The Odd Couple

The roles are played again by Jack Klugman as Oscar Madison(the untidy one) and Tony Randall as Felix Ungar (The tidy one). They played these roles in the TV series many years ago.

Unfortunately this great comedy is made mediocre by Klugman and Randall. They are now too old to play the roles convincingly. Although as a 'nostalgic trip' it is nice to see them playing the roles again. I sometimes found Klugman's voice very irritating and hard to understand what he was saying. ( This is because some years ago he had cancer of the throat , he is cured now but it has effected his voice.) I think the play would have been much better if the producers had been brave and selected new actors for the parts. The supporting cast however are superb and most have recently appeared in 'Funny Money' at the Playhouse, Trevor Bannister, Henry Mcgee, Ron Aldridge and Rodney Bewes.

(Darren Dalglish)

With a playwright like Neil Simon, you can't go wrong. Off course, this play is a little dated, but the theme is still funny. Oscar, a divorced man, tries to help his recently divorced friend Felix. He asks Felix to move in with him for company. It doesn't take long before Oscar discovers his friend is a cleaning-freak. It drives Oscar crazy and he ultimately kicks Felix out of the house. Luckily Felix is taken in by two single sisters, who think he is such a lovely man.

For a lot of people this is nostalgia. I, for example, immediately recognised the tune of the television series when it is played before the curtain rises. And when the curtain is up, the first thing you'll see is five men playing cards in a very messy, smoky room. They even throw about with crisps and a pickle! So watch out if your sitting in the front rows!

At first I had to get used to the voice of Jack Klugman, which is very frail.But it got better in the long run. It's true: Jack Klugman and Tony Randall are too old for their parts. But you'll soon forget that when you are in the audience. This play needs teamwork. And they certainly are a team! I wouldn't be surprised if they are friends in real life. I loved it! In one word: it was FUN.