The Odd Couple:
What's Holding It Back?

In the heart of New York City, two men find themselves divorced and living together in an eight bedroom apartment with nothing but each other. One a lazy, slapdash slob, and one a tightly wound, fastidious tidier, The Odd Couple follows Felix and Oscar as they learn to live with one another, and change each other for the better. The original 1965 play went on to inspire two television series and a film, making it the blueprint for comedy tropes.

This story is brought to life by theatre royalty Todd McKenney and Shane Jacobson. After seeing this pair as Edna and Wilbur Turnblad in Hairspray, we were very keen to see them paired together again with their comedic prowess. As each made their entrance, they were met with a raucous round of applause, and then the chaos of Felix and Oscar ensued.

As British sisters Cecily and Gwendolyn Pigeon, we are treated to stars Lucy Durack and Penny McNamee. Not appearing until act two–and only appearing in two scenes– it begs the question of why The Odd Couple have cast such big names across theatre and television for such little stage time. Regardless, they make the most of it from the moment they step into the spotlight, hamming up the tittering, well-mannered English woman stereotype.

Bringing the cigar-smoking and sloppy Oscar Madison to life is Shane Jacobson. Jacobson luckily has the most laughs handed to him in the script, but also utilises physical comedy to keep the ball rolling. Watching his irritation with Felix build across the show is entertaining and– albeit some small accent slips– he is fantastic in the role.

As the incessant neat-freak Felix Unger, Todd McKenney’s characterisation is irritatingly perfect, assuring us that we’d never want to meet a Felix in real life. McKenney masters Felix’s nasal (and slightly whiny) voice without becoming unbearable, and creates plenty of opportunity to produce some laughs even when he isn’t speaking.

What stops this production from being truly hilarious is the unfortunate fact that the script is almost sixty years old. The jokes fall a little bit flat in their simplicity, particularly in an era where humour has grown more complex (and in Australia, a little bit darker than the cookie-cutter laughs injected into the play). The Odd Couple’s writing is a true product of its time– which certainly isn’t a bad thing– but it firmly nails the cast and crew in place and prevents them from making the play sensational.

Additionally, even with the stunning set that exceptionally builds Felix and Oscar’s little world in New York, the play suffers from being situated in one place only. The apartment also scarcely changes when Felix moves in, as it isn’t actually that messy to begin with (demonstrated when Felix cleans it up in a matter of minutes during a scene change). By the end of the show, you might feel a little bit of cabin fever after being shut inside with Felix and Oscar’s bickering for a couple of hours.

The Odd Couple is one for those chasing the nostalgia of their favourite film, television series or just the feel of a good old-fashioned play, serving up a good old-fashioned laugh on a meticulously polished silver platter. For something that is six decades old, the play has stood the test of time… the only question is, how many people will be lining up to see that it’s still standing?

The Odd Couple is currently running at The Comedy Theatre, Melbourne.

Find out more at their website: The Odd Couple Play Australia

This review is based upon the performance of The Odd Couple on the 23rd of May, 2024.

Find more reviews here!