The Odd Couple
I wasn’t sure what to expect when I sat down to see Mark Kilmurry’s take on the Neil Simon’s opus, The Odd Couple. I wasn’t really sure what to make of The Odd Couple at all, I had never really seen any of its various renditions, except maybe that remake with Matthew Perry in the middle of the 2010’s but I think I repressed that.
For a concept as direct and simplistic as “Two guys. One’s clean, one’s messy”, Kilmurry and co manage to create a delightfully deep, fleshed out show, dense and dynamic but never cluttered or getting ahead of itself.
The set is probably the first place to start - a rich, maximalist living and dining room, with cluttered shelves and a myriad of personal touches to make the room feel both lived in and period accurate. Immediately, you understand what the tone of this show is going to be - light, comedic, and probably involving that baseball bat on the back shelf.
​
​
​
​
​
​
​
​
​
​
​
​
Image by Pia Johnson​
​
The actors, with their incredible performances and pacing, immediately immerse you into this tiny world, contained entirely within a cluttered 60’s New York apartment.
When I talk about how rich and deep the comedy can be from such a simple concept, the credit must go in great part to Oscar (Shane Jacobson), Felix (Todd McKenney) and their cohort of friends and love interests. Jacobson and McKenney provide an incredibly faithful performance with the source material, with thick New Yorker accents and distinctive, animated movements. Anthony Taufa and John Batchelor balance the two leads with understated but incredibly engaging performances, while Laurence Coy and Jamie Oxenbould go the other direction, as over the top, bombastic comedic characters constantly making sure Jacobson and McKenney are on the top of their game. Arriving in the latter sections of the show, Lucy Durack and Penny McNamee have a synergy both with each other and our two male leads that crackled with energy.
​
​
​
​
​
​
​
​
​
​
​
Image by Pia Johnson
​
There’s something very retro about this show. Not in the veiled criticism way of “I’m actually calling this antiquated” but through its use of slapstick humour, or the way dialogue often sorts itself into these building blocks of telegraphed set ups and home-run punchlines. (I‘m referring to things as a home-run. The show has clearly imprinted on me.)
The actors know their show well. They know when to pause for a big laugh, build up to a good joke, or play into the chaos of a scene when the script calls for it. There were a few moments where a joke didn’t quite land because it was talked over, and in the final scene, where drama briefly overtakes comedy, the audience was hit with a bit of whiplash as what was meant to be emotive and what was meant to be funny seemed to be anyone’s guess.
But this is a minor mark against an incredibly faithful and dynamic show. A witty, fast paced performance contributed to by a wide range of talented actors, fit for anyone looking for an excuse to get into the city for the night.
​
​
​
​
​
​
​
​
​
​​
​​
Image by Pia Johnson
​​​
​The Odd Couple is showing at Theatre Royal Sydney until 28th July.
​​​​
​
