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64 THE LIST FESTIVAL MAGAZINE
THE ODD COUPLE
Top British comics perform Neil Simon's
wisecracking classic
Bill Bailey and Alan Davies playing bickering bachelors Oscar and Felix in Neil Simon’s domestic farce The Odd Couple is going to be one of the Fringe’s top crowd-pullers. But the British comics are going to have their work cut out attempting to live up to Walter Matthau and Jack Lemmon’s definitive portrayals in the
superb 1968 film.
A great admirer of Simon’s play, Fringe veteran director Guy Masterson (13 Festivals, 52 shows) is fully aware of the task ahead. Fresh from rehearsals and sitting with his cast outside the Rose and Crown pub across the road from the Assembly Rooms, however, Masterson is on jubilant good form. ‘First, they’re brilliant comedians. Bill is the only guy with that magnificent shambolic quality that Walter Matthau
WAITING ROOM
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experiences of war. artistic director Na/li labatabai deeply understands its effect on the human spirit. 'We know that this is a political play but we don’t ever pin it to Kosovo or Iraq: the importance and the value for us is the social contele
With the production haying; been nominated for the Amnesty l ieedom of Expression /\‘.'.’£ll'(l. it sounds promising. As Tabatabai says: ‘lhis play that is so very timely talks about the war waged on \.'~./omen's bodies and speaks of human rights in a human way.' «Michelle Macintyrei I Scotland's Theatre (Eziteitriv (9 I 7 (395%). ti-é’h‘ Aug met 5), lb‘.
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had. And Alan has that uptight, pernickety nature of Jack Lemmon. The rehearsals have been going brilliantly. There’s a terrific spirit amongst the cast. The play is complete,’ says Masterson. ‘lt’s now just a question of running it.’
The Odd Couple is, in fact, 40 years old this year. It was first staged in 1965, with Matthau, Art Carney in the Lemmon role and Hollywood player Mike Nichols directing. How does the material feel in 2005, | ask Masterson? ‘This is comedy of the highest order,’ he says. ‘It’s a perfect sit-com, so we’re keeping it word- perfect. And we’re keeping the 605 setting in homage to when the play was written. There’s no sweeter writing than Neil Simon’s.’
Dialogue-wise, as Felix Unger would say, Masterson’s right. (Miles Fielder)
I Assemh/y Hall. 226 2428. mm 25) Aug rnot It). 75/. 3. lip/n. VHS—5‘20 If‘lzJ—E‘lfii. Pl'ty‘l/IOWS 5616
Aug. 5‘10.
PHONE PLAY
Called comfort drama
If the telecoms companies had therr way we would all be blissfully indebted (and iii (l()l)ll t<> Ill()lll f()r making the world a smaller place. But. as we all celebrate the fact that a call centre in India is able to proVide us with up-to—the- minute information on British train times. a si/eable portion of us don't know our neigthurs.
And as the coinmunications revolution leaves us stumbling; over our words. there is plenty of potential for comedy. Introducing; Phone Play. Evan Placey's tongueiii—cheek look at life With a touchtone. As an afternoon With
eight phoiie—obsessed characters rapidly descends into crossed Wires and chaos. voice mail, call waiting and a lltlllll)(}l ()f ()tli()r 'useful' call features only add to the bedlam.
But behind the humour there's the very real question of what it is that makes us cradle our phones so protectively? Do we really need to be contactable 2-1 [’5’ (Come Mills)
I Gi/ded Ba/looh Tewot. (568 1633. t/Iif/lé..’é>‘At/g (not 76. 23), C)‘. l53p/h. 5‘8 5‘5) rl‘2'-5‘8/.
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ISSUE OUT THURSDAY 11 AUGUST