The Odd Couple

The Manhattan apartment, the mess, the cleanliness to the Bronx accents and congealed linguini — this was Neil Simon's The Odd Couple to a tee. Even Oscar Maddison's (Jason Klarwein) droop-face took on a great shape of Walter Matthau and poker buddy Felix Ungar's (Tama Matheson) clutching of the big spoon (ladle) was down pat. And those that were not of the original style guide to Neil Simon's script would just be nitpicking — such as The Pigeon sisters' differing colloquial British tones and the younger age-bracket of the cast (which nonetheless worked). Tonight's show brought about a real warmth in the Playhouse theatre, the final play from director Wesley Enoch before he takes over the Sydney Festival but not before leaving a slow-burning log in the fire.

Neil Simon's The Odd Couple opened to a stage show in the 1960s then gained fame through the 1968 film and subsequent television series. However, taking the format back to a stage seemed a perfect placing for the script. The unthreatening story was well-known to the audience, with every line and mannerism revisited for a familiarity even down to the wit of the one-liners; the moose calls and brilliance of the coo-coo Pigeon sisters' hintings of naughty nights and trapped-elevator stirrings playing off well in contrast to the story of the domestic between two divorced guys battling for personal space.

The production for the Queensland Theatre Company, marking its 50th birthday, shows that classic comedic theatrical plays for a dedicated following still holds firm grounding. Here, The Odd Couple got as cosy as it could get without putting striped pyjamas on. And comfortable is what the punters have come here to get.