It’s been forty years since the appalling Beverly first put Donna Summer on the turntable, stacked a plate with little cheese and pineapple sticks, plied her guests with alcohol, cigarettes and Demis Roussos and slow-danced her way across the shag-pile into theatrical history.
The drinks party from hell begins when Beverly and her estate agent husband Laurence invite round their new neighbours, Tony and Ange, along with the nervous divorcee Sue, who is jittery about the bash her teenage daughter Abigail is throwing down the road. As that party gets out of hand, this one too descends into chaos, and comedy, drama and tragedy combine into an iconic piece of theatre.
Hilarious and horribly compelling, Mike Leigh’s Abigail’s Party is an undisputed classic. Amanda Abbington is best-known for playing Mary Morstan in Sherlock, Miss Mardle in Mr Selfridge and DS Jo Moffat in Cuffs.
The cast also includes Ben Caplan (BBC's Call The Midwife; Sunny Afternoon, the Kinks musical) as Laurence, with Rose Keegan (Bedroom Farce, Aldwych Theatre) as Susan, Charlotte Mills (Jerusalem, Royal Court) as Angela, and Ciarán Owens (Titus Andronicus, RSC) as Tony.
Director Sarah Esdaile’s productions include Talking Heads for Theatre Royal Bath Productions and Death of a Salesman, Cat on a Hot Tin Roof and The Deep Blue Sea for West Yorkshire Playhouse.
Post-show talks
Running Time
Approx 2 hours 5 minutes, including an interval
Tickets
Monday - Saturday, 7.45pm
and Saturday, 2.30pm: £23/£33/£38/£42*
Thursday, 2.30pm: £23/£28/£33/£38*
*All ticket prices include a £3 per-ticket booking fee
Amanda Abbington (Beverly)
Amanda Abbington's credits include: Mary Morstan in Sherlock, Miss Mardle in Mr Selfridge and DS Jo Moffat in Cuffs.