ABIGAIL’S PARTY till 11 February

New Vic Theatre, Newcastle Under Lyme, Staffordshire

Runs: 2hrs 15min. Interval: 20 minutes: box office 01782 717962 runs until Sat 11th February 2006.

Ranjit Khutan: 20th January 2006.

Lost none of its power over the years
Abigail’s Party is as hilarious today as it was when it was first delighted audiences in the 1970’s. The emotionally deprived Beverly shamelessly criticises, bullies and humiliates her husband Laurence, her neighbours Ange & Tony and the divorcee Sue. In her attempt to create a relaxed social atmosphere for her party guests, Beverley creates quite the opposite.

It’s car crash theatre – watching Beverly belittle her guests, engage in flirting and badger her husband at every opportunity – where you almost feel guilty at enjoying the Schadenfreude. However, one has to be reminded that Mike Leigh’s desire was to create an environment that was not only uncomfortable for the characters but for the audience watching it, a quality that is successfully and skilfully managed by director Patrick Connellan. A time bomb of emotions is set against a strong comic plot that each player uses to their strength and with every burst of laughter, the actor’s subtle gestures point to the subtext in the script and to the real issues between these couples.

Elizabeth Marsh’s Beverley is driven in her desire to sustain tension and tease out her comic moments, and she does this particularly well during the hostess trolley scene, where she rightfully receives a surge of laughter from the audience. Her portrayal of Beverly is a lot harsher than Alison Steadman’s in the TV adaptation (in which a whining, nasal, working class accent gives her a softer façade) and by moving away from this Marsh makes the character her own.

Nick Raggett’s Laurence takes Beverley’s jibes in his stride, but the effects of her comments and ordering quickly result in comical scenes which are most noticeable when he is forced to dance with Sue and Angela.

A highly enjoyable production, that will make you laugh and cringe (often simultaneously) throughout.

Angela: Alison Darling
Tony: Andrew Grose
Beverly: Elizabeth Marsh
Laurence: Nick Raggett
Sue: Meriel Scholfield

Director: Patrick Connellan
Lighting Designer: Jo Dawson
Sound Designer: James Earl-Davis
Stage manager: Andrew Billington

2006-02-02 11:15:04