THE battle of the sexes at Blackburn Arts Club will close the season in favour of the fairer sex.

After the male-dominated Four Nights In Knaresborough, the Gibraltar Street-based club returns to end its 2011-12 season with The Odd Couple (Female Version).

Arts club spokesman Geoff Baron said: “Four Nights In Knaresborough featured a cast of five men and just one woman, but now the tables have turned in favour of the ‘fairer sex’.

“In Neil Simon’s The Odd Couple (Female Version), the two boys are well and truly out-numbered three-to-one.

“As the name suggests, this is a re-working of the original comedy best-known for the film version with Jack Lemmon and Walter Matthau and subsequent TV series with Jack Klugman and Tony Randall.”

For the arts club, Rachel Nolan plays Olive Madison, the sports writer who enjoys the ‘bachelor’ life in her messy New York apartment including weekly Trivial Pursuits sessions with the girls.

But the balance is disturbed when one of the girls, Florence Unger, played by Alison Bell, turns up for the game and announces her husband has left her.

In an effort to support her friend Olive invites Florence to move in with her, but their friendship soon starts to show cracks especially with the introduction of the neighbouring Costazuela brothers into the scene.

Also in the cast are Joanna Thomas as Sylvie, Jan Barker (Renee), Robin Bridge (Manolo Costazuela), Lisa-marie Hunt (Mickey), Sara Ashton (Vera) and Tom Haworth (Jesus Costazuela).

Therese Ball has produced the play, which is ‘packed full Neil Simon’s characteristic sardonic humour’.

The Odd Couple, Blackburn Arts Club, Gibraltar Street, Blackburn, Tuesday to Saturday, May 1 to 5, 7.30pm. Call 01254 664642 or 52910 to book.