His roll call of Broadway hits also includes Barefoot in the Park, Come Blow Your Horn, Plaza Suite, The Sunshine Boys and The Last of the Red Hot Lovers, but the success of The Odd Couple spread well beyond the sphere of theatre.

While its title has gone into general parlance, the script was adapted into a classic film starring Jack Lemmon and Walter Matthau which in turn spawned a TV series. And the play has also undergone a sex change with a female version which is being performed by the Tudor Players next week.

The slobbish Oscar has been turned into Olive and the neat and domesticated Felix into Florence and their domestic arrangement soon repeats the patterns of their disastrous previous marriages.

Instead of the poker playing guys, we get four female friends who regularly come round for an evening of drinks and Trivial Pursuit and the upstairs apartment is now occupied by the two Costazuela Brothers to add to the chaos.

Directed by Carolyn Heslop, The Odd Couple runs at the Library Theatre from Tuesday to Saturday. Tickets at £7/ £6 are available from 2450464 or email tickets@tudorplayers.net