The Odd Couple is playing in Melbourne for a limited season before heading to the Theatre Royal Sydney on June 27. It stars actor, presenter, producer and entertainer Shane Jacobson as Oscar Madison; acclaimed performer of stage and screen Todd McKenney as Felix Ungar.

Seasoned performers Lucy Durack and Penny McNamee play the exuberant Pigeon sisters Cecily and Gwendolyn, while John Batcherlor (Roy), Laurence Coy (Speed), Jamie Oxenbould (Vinnie) and Anthony Taufa (Murray) round out the talented cast as Oscar’s poker loving friends.

The story opens during one of sportswriter and recent divorcee Oscar’s regular poker nights in New York City. When Felix – a fastidious, neurotic news writer – fails to show up, Oscar and his poker playing buddies fear something bad has happened to him. After learning from Felix’s wife that she seeks divorce and fearing that the separation might cause Felix again to try to take his own life, Oscar invites Felix to live with him until he can get back on his feet.

The play spans a period of a couple of weeks as Felix’s compulsions grate on Oscar’s carefree way of living, including careless spending, excessive gambling, a poorly kept house. This causes tensions between the two friends, to the cause of pure juvenility. By the end, Felix finds himself in a better place emotionally, while Oscar realises Felix had a positive effect on him.

I was once dragged to the cinemas to see the 2019 romantic “comedy” film Long Shot, starring Seth Rogan and Charlize Theron, as directed by Jonathan Levine. As I sat unmoved in my allocated seat, I felt alienated, surrounded by a cinema full of people laughing around me. It was at that screening that I learnt that comedy truly is subjective – and that’s okay. I bring this up, for all intents and purposes, as The Odd Couple has everything working against it for me – I’m not much into comedies, I prefer musicals to plays and it’s based on an old property.

At the beginning, I thought it was bold to make jokes about suicide, but it didn’t work for me. While that topic quickly subsided, I didn’t find myself strongly drawn to either lead character. I found Oscar to be an insensitive and selfish brute, while Felix couldn’t see past his own obsessions to the point of perturbance. So, overall, every character frustrated me.

But it’s difficult to criticise material that has been so successful. It’s like saying negative things about Shakespeare – it may not be your thing, but most can understand what makes it so popular. Neil Simon’s The Odd Couple made its Broadway debut in 1965 before becoming a successful 1968 film and 1970s television sitcom. It was most recently remade for television in 2015, starring the late Matthew Perry and Thomas Lennon, and running three seasons.

The strength of this production lies with the chemistry between its leads. After portraying Edna and Wilbur Turnblad in the 2022 production of Hairspray, Jacobson and McKenney were looking for another project to work together, approaching John Frost and Crossroads Live with bringing The Odd Couple to stage. It’s truly a passion project for the seasoned performers and that joy of working beside each other is palpable and works wonderfully.

So too does Durack and McNamee, longtime friends whose relationship easily transforms into sisterhood. Anytime the Pigeon were on stage, I couldn’t help but smile. I only wish they had more stage time, especially as they make their first appearance after the interval.

Set designer Justin Nardella has created a lived in and time appropriate world. Costume design by Billy Roache and wig design by Michele Skeete aids that period feel of the 1960s. Lighting design by Trudy Dalgleish and sound design by Michael Waters helps the play feel like a sitcom, as the theme tune and lighting cleverly fades in and out between acts.

Director Mark Kilmurry’s enthusiasm is projected onto the stage. He’s created a tight production where every beat hits. Some verbal and physical adlibbing in encouraged, keeping the material fresh every night. Despite my reservations towards the material, The Odd Couple managed some laughs out of me, with McKenney’s physical comedy being especially funny.

It’s a story that gives a brief look into the life of these two characters during a difficult time and proves that nothing can’t be overcome with the help of a good friend. The themes of friendship, divorce and hardship are universal, and all can draw comparisons from their own lives.

I’d recommend The Odd Couple to those seeking a good laugh. And for those of us who aren’t, be prepared to feel alienated within by a theatre full of people in hysterics around you.

Tickets and further information can be found at theoddcoupleplay.com.au.

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Images by Pia Johnson/used with permission