Abigail's Party

What a wonderful evening my guest and I had watching your excellent production of ‘Abigail’s Party’! I had seen this play many years ago and had not watched it on TV so had little memory of the plot. Your programme has a comprehensive write up about the author Mike Leigh and Cathy’s Director’s notes cover her approach to the play so there is little more for me to add.

The main tabs opened to an impressive set of a furnished sitting room, appropriately decorated in the colour of the 70’s era – orange. Furniture and furnishings were colour-coordinated and appropriate for the decade - compliments to Millie and Julia who put so much thought into it. I remember that everyone had something orange; rugs, curtains and so on and we felt SO trendy! The cocktail cabinet was in constant use throughout the evening as Beverley, striving to appear less working class, filled up glasses and pressed her hospitality whether or not it was wanted,

 Samantha Myers gave a first-class performance as Beverley. She maintained her Essex accent throughout as we watched her trying so very hard to prove her place amongst the new neighbours and in society.

As her husband Laurence, the estate agent, no doubt Beverley’s reason for feeling they were moving up in the social strata, Steve Black also gave a commendable performance. Laurence came across as confident although clearly harassed and nervous. Beverley wore the trousers in the relationship, that is until we saw the tables turn in the second act when his contempt for her was made obvious. The change of dynamics in their relationship was brilliantly depicted.

The other relationship that showed the cracks in the second act was the one between Angela and Tony. She was a pleasant but gauche young woman who tried really hard to fit in and she appeared to be utterly oblivious as to how tactless she was.

Tony at first seemed very weak - she spoke for him the whole time - he had little to say until the second act when it turned out he was far from the meek husband he appeared to be! That was a big surprise!

Megan Castle and Stuart Evans were both utterly convincing in their roles.

The other guest invited to the party was Susan. She was someone who clearly had something Beverley was so desperate to achieve – the airs and graces of a background unlike hers and the social standing that accompanied it.

The play was full of humour  yet at the same time it was uncomfortable to see Beverley constantly fussing over her guests, and her behaviour which she saw as hospitality was suffocating and even bullying. Darker, deeper emotions surfaced in the second act.

Act Two was a real turnaround and with a not totally unexpected ending because Steve Black had displayed the classic foot tapping and nervous energy that accompanies stress from the onset. Poor Laurence, one could only feel sympathy for him married to a woman like Beverley.

The properties and furnishings were good, as was the lighting and sound and I loved all the old tunes that Beverley considered suitable listening material for her guests. How on earth did she and Laurence ever feel that they were suited for a lifetime together – or maybe he had been able to adapt more quickly than she had, being out of his environment along-side other socially mobile colleagues.

Cathy had clearly worked hard with the talented players so that they had a real understanding of their characters and together they achieved something special.

All the 70’s touches were there, some probably familiar now to younger people as retro is ‘in’!

Your programme is nicely presented, easy to read and of good quality.

It was a most memorable production and I’m already looking forward to attending your next one.

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