Abigail's Party

ABIGAIL’S PARTY by Mike Leigh  (written in 1976, first produced as a BBC1 Play for Today in 1977) is a painful, yet hilarious, look at the rising middle-classes of the 1970s.  The party, of the title, is not the drinks party we witness but the party of 15 year old Abigail (whom we never see).  Beverley and Laurence are holding a drinks party for new neighbours, Tony and Angela “Tone and Ange”.  Completing the party is Sue, mother of Abigail, who has vacated her home to enable the party to go ahead.  The original play was developed through lengthy improvisation and the Director, Gill Richardson, used improvisation in preparation for this production. 

 The 1970s home was very realistically created with great attention to detail.  All the set dressing: geometric orange wallpaper, G-plan room divider (which housed Laurence’s complete works of Dickens) and velvet three-piece suite, evoked memories and were appropriate.  The props were excellent and well used by the cast.

The women’s costumes were fantastic; the differences between Beverley, Angela and Sue were accentuated in their outfits: Beverley: floaty and regal (with neatly coiffure hairstyle of the day), Angela: rather shambolic, messy hair and wrong coloured lipstick and Sue, rather conservatively dressed, clearly uncomfortable and reluctant to be there. 

The lighting was effective throughout and well controlled.  Gary Wales was very busy ensuring the music kept flowing at appropriate times. 

In Act One we get to know the characters, warm to them or otherwise.  Beverley – a riveting performance from Carolyn Miles – hits us between the eyes with her condescending and patronising ways.  She mocks and bullies those who don’t agree with her snobbish attitude.  We see her husband, Laurence, as hen-pecked and overworked, struggling to keep up with Beverley’s aspirations.  The new neighbours: Tony and Angela are oddly similar, Tony quiet and uneasy and Angela, meek, naive and rather tactless.  The final guest is Sue, a nicely judged performance from Antonia Demetriadi, who politely answers questions but never really enters into the spirit of the party.  In Act Two, the drinks continue to flow, jealousies arise and the dynamics of the play change as Beverley flirts with Tony - as she sways and shimmies in front of him - and he openly responds.  Sue is ill because of Beverley’s persistence to ply her with drinks.  Bitterness and bad behaviour take their toll and the play ends tragically when Laurence collapses.  However, this is when Angela comes into her own, showing her nursing skills and this enabled Natasha Spencer, to transform her character (which she does successfully)  as she takes control of the situation.     Abigail’s Party is a well known and often performed play but this production was a great credit to director, Gill Richardson as she allowed her actors to put their stamp on their characters, particularly Beverley who can be seen as domineering and boastful, and she’s a monster, but she’s also sad and vulnerable.  This was a very thoughtful production, with skilful direction and quality acting.   Well done HAG!

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