Menier revival of Abigail’s Party transfers to Wyndham’s, 15 May
Lindsay Posner‘s revival of Mike Leigh‘s 1977 play Abigail’s Party will transfer to the West End’s Wyndham’s Theatre from 15 May, playing a limited season until 1 September 2012.
Set in 1970’s suburbia Abigail’s Party sees Beverly and her husband Laurence host 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…
A situation comedy of manners set in “the London side of Essex”, Abigail’s Party debuted at the Hampstead Theatre in 1977, returning to play a total of 104 performances. That revival, directed by David Grindley, transferred to the West End in 2003, running first at the New Ambassadors and then at the Whitehall starring Elizabeth Berrington.
The cast for the production is currently led by Whatsonstage.com Award-winning actress Jill Halfpenny alongside Andy Nyman as Laurence, Natalie Casey as Angela, Joe Absolom as Tony and Susannah Harker as Susan.
Tickets for the production’s West End transfer are expected to be put on sale on Monday (23 April 2012).
The Wyndham’s Theatre is currently home to David Seidler‘s The King’s Speech, which today (20 April 2012) announced it will shutter in the West End two months early on 12 May 2012.
The show’s producers said in a press statement that they misjudged the amount of time that needed to elapse since the release of the Oscar-winning film.
The Menier Chocolate Factory has a strong history of transferring its productions into the West End with musicals Sunday in the Park with George, La Cage Aux Folles, A Little Night Music, Sweet Charity, Little Shop of Horrors, Maria Friedman: Re-arranged and a double bill of plays, Educating Rita and Shirley Valentine, all having been staged at the Menier before moving to larger West End houses.
