The Odd Couple (Female Version) - Phoenix Theatre Company

Farnworth Little Theatre, Cross Street

Until Saturday (June 15)

Tickets £8

THE Odd Couple is one of those plays that has managed to break out of the theatre and into the mainstream entertainment psyche thanks to the successful television sitcom of the same name, so its themes are something we’re pretty much all familiar with.

The phrase itself tells you all you need to know – two people who quite simply, don’t match – being forced into a situation where they have to try and make it work.

The original male version was written by New Yorker Neil Simon and premiered on Broadway in 1965, but in 1985 following many requests from fans he rewrote it to include female characters.

Out went poker to be replaced by Trivial Pursuit, while the principal characters Felix Ungar and Oscar Madison became Florence and Olive.

Eager to cling to its roots, Phoenix Theatre Company’s production of the show at Farnworth Little Theatre opened with the familiar tunes of the sitcom’s opening music.

There were laughs pretty much from the off as Olive played Trivial Pursuit with pals Mickey, Renee, Vera and Sylvie and the banter flowed: “I’m seeing a doctor.” “Is it something serious?” “No, it’s only been a couple of dates.”

The laughter turns to concern though when they find their pal Florence has been dumped by her husband and is apparently threatening to kill herself, but they suspect it’s just a cry for help – so where would somebody go to try and kill themselves if they didn’t really want to? Among friends!

Sure enough Florence turns up and the friends try their best not to let on they know what’s happened until she realises they’ve been tipped off and dishes the dirt.

The girls make an exit and our two main characters are left alone for the first time – with Olive taking pity on Florence and asking her to move in.

The next time the friends come around its obvious how much of an impact Florence has had on the place, everything is spick and span, they note that even the Trivial Pursuit cards smell of disinfectant!

What later follows is a hilarious ‘double date’ between Olive and Florence, and the excellent Costazuela brothers (the Pigeon sisters in the original) – here played by Geoff and Harvey Millard.

The acting in the production is top notch and the performances poignant, humorous and at times touching.

The two leads are excellent as Olive and Florence. Carol Butler as Olive steals the show at times and perfectly embodies a female version of Jack Klugman’s slovenly, wise-cracking divorcee, while Donna Cubbage’s Florence displays all the neurotic and self-conscious qualities younger fans would recognise in characters like clean freak Monica from Friends, and the endlessly self-doubting Bridget Jones – only 10 times worse!

Coming in at two hours long, the pace never dips in this funny, well-crafted, and at times genuinely touching production.