HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Citizen, 1991-10-30, Page 39Making a point
Hardee T. Lineham as Felix Unger threatens his Odd Couple partner Oscar Madison (Victor
Ertmanis) after Oscar was late to supper ruining an expensive roast in a scene from The Odd
Couple which opened at the Grand Theatre in London Friday night. The Neil Simon classic
runs until Nov. 16.
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Odd Couple missing fizz
BY KEITH ROULSTON
In tough times, people like to
laugh, and with that in mind
Martha Henry, artistic director of
the Grand Theatre in London has
chosen a recession season that
kicked off Friday night with Neil
Simon's classic The Odd Couple. If
there was a problem it was that
there weren't enough laughs.
Between the movie version with
lack Lemmon and Walter Mathau
ind the long-running television
series with Tony Randall and Jack
Klugman, just about everybody
must know something of this story
of the two men, in the midst of
divorce proceedings, who end up
sharing an apartment. Perhaps
knowing so much, people just
expected more than this production,
at least on opening night, generat
ed.
Oh there are still plenty of
laughs. The idea of the play is still
good. The two men, one a slob and
the other fanatically neat, end up
acting out with each other, the very
qualities that helped split up their
marriages in the first place. They
nicely take on the traditional
male/female roles: Oscar the slob
forgetting to get home on time for a
dinner Felix, the neatnik has been
planning all day; Oscar wanting his
freedom to be a slob while Felix
compulsively cleans up any cigar
wrapper he drops on the floor. The
problem is the show on opening
night seemed a little flat at times.
Was it just lack of energy by the
actors? Was it, one friend won
dered during intermission, that the
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show is dated from its original
1965 roots? Or was it just unfortu
nate staging by director Martha
Henry.
The play got off to a downbeat
start even though the audience was
oohing and awing when the curtain
rose to show off Oscar’s classical,
but smoke and garbage filled apart
ment. The early minutes of the play
at the weekly poker game and
Oscar and Felix and their friends
are supposed to be enjoying though
they worry because Felix is miss
ing. But the game is played out on
a raised portion at the back of the
stage and the intimacy of the kibitz
ing at the card game seems strained
as the actors work hard to make
themselves heard by the audience.
The play kicks into gear when
Felix, played by Hardee T. Line
ham arrives and particularly when,
hearing he has been thrown out by
his wife, Oscar offers him a place
for the night. Victor Ertmanis as
Oscar and Mr. Lineham as Felix,
make the play start to tick.
Hardee Lineham appeared at the
Blyth Festival in the early 1980's
(most memorably as the crazed
neighbourhood farmer in the sec
ond production of I'll be Back
Before Midnight in 1980 and in The
Donnellys. Memories of those roles
might make one envision him as
the energetic slob Oscar, not the
obsessive house-cleaner Felix but
Mr. Lineham soon claims the role
as his own. Watching him, you
don’t think of his famous predeces
Happy 65th
Clarence
Love your family
and friends
sors in the role but look at him as
the genuine article. Mr. Ertmanis
also claims the role of Oscar for
himself, thundering and bawling,
stomping across the furniture Felix
has just so neatly arranged.
This is really a two-character
play that has some additional bod
ies on stage. Nicholas Rice,
Michael Rawley, Michael Hanra
han and Larry Schwartz and their
poker buddies just don't get enough
opportunities to develop distinctive
characters.
More fun are Brenda Devine and
Debora Joy as the flighty Pigeon
sisters who Oscar would like to
woo (if anything would date this
play it might be these two. You
may know people that air-headed
but it's not exactly politically cor
rect to portray them on stage these
days). The two actresses look
enough alike to be real sisters and
they have a great time spoofing the
roles.
Christina Poddubiuk's set is the
kind of apartment anyone could die
for, even in those early scenes
when Oscar camouflages it with
old socks and other assorted laun
dry. The detail on the woodwork is
beautiful. Kevin Fraser's lighting
design is fine, though there is little
chance to the spectacular in this
one-set play.
In all, it's a good, fun night: it’s
just that in these tough times, even
laughs seem harder to come by than
you expect.
Happy 16th Scratch
Love the 3 only
friends you have
L.A., A.H., M.M.
THE CITIZEN, WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 30,1991. PAGE 39.
EngagementWingfield returns
Continued from page 38
another in a matter oj seconas,
calling up echoes of a crotchety
Walter Brennan, a gawky Jimmy
Stewart or a flustered Bob
Newhart," says the Toronto Star.
"Beattie's performance can best be
described as sheer comedic
genius," claims CKLY Radio. "If
you've never really enjoyed one
person shows, this is the one to
change your mind," says the
Ottawa Citizen.
Wingfield's Folly is the second
feature of the Blyth Fall/Spring
Festival of Entertainment series for
adults. Just a few tickets left for
$16.50 each (including GST).
Reserve today by calling the Blyth
Festival Box office at 523-9300.
Remaining shows in the series
include Dads in Bondage by Light
house Theatre in Port Dover and
Dave Broadfoot's Comedy Cru
sade.
50th
Anniversary
The family of
Cliff and Priscilla
Bray
Cordially Invite you to
celebrate with them, the 50th
Wedding Anniversary of their
parents on
Sunday Nov. 10th,1991
In Wingham United Church
from 2-4 p.m.
Best Wishes Only Please
Congratulations
Happy 50th
Anniversary
Charlie and Pearl
Bromley
November 1st
Love your familyLove your family
Look out...
the world's smallest con artist is in town.
LONG DISTANCE? CALL 1-800-285-3438 FOR TOLL FREE MOVIE INFO
FORAN - HIGGINS
Betty-Jane, daughter of John
Foran and the late Sophie
Foran and Greg, son of
Chester and Wilda Higgins
will be joined In holy
matrimony on Friday Nov
ember 8, 1991 at the St.
Augustine Roman Catholic
Church. Reception to follow
In Lucknow. Everyone
Welcome.
the
Blyth IW
523-9381
THURSDAY NIGHT IS
WING NIGHT
5 P.M. - MIDNIGHT
WINGS 35< EACH
MINIMUM ORDER 10
a variety of sauce* available
SORRY NO TAKE-OUTS
Thura., Frl., & Sat.
5 p.m. - midnight
CHICKEN WINGS &
CHIPS $5.45
EAT IN OR TAKE OUT
THURS., FRI. & SAT. NITES
PIZZA
5 P.M. - MIDNIGHT
EAT IN OR TAKE OUT
Happy
Anniversary
Mom & Dad
FROM THE CREATOR OF
ALONE," JOHN HUGHES
FRI.-THURS. NOV. 1-7
FRI. & SAT. 7 & 9 PM
SUN.-THURS. 8 PM