Brisbane review - The ODD Couple (female version):Timeless Comedy Doesn’t Disappoint

 By Lilian Harrington

Production: The ODD Couple (female version)

Writer: Neil Simon

Company: New Farm Nash Theatre

Director: Susan O’Toole -Cridland

Location: The Brunswick Room, 52 Merthyr Road, Uniting Church, New Farm

Season: August 16 -September 7 Fridays and  Saturdays .

Evenings: 7:30 pm. August 23 24 30 31, Sept.6, 7

 Matinee: Sat.31.August.

Bookings: www.trybooking.com/1147837

Popular and prolific, American writer, the late Neil Simon, has never failed to disappoint. The ODD Couple is a timeless comedy which continues to fascinate and entertain audiences, no matter which version of it is performed (male or female). New Farm Nash Theatre has opened its season with this energetic and well-paced production directed by Susan O’Toole-Cridland.

Florence Unger, (Ellie Bickerdike) and Olive Madison,(Claire Marchesi), star in this hilarious female version of this popular classic with confidence and commitment. It opens when Olive has her girlfriends over for their weekly Friday night game of Trivial Pursuit. In this female version, the Pidgeon sisters have been replaced by two Spanish brothers, the Constanzuelas, Manolo (Eduardo Abellan) and Jesus (Caelen Culpeper), but the hilarity remains the same. The neurotic and obsessive Florence Unger arrives late after her husband Sidney, (of some fourteen years), has kicked her out of the family home. She is very upset and seems suicidal and she needs somewhere to stay. The friends go out of their way to help her and finally the disorganised, untidy, easy- going, Olive, who is lonely and needs a room- mate, takes compassion on her friend Florence, and offers her a place in her apartment, for a short stay.

Neil Simon has emphasised the marked contrasts between the two very different personalities and their somewhat unique and colourful behaviours. To bring this into focus the key element driving the comedy in The ODD Couple is the line delivery and the timing.

The energy and pace of this performance and the interpretation of line delivery is captivating in this production.  The momentum in each scene gradually builds throughout the production to a point of high conflict which develops in a cameo scene, when two delightful Spanish male dinner guests arrive late from the upstairs apartment; the catalyst, the burnt, baked, fowl, becomes a turning point in what has become a tense and very comedic situation between Olive and Florence, beautifully engineered by Ellie Bickerdike, playing the obsessive cleaning freak, and contrasted with the laid back, adventurous Claire Marchesi.

The supporting cast, worked well together as a team, even if at times some of  their  accents left the audience a little unclear as to the intention. Director O ‘Toole-Cridland, has focused on the strengths and bonds of female friendships, and the way in which they support and drive each other to crazy lengths  on occasion, while at the same time the women show compassion, sincerity and good intentions, and are there for each other when needed.

The green stage set was simple. Olive’s modest living-room gave the impression of a basically furnished apartment which was tidied and changed after Florence moved in and cleaned up Olive’s mess. She added a few more tasteful and homely touches, which brightened it.

Technically, there were few lighting and sound changes, except for a faulty, flickering, light in the second act. The sound used at the beginning of each act was the ever familiar theme music originally used in the television series of The ODD Couple.

The opening night performance enjoyed  a good audience response as evidenced by the laughter and sounds of lively chatter heard after the show. It is awhile since I have seen the female version of The ODD Couple and I wasn’t disappointed.