Theater Review:

You may know the punch lines by heart, having seen the show a half-dozen or so times before, but Neil Simon’s 1960s-vintage comedy “The Odd Couple” remains one of the funniest two hours of theater available.

Simon, who based his play on the experiences of himself and his brother Danny when they were cutting their teeth in show business, struck the mother lode of golden comedy with this early entry in a long line of hits. “The Odd Couple” inspired a memorable movie and a highly successful TV series — and the royalties from this one alone could have seen the playwright through a comfortable retirement.

It’s been a while since Oscar and Felix faced off on a local stage, a circumstance the Huntington Beach Playhouse is delighted to remedy in a warm and wacky production laced with nostalgic humor (the un-updated prices of items quoted in the dialogue are worth a few laughs by themselves).

Director James Rice, who doubles as the cigar-chomping (thankfully not smoking) poker player Speed, has assembled a splendid cast from the bickering lead actors — a slob and a neatnik with only their failed marriages in common — down to the chirping Pigeon sisters who prove more than a bit of English eye candy.

Robert Craig is particularly strong, though occasionally erratic, as Oscar Madison, the wisecracking sportswriter whose bachelor apartment is a disaster area until Felix arrives. He’s particularly effective in his one-on-one scenes with Felix as push comes to shove in this battle of the lifestyles.

As Felix, crushed by his marital breakup to the point of near-suicide, Tom Metcalf is a perfect fit for this all-too-familiar character. Metcalf is a touchy collection of open nerve endings, insinuating himself into Oscar’s life with an almost feminine flourish — his pique at Oscar’s late arrival for their London broil dinner is priceless.

Rice’s bluster is well matched with the idiosyncrasies of his fellow poker players — Daniel Lucero’s concerned cop Murray, Michael Corcoran’s reserved accountant Roy and Roger K. Weiss’ edgy Vinnie. They function as a virtual familial unit with all the verbal conflict such a relationship entails.

A fresh breath of air, or rather two of them, arrives with the introduction of Carrie Theodossin and Michele Wolfson as the “coo coo Pigeon sisters,” English ladies invited by Oscar for a little socializing but who join with Felix in a good old-fashioned crying jag. Both actresses dress the set with a giddy flourish and excel in their limited stage time.

Andrew Otero’s large living room setting is effective, but raises a question — does one access the bedrooms through the bathroom?

Sound and lighting effects, by Dan Baird and Jon Hyrkas, respectively, offer fine atmosphere (the familiar TV show theme sets the mood nicely).

Few playgoers will be viewing “The Odd Couple” for the first time, but most should get an enormous kick out of the outrageous antics of Neil Simon’s familiar but eternally hilarious characters.

If You Go

What: “The Odd Couple”

Who: Huntington Beach Playhouse

Where: Library Theater, 7111 Talbert Ave

When: 8 p.m. Wednesdays through Saturdays, 2 p.m. Sundays through Oct. 25

Cost: $18 to $20

Call: (714) 375-0696

TOM TITUS reviews local theater for the Independent.