relishing Simon’s sharp dialogue and attacking the elements of physical comedy with gusto. Jacobson wears the role of Oscar like a tailored (if a bit shabby) suit, while his New York accent echoes The Honeymooners’ Jackie Gleason (or, if you’re too young for that, Fred Flintstone). As the fretting, frequently annoying Felix, McKenney manages the difficult trick of highlighting the character’s many, many foibles, but still making him likeable. In concert, the two are a perfectly polished pair, playing off each other and making each line sing.
They’re ably supported by a small ensemble (it’s easy to forget that The Odd Couple isn’t a two hander) with Laurence Voy, Anthony Taufa, John Batchelor, and Jamie Oxenbould as poker buddies Speed, Murray, Roy, and Vinnie, respectively, and Lucy Durack and Penny McNamee as the Pigeon sisters, two recently-single British women Oscar and Felix have a nigh-disastrous date with (they’re British birds, get it?). The cast plays it broad, certainly, but each finds a bit of business to make their characters unique, and what could have been a sort of Greek chorus instead becomes a roster of distinct voices.
Perhaps the most pointed question to be asked is how well Simon’s play has aged since it was first staged almost 60 years ago – and the answer is “remarkably well”. Certainly, the sexual politics are archaic, and Felix and Oscar’s attitudes toward their never-seen former wives might raise an eyebrow, but it’s worth noting that Simon is skewering these attitudes in his work, not celebrating them.
While The Odd Couple is about two mismatched friends, they do share similar faults – an inability to compromise, and a tendency to take their loved ones for granted. It’s why they’re divorced, and it’s what drives the play’s conflict. Viewed from that angle, the play is as sharp as ever. And also just as funny – this is a laugh-out-loud comedy brought to us by a drum-tight creative team who never miss the mark. It’s great to see that The Odd Couple is still odd after all these years – in fact, it’s strangely comforting.
The Odd Couple is playing for four-weeks-only at the Theatre Royal Sydney until July 28, 2024. Find out more and book your tickets over here.
Stay in the loop: sign up for our free Time Out Sydney newsletter for the best in arts and culture, food & drink inspo and activity ideas, straight to your inbox.