Neil Simon’s classic comedy The Odd Couple premiered in 1965 and ran for over two years. In 1968, it was made into a popular film starring Walter Matthau and Jack Lemmon, followed by a long-running television series starring Jack Klugman and Tony Randall. There have been various other versions since including a 1985 adaptation in which Simon reworked the script for a female cast. Fifty years on, the original play still has plenty of life, with enough humour and heart to appeal to an audience today.

Steve Rodgers and Brian Meegan. Photograph © Prudence Upton

As the title suggests, the play famously revolves around two friends whose wildly mismatched domestic habits lead to ructions when they share the same roof.

Oscar, who is recently divorced, regularly holds a poker game at his home. On this particular evening, Felix doesn’t turn up. It transpires that his wife has just thrown him out and he is distraught, with nowhere to go. Oscar generously offers to let Felix move into his house while he gets himself sorted – and an odd couple they turn out to be, with their respective marriage failures the only thing they really...