The Odd Couple - a comedy of friendship, misunderstandings and flat sharing

The Poker Players in The Odd Couple

The Odd Couple has just opened in Sydney at the Theatre Royal. I was fortunate to go along and see this new production of the old classic.

It is not a musical, nor does it feature dances. It is a comedy play filled with one liners from the various cast members. The laughs increase as the show progresses and we better understand the idiosyncrasies of the cast.

The Odd Couple was written by Neil Simon and first performed in 1965 with Walter Matthau and Art Carney. In 1968 it was made into a movie starring Walter Matthau and Jack Lemmon and into a TV series that aired from 197-1975. The Odd Couple is still performed on stages around the world today.

The small Australian cast has many well known actors in it.

Shane Jacobson & Todd McKenny

The two stars of the show that make up The Odd Couple are Shane Jacobson who plays Oscar Madison, the owner of a New York apartment where a weekly poker game is played with his mates. One night one of the players does not arrive, so the card players are worried about him. The other Odd Couple person is Todd McKenny who plays Felix Ungar. Felix turns up and reveals has been thrown out by his wife. Oscar invites him to move into his apartment with him. 

Oscar and Felix are an Odd Couple because they have very different personalities. Felix is news reporter who is a neurotic, neatness freak. Oscar is a sportswriter who is reckless spending his money, loves gambling and keeps an untidy house. How do these two men survive in the one apartment when they are so different from each other?

Shane Jacobson is an award-winning actor, presenter, producer and entertainer. Shane began performing at the young age of 8. Since then he has appeared in movies, TV shows and on many stages in Australia and around the world.

Todd McKenny is a acclaimed performer on stage and screen. He has been the leading man in many stage musicals. He has been in many variety and dancing shows on TV as performer and judge. He is perhaps best known for his portrayal of Peter Allen in The Boy From Oz.

Lucy Durack & Penny McNamee

The two female in the show are sisters who live in an upstairs apartment. Cecily and Gwendolyn are played by Lucy Durack and Penny McNamee. Lucy has been in many stage musicals, TV shows and Podcasts. Penny has starred in leading roles in film, TV and theatre. She was a series regular on Home and Away for 5 years. Lucy and Penny lighten up the second half of he show with the expert timing of their one liners.

The others in the cast are the poker players, Speed played by Laurence Coy, Murray played by Anthony Taufa, Roy played by John Batchelor and Vinnie played by Jamie Oxenbould. Their years of experience on the stage make for an interesting bunch of poker players for Shane and Todd to bounce off.

The one set for the play is a stylish New York apartment where Oscar lives and plays his poker games.  It gives the space for the actors to sit and move around. The cast members come and go through its various doors and entrances throughout the show, as all the action takes place in the apartment. 

The Odd Couple is being performed at the Theatre Royal Sydney, which is located at 40 King Street Sydney. It is only on until 28 July 2024, so be quick to book your tickets to get along to this fun show.  

https://www.theatreroyalsydney.com/events/season-2024/the-odd-couple/