Review: THE ODD COUPLE Earns Big Laughs at St. Albert Dinner Theatre

Oscar Madison and Felix Unger are polar opposites. The former is content to hunker down in his filthy apartment with his nose in a book while the latter can't rest until every last pesky crumb is swept up. It's only been three weeks since Felix was kicked out by his soon-to-be ex-wife, and his host and close friend, Oscar, has already reached his breaking point.

St. Albert Dinner Theatre presents The Odd Couple, the 1965 comedy by legendary American playwright, Neil Simon. Directed by Rob Beeston, the play features a talented 8-person cast and a cozy, suitably cluttered set. The dialogue crackles with whip-smart humour and tackles the often-taboo subject of men expressing their vulnerability. The production also explores darker topics of divorce and suicidal ideation without being heavy-handed.

From the very first scene, the audience is the proverbial fly-on-the-wall. Set entirely in Oscar's 8-bedroom New York City apartment, the play begins with a seemingly ordinary guys' night. What is supposed to be a night of poker playing ends with Oscar (Kris Loranger), Murray (Kelly Krause), Speed (Jack Morrison), Roy (Tim Kubasek), and Vinnie (Richard Wiens) trying and failing to console their despondent friend, Felix (Rob Beeston). The actors paint a convincing portrait of a friend group, making it easy to forget that they are not truly the characters themselves.

The two leads, Loranger and Beeston, are especially entertaining to watch. Loranger has the audience laughing at Oscar's often petulant antics and cringing as Oscar offers his equally unimpressed friends a menu of 6-month-old potato chips and two-week-old, un-refrigerated sandwiches. As the perfectionist, Felix, Beeston's exaggerated mannerisms and facial expressions emphasize his comedic timing. In the play's second half, Felix's stilted interactions with his and Oscar's dinner dates, British sisters, Gwendolyn and Cecily (Carolyn McGratton and Kristy Baron, respectively) are palpably awkward and humorous. Like their male co-stars, McGratton and Baron have excellent comedic timing and disappear inside their own bubbly, larger-than-life characters.

Unlike Oscar's questionable food offerings, St. Albert Dinner Theatre provided the audience with a delicious buffet dinner prepared by Doug Asdit of Acme Catering. Located in The Kinsmen Club of St. Albert, the intimate performance space is ideal for The Odd Couple's setting.

The production plays until April 29. Tickets are still available for the performances on April 22, 27, 28, and 29.

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