Joy Watters reviews the female version of an American classic.
Well, it turns out that The Odd Couple spawned another strange duo. Around twenty years after creating the Broadway hit all about Oscar and Felix, slob and uber-houseproud chums thrown into conflict, writer Neil Simon came up with a female version.
Perth Theatre opens the season with the tale of Olive and Florence with director Rachel O'Riordan warmly embracing the 80s setting. It all takes place in Olive the slob's flat as Florence, thrown out by her husband, moves in and takes over.
In changing the sex of the protagonists, Simon does away with the humour of a man constantly dusting and vacuuming, but it does introduce the poignancy of a woman thrown out of the family home by a man. The contrast of slob-neat freak in the house is lessened as really the worst Olive does is throw her coat on the floor and leave things around—gone is the filthy beer bottle repository of the male version. Also, the poker game of the original when the guys hang out is replaced with Trivial Pursuit.
O'Riordan and the all-female ensemble do give it their all, belting it out in a range of New York accents. Where the production really scores is in emphasising the bedrock provided by female friends; the final scene is a brilliant evocation of the strength of same-sex friendships.
Abigail McGibbon as Olive really gets into the nitty gritty of being driven bonkers by a super-fussy housewifey friend while still retaining the affection engendered by a long friendship. All the while Cara Kelly's Florence encompasses the awful manic cleaning side of her personality tempered by the vulnerability of a woman rejected by her husband. Olive and Florence host a dinner party for the upstairs neighbours, the Costazuela brothers, who sport huge 80s moustaches and the fashions of the decade. Ewan Donald as Jesus and Joseph Thomson as Manolo energetically take the piece into farce with slapstick, funny accents and a Fawlty Towers aspect to it all.
Any weakness in the production can really be attributed the fact that it is not the original male version, which offers a better chance to examine the clash of personalities when two friends are thrown upon each other. Nevertheless, the Perth production shows the excellence of the female team in making the most of the piece.
The Odd Couple is at Perth Theatre until October 13.
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