Theatre Review: The Sunshine Boys

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Presented by The Adelaide Repertory Theatre (aka The Rep)
Reviewed 12 Sept 2026

During Neil Simon’s lifetime he had a prolific and exhilarating number of Broadway and movie hits. One of his greatest plays (besides The Odd Couple) would have to be his 1972 Broadway hit The Sunshine Boys, later made into a film in 1975 starring Walter Matthau and George Burns. The Rep’s current production does more than justice to Simon’s genius for comedy – it is side-splittingly wonderful!!

In the hands of Director Peter Goers, the tale of two ex-Vaudevillian partners of 43 years who haven’t spoken to one another for 12 years and haven’t seen each other for 11 and must now come together for a television special celebrating the Golden Years of Comedy, sparkles and zings with well timed comedy and some beautiful pathos. Goers knows his stuff. His set design of Willie Clark’s small cluttered apartment with furniture and a door just placed without any connection is almost Brechtian in concept, and coupled with a backdrop of a Vaudevillian theatre foyer (sometimes peopled with audience and sometimes not) gives a nice theatrical air to the production. Especially when, depending on where you sit, you can see into the wings.

Costumier Laura Doheny captures the 1970s era perfectly (watch out for the glorious bright blue flared coveralls in Act Two) especially with the over-the-top Comedy Sketch costumes.

Robert Cusenza gives the performance of a lifetime as the cantankerous Willie Clark. Cusenza uses every part of himself to portray what is perhaps the world’s most annoying, frustrating man. Every piece of dialogue delivery, every facial movement be it exaggerated or minute, every hand gesture is delivered with spot-on accuracy. His is a master class on how to bring a character to believable realisation. He has the audience in the palm of his hand from the minute the curtain rises, with his answering the telephone when the kettle boils to constantly tripping over and pulling out the television set plug. He is verbally and physically attuned to Simon’s comedy. He is the grumpy, stubborn old man that we all know and can’t help loving, and that this reviewer probably is.

As Willie’s other half of the Sunshine Boys, Al Lewis, Robin “Smacka” Schmelzkopf plays the perfect foil to Cusenza. If one has seen the film, he plays Al much stronger and therefore more believable than George Burns. There are definable characteristics that make Schmelzkopf’s portrayal a likable but formidable wall for Cusenza to bounce off.

The chemistry between Schmelzkopf and Cusenza is electrifying! There is an obvious bond between the two actors that is clear and palpable. They both are masters of comedy (just like Lewis and Clark) and can make a silence one of the funniest things ever. Top notch performances from both.

Tom Tassone as Willie’s beleaguered and put upon nephew Ben Silverman manages to hold his own against the two leads well. Initially, he tends to be a little too frustrated, leading to screeching but once he’s calmer there is a nice performance from him. His softness towards the end of the play is beautiful.

Penni Hamilton-Smith plays yet another nurse, but this time a lot softer than her The Man Who Came To Dinner medico, showing her versatility in at least her characters if not her occupation lol. Speaking of nurses, Lauren Thiel captures the sexy, buxomly blonde Vaudevillian style comedy sketch Nurse to a tee. Don’t worry that the role might be impolitically correct or ‘woke’ – they weren’t in those times. Even though Thiel is only on for a short time, she impresses with her sparkling energy.

Sporting a glorious Burt Reynolds’ 70s moustache (and he of the blue flares), Seth Gilmour does well in one of those ‘blink and you will miss him’ roles.

This production of The Sunshine Boys is indeed a ray of sunshine and deserves full houses – just for the toe-tapping finale alone!

Reviewed by Brian Godfrey

Photo credit: Andrew Trimmings