Abigail's Party

Synopsis

Set in 1970's suburbia, where Beverly and her husband Laurence are hosting a drinks party for their neighbours. There is plenty of alcohol, an array of cheese-pineapple savoury bites and olives, and Demis Roussos on the record player. As prejudices are unmasked and tempers flare, the evening can only end in disaster...

Our Review:

Anne Morley-Priestman - 23 August 2010

Plays thrive on monsters – those abominable characters we all love to hate. Few in late 20th century drama match up to Beverly, the hostess from hell who dominates Mike Leigh’s 1977 satirical comedy Abigail’s Party. In Richard Frost’s production at Aldeburgh and Southwold she is played by Rebecca Raybone, gowned in flowing turquoise and circulating venom as readily as a succession of gins and tonic. It’s a delectable performance.

Beverly’s satellites are her stressed-out husband Laurence (Jonathan Ashley in a well-judged portrait of a man whose best is never going to be good enough and mousey housewife Angela, played as a natural victim by Louise Shuttleworth). Pauline Whitaker is Susan, whose teenage daughter is giving the offstage party, and who is little at ease with these newcomers to her neighbourhood. Angela’s husband, faded footballer Tony, is given the right aura of scarcely-suppressed violence by Ben Tillett....

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