The Marco Players open their 43rd season with a sure-fire comedy, albeit with a twist.

Neil Simon had a huge hit with The Odd Couple in 1965 ­— and many people will remember the 1968 film starring Walter Matthau and Jack Lemon, and the 1970s TV series.

But perhaps fewer are aware that Simon reworked and updated his script in 1985 for a principal female cast - but retained basically the same plot.

“It works just as well as the original,” says director Mike Wignall, “in fact if anything, the author has added a new dimension.”

Mike is a new face at the Marco, directing a cast full of new faces.

He added: “This is actually only my second time directing, although I’ve been performing since I was 10.”

The ‘Odd Couple’ are played by Mindi Leonard-Lockett as ‘Florence Unger’ and newcomer Meredith Collison as ‘Olive Madison’.

Meredith said:“Flo is the uptight one – Jack Lemon’s ‘Felix’ in the original – and Olive is the counterpart of Walter Matthau’s slobby Oscar.

Mindi said: “They’re great characters to play.

“They just jump off the page. I’ve been looking for a good comedy to get my teeth into.

“I only joined the company last year for Be My Baby and have only acted in dramas up till now – it’s good to get my teeth into an excellent comedy like this.”

The plot is virtually the same as the original Odd Couple ­— a group of friends get together one evening, as they always do when one of their regular group turns up having split up with their partner and is invited to stay by the host.

But in this version it’s ‘Olive Madison’ as the somewhat slovenly host who invites ‘Florence Unger’ the divorcee to live with her.

But it’s certainly not a match made in heaven and they end up driving each other to distraction.

The rest of the group of friends are ‘Mickey’, an NYPD policewoman played by Elinor Hamilton, the forthright ‘Renée’ played by Laura Roberts, her best friend ‘Sylvie’ played by newcomer Cátia Soeiro and the ditzy ‘Vera’ played by Laura Duffy.

Laura Roberts is a familiar face at the Marco but Elinor has been away from the Marco stage for a while.

Elinor said: “I think it was probably nine years ago that I last trod the Marco boards.

"It’s good to be back – especially with such a great bunch of performers.”

The cast is completed by Ben Latham and another new face, Tom Wilson who play the Spanish Costazuela brothers.

Ben said: “People might remember the original which featured the English Pidgeon sisters from the upstairs flat. Having a pair of Spanish brothers is a little bit of Neil Simon’s comedy genius: it’s like having two ‘Manuels’ in one scene!”

Paul Roberts, the new Chairman of The Marco Players and also production manager for The Female Odd Couple added: “This is a fantastically funny play to be starting our new season with. We’ve got a great mix of plays coming up for the rest of the year as usual, including Emlyn Williams’ Night Must Fall, a brand new play Mrs Reynolds & The Ruffian and a double bill of one act plays with Agatha Christie’s The Patient and Tom Stoppard’s The Real Inspector Hound. Really something for everyone.”

‘The Female Odd Couple’ runs until Saturday, June 21 at The Marco Players, Stepping Stones, Chorley Old Road, Bolton.

For tickets book via www.themarcoplayers.net.