PRODUCTION DETAILS

 

TITLE: The Odd Couple (female version!)

PLAYWRIGHT: Neil Simon

PERFORMANCE DATES: 14th-16th May 2015

DIRECTOR: David Lane

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CAST (in order of appearance)

Sylvie - Sophie Griffiths

Mickey - Lisa Valentine

Renee - Jill Pearson

Vera  - Pat Davison

Olive Madison - Nicki Clay

Florence Unger - Linda Baillie

Manolo Costazuela - Graeme Parker

Jesus Costazuela - Samuel Valentine

 

Click HERE for production programme

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SYNOPSIS

Neil Simon's famous update of his contemporary classic starts with a group of women friends playing their regular game of Trivial Pursuit. This week, the coterie is meeting at the apartment of Olive Madison, a divorcee who freely admits to being a slob: "I leave a mess when I read a book."  Late to arrive is Florence Unger, a stickler for detail who would try the patience of a saint, and who has unfortunately just become separated from her husband.  As life would have it, the slob and the fuss-budget decide to room together -- with hilarious results! Within days, Florence's obsessive habits start taking their toll on Olive and their friends. The only remedy Olive can think of (a pair of brothers from Barcelona) disastrously backfires, and the two women are forced to agree on one thing -- even the best of friends sometimes make the worst of roommates.

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CHAIR’S PRODUCTION NOTES

WELCOME TO OUR LATEST PLAY OFFERING...…Neil Simon's The Odd Couple (female version!), and thank goodness he rewrote the original for a female cast. It seems to be an increasingly perplexing task finding suitable plays for the group to perform, this mainly being due to a decrease of the 'male' variety within the society.After watching and thoroughly enjoying this play a few years back, performed by our fellow drama group Riccallish Allsorts we had the view to take a further look at it ourselves when the time was right. That time is now ...6 female and 2 male characters... no contest! David Lane was equally enthusiastic about the play and kindly offered to direct, announcing from the start his wish to produce it 'in the round ' (far less scary now we have a few under our belts). As always, each play brings about new challenges: David's challenge was the blocking of 'in the round' stage movements for the benefit of the audience, designing the set and utilising the full performing space; the actors' challenge was becoming au fait with New York and Spanish characters! I would describe our fine efforts as an international smorgasbord of accents! I would like to take this opportunity to extend a very warm welcome to our latest members... Sophie Griffiths, Anita Shipley and Joy & Peter Young. Thank you to our audience and sponsors for your continued support and patronage. It is, as always, greatly appreciated. I hope you enjoy the play.

Nicki Clay