Time Out
"Mike Leigh's genius satire - a stone cold classic. Tamzin Outhwaite is superb casting, utterly peerless."
Essex, 1977. Beverly is hosting, the alcohol is flowing, Demis Roussos is on the record player and the cheese and pineapple cocktail sticks are ready to go. Queen of the castle in her suburban semi, Beverly and husband Laurence welcome new neighbours Angela and Tony round for drinks. Sue from next door is invited too, but the real party is happening back at her place, as Sue’s teenage daughter Abigail can’t seem to keep the racket down. Awkward small talk quickly descends into inappropriate flirtation and marital disputes: a soiree from hell, but it’d be rude to leave…
Abigail’s Party is written by Mike Leigh, whose many accolades include prizes at the Cannes, Berlin and Venice film festivals, three BAFTA Awards and nominations for seven Academy Awards, for work including Topsy-Turvy, Vera Drake, Happy-Go-Lucky, Mr. Turner, Naked and Secrets and Lies. He wrote and developed Abigail’s Party through extended improvisations with the original cast, including Alison Steadman in a career-launching role as Beverly. The play premiered at London’s Hampstead Theatre in 1977 before being recorded and televised on the BBC’s Play for Today, and it has been regularly revived in the decades since.
This acclaimed revival, directed by Nadia Fall, transfers to the Harold Pinter Theatre following a sell-out run at Theatre Royal Stratford East and a UK tour. Tamzin Outhwaite stars as Beverly, with Kevin Bishop as Laurence, Lauren Patel as Angela, Omar Malik as Tony and Pandora Colin as Sue. Book your tickets now.
Why it’s worth the watch
A modern British classic given fresh life by a starry cast and a director at the top of her game.
- A comic institution. Mike Leigh’s 1977 satire remains one of the funniest, most quotable portraits of social climbing ever written for the British stage.
- Tamzin Outhwaite as Beverly. Critics have hailed her as peerless casting in one of theatre’s great monster-hostess roles.
- Cringe comedy with teeth. Beneath the cheese-and-pineapple sticks lies a razor-sharp study of class, marriage and aspiration that still stings today.
- An acclaimed revival. Nadia Fall’s production arrives in the West End after a sell-out run at Theatre Royal Stratford East and a UK tour.
