The Odd Couple

The cast treated us to a comedic look at what can happen when one well-meaning woman offers her home to another fresh from a broken marriage. The two act play opens in the untidy home of Olive where she and her friends at their weekly game of Trivial Pursuits wonder at Florence’s state of mind having been dumped by her husband. When Florence arrives Olive offers her a room to stay. Their relationship is soon under strain with Olive’s open minded approach to life pitted against Florence’s compulsive cleaning and cooking routine - a situation ripe for fun.  Louise Fairnie in what I think is her first principal role, gives an expansive, larger than life character some gravitas while Alison Carcas as Florence digs deep to create what at first seems a mousy role of obsessive housewife to one with her own determined streak. Both deliver lines with assuredness creating a widening gulf between them.  They are ably bolstered by the other Pursuit players, Lynn Hurst, Suzanne Smail, Allyson Coleman and Gina Vereker . The second act is the funnier where they try to hold a dinner party for the Spanish brothers who live above. Shane Whittle as Monola and Craig Potter as Jesus both looking for ‘action’ exploit the language misunderstandings to the full. The characters were well cast and directed. The change-over to set the dining table was done as unobtrusively as possible. The set of open plan dining room and lounge in keeping with the modern era was well thought out and constructed and the stage beautifully dressed. The attention to detail was impressive. Overall the cast and crew delivered an amusing and well executed production with acting up to the high standard expected of these talented players.

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