Kris Weber's World of Theatre

The Odd Couple (female version) by Neil Simon
Presented by STAG (Strathmore Theatrical Arts Group)
Directed by Kris Weber
Reviewed by Carolyn Gunn Applause Applause, Friday, June 6 1997
Cast: Adele Menzie, Sandra Mitchell, Mary Jane Ambruosi, Margaret Rawlinson, Sarah Stanhope, Samantha Rawlinson, Peter Prenga, Robert Urban.

STAG's production, excellently directed by Kris Weber, of the female version of the The Odd Couple has feminism gently underscoring the text, similar to the macho approach in the original play; the advent of such comedic styles and focuses by today's female performers such as Jennifer Saunders et al, make this version of The Odd Couple as fresh as ever.

We all know the story of the marital separations of the grubby Oscar and the pedantic Felix, but in Neil Simon's re-write for females we meet the raunchy, sloppy non-house proud Olive and that prissy and domestic perfectionist Florence, - excellently played by Adele Mezie and Sandra Mitchell - these two actresses were a joy to watch, they captured every essence of their characters, played the comedy to the hilt with impeccable timing and a quality in technique that is not seen often enough on the stage today - direction, energy, pace - the lot!

Their performances were complimented by an excellent supporting cast headed by Margaret Rawlinson as the cop 'Mickey', Mary Jane Ambruosi as 'Sylvie', Sarah Stanhope as 'Renee' and Samantha Rawlinson as 'Vera' - these six friends have a weekly get together in Olive's grotty apartment with Trivial Pursuit being the order of the day (instead of poker) with delicious comedy being achieved through the questions posed; suffice to say that the disintegration of Florence's marriage takes over.

Instead of the two girls upstairs (Cecily and Gwendolyn in the male version) we meet two Spanish guys - 'Manolo' and 'Jesus' (deliciously played by Peter Prenga and Robert Urban) who despite working in sales for a Spanish Airline have limited command of English; these two matched Olive and Florence superbly and timing was splendid - as was their muddled English and the puzzlement that this brought about - the dinner party scene was a highlight with actors working superbly with the audience - by this I mean one-liners being picked up by the audience, roars of laughter, then on to the next one - it was a joy to be part of such a happy theater interaction.

Were there any negatives you may ask - well, just two - a very minor one in that the younger members of the supporting cast should watch their level of vocal delivery and ensure that the ends of sentences don't tail away, however this was only occasional - I should say here that American and Spanish accents were well sustained by all and never faltered.

My other quibble is the set, yes it was untidy and grotty as we expect it to be BUT, it was definitely Un-American. The furnishings and colorings could easily have been used for any English or Australian comedy or drama and given the history of the play and its style, an attempt at modernity or a re-worked sit-com approach would have been preferable; also Florence's moving into the apartment should have demonstrated a much more obvious and fussy makeover - there didn't appear to be a great deal of difference.

Good sets do not necessarily mean money and imagination, a bit of paint (color can cover for so much) and the essential divorcing from our own suburban or local viewpoints. STAG have demonstrated that they have the ability to present quality theater, but their approach to sets does need a re-think.

To sum up - a first rate production of The Odd Couple which last Friday night's audience enjoyed immensely and I can't remember when I last fell about laughing so much. My congratulations to Kris Weber for a tight and well directed show. Other companies looking for a crowd pleaser with good roles for women should look no further than this hilarious version of The Odd Couple, very pertinent for today.

Theatrecraft Reviews

The Odd Couple (Female Version) Neil Simon

Presented by STAG -- 5-14 June 1997 -- at STAG's theatre in Strathmore

Director: Kris Weber

Reviewed (June 97) by Margaret Hassall

Cast: Adelle Menzie, Sandra Mitchell, Mary Jane Ambruosi, Margaret Rawlinson, Sarah Stanhope, Samantha Rawlinson, Peter Prenga, Robert Urban

When the second version of a play (or movie) comes out I can't help wondering if it will be as good as the first - has the author really got a good follow-up idea, or is he (or she) just milking the success for all its worth? Neil Simon came up with the goods - the female version of the very well known The Odd Couple is an excellent play on its own!

The characters and plot of this version are very similar to the male version, only changing the gender roles, creating a very funny show. I admit I am pleasantly surprised at how well it works. It is set in Olive Madison's apartment - she is compulsively untidy, separated, and into sports. The play opens on an evening when a group of her friends have arrived to play their regular game of "Trivial Pursuit". We soon learn that one of the friends, the compulsively tidy, cook extraordinaire, home-maker Florence Unger, has left her husband. Not surprisingly, Olive invites her to stay until she can sort her life out - thus creating the odd couple.

Adelle Menzie as Olive and Sandra Mitchell as Florence were excellent together. They kept the pace of the dialogue right up as was necessary, and their body language was spot on - Florence being stiff and upright, fidgeting, creating a very tense and finicky persona. Olive contrasted well with a very laid back manner.

The cast of friends supported very well (Mary Jane Ambruosi (Sylvie), Margaret Rawlinson (Mickey), Sarah Stanhope (Renee), and Samantha Rawlinson (Vera). Initially, I thought that Mary Jane Ambruosi looked too young for the role, but she played it so well that her age became insignificant - an excellent debut performance.

The two Spanish speaking neighbours gave a show stealing performance. Peter Prenga as Manolo Costazuela and Robert Urban as his brother Jesus (pronounced Hey-zuse) looked to have a lot of fun with these two romantic interest' characters. Pace was a very important ingredient in this play, particularly where the odd couples (Olive and Florence, then the two men) were concerned. Director Kris Weber is to be congratulated on producing a very funny, quality production.

I'd recommend this play to other groups - a fast-paced, modern comedy with excellent roles for six women (20s - 40s) and a male comedy duo. Well done, STAG.

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Last updated: 10th Nov 1997
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