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.

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

Shane and Todd on changes made in rehearsals to stage:

Todd: We’ve got a lot more physical comedy, which we’ve just added slowly as we went along. And I think what the most surprising thing for me is that, after four and a half weeks in the rehearsal room, where you think you’re not funny anymore, it’s not going to work and there are no jokes, the audience have told us differently. It’s a real thigh-slappingly funny experience for them, and that’s been a joy.

Shane: Yeah, it’s true, because in the rehearsal space, of course, we all laugh at each other for the first week, and then so do the crew and everyone working backstage, but after a while they’ve heard it many, many, many times, so the laughter does run out. It’s kind of like we kept opening the oven and the chicken wasn’t cooked [laughs]. But here, you bring an audience in and they’re laughing with us, which brings so much more. And now we know where the laughs come, and then we adjust accordingly. So it really is a marriage between us and the audience.

Todd: And there’s more laughs than we actually thought. The matinees particularly, I find, the matinee audiences, I think because they’re slightly older, normally, and they are probably more familiar with the piece. And they just come ready for a great time, and they are rolling on the floor, which is great.

Shane and Todd on similarities between themselves and their characters:

Shane: I’m cleaner than you’d think. Not as clean as everyone would like me to be, but I’m cleaner than you think.

Todd: I’m exactly as you think I am. I’m a neat freak in life. It drives me nuts. It drives everybody around me nuts. I can’t go to bed at night unless my house looks like a hotel. So that’s Felix and I’m annoying.

Shane and Todd on surprises they didn’t consider when watching the television series of the same name that they now have while doing the live play:

Todd: I think the show ultimately is more about friendships and less than just shtick and comedy and pratfalls. Really, the heart of the show is about friendship, and that’s what we have to land in the show. In amongst all this hilarity, is that these guys are best friends. And that’s been a lovely experience to actually find the warmth in amongst the waka waka waka.

Shane: And there’s scenes where we’re having a go at each other because we’re getting on each other’s nerves because we’re crammed in a space together (or be it a big space on stage, but the theory is we’re in an apartment together). And we’ve said many times now, you don’t truly know someone until you’ve been on holidays with them or lived with them, and that’s what the experiment is. They get trapped in a place together.

But even with Neil Simon‘s writing, even while we’re having a go at each other, there’s always little clues in there about how good of friends they are, and so, that’s the nice bit. You’ve got to have the argument but also let each other know that you do love each other. Which, in any kind of marriage or relationship, that’s the best way for it to survive. And so, Neil Simon’s incredibly clever. That even while we’re having a go at each other, there’s little clues that they’re still very, very good mates.

Shane and Todd on being great mates:

Todd: We are the odd couple, like, seriously. If you looked at what Shane’s into and what I’m into, we should not be friends. He rides dirt bikes, and I collect art. Like, what?

Shane: Just before we walked on stage, I showed him a 1932 hot rod that I’m looking at building. And as I’m showing him, he’s like my wife, he goes, “that’s great.” But I’m sure he’s just going, “I get that you like it, and that’s nice, but I have no idea what you’re talking about.”

Todd: I think, “where are you going to keep it? What are you going to do with it? How much is it going to cost to register it each year?” Like, I am your wife. How did that happen?

Shane: My wife loves him as much as I do. It’s terrifying.

Todd: And your kids, they like me.

Shane: I think we’ve explained to people that Todd’s my hall pass to my kids. My kids literally said that “if you had to leave mum for anyone, we’d be okay if it was Todd.” We’ve done so many shows together. I leave my wife to come to my theatre wife. So, my kids, if I’m here, they know I’m with Todd. And then when I’m at home, I’m with them. So, they kind of see Todd as like an extension of our family.

Shane and Todd on what younger audiences, who might not be as familiar with the original 1970s sitcom which the play is based on, can look forward to:

Todd: Well, on Saturday night, a man said, “Todd, I’ve got to tell you. There was three generations of our family that came to the show on Saturday.” His 12-year-old son, him and his father. And he said, “it’s the first thing we’ve done as a family of three generations that wasn’t sport.” And he said, “we all loved it.” I said, “how’d the 12-year-old go?” He went, “loved it.” So, it’s a crowd pleaser. I wouldn’t say it’s a kids’ show (12 is probably the youngest I would bring) but it’s a universal story and they get it and they understand it.

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Interviews were done as a group at the media call on May 22, 2024.