For many newly-weds in the 1970s an invitation to visit a neighbour for drinks could be a thing to cause nightmares. Not so bad if there were a number of couples invited – safety in numbers and all that – but if you were the only couple to be invited, then the whole visit could be a minefield to negotiate.
The major problem with the evening was that the couple to issue the invitation were usually the more confident of the participants. They had a higher social standing and had the latest status symbols to show off. This was likely to lead to a torrid time for the invited male who would see his wife burning with envy as she was made aware of all the material things missing from her marital home.
That is the premise for Mike Leigh’s Abigail’s Party – the classic play about social status in the 1970s. Beverly (Rebecca Birch) is eager to show off her lifestyle and the material benefits produced by her hard-working husband Laurence (Tom Richardson) to new neighbours Angela (Alice De-Warrenne) and Tony (George Readshaw). Beverly has also invited neighbour Sue (Jo Castleton) around to escape from the teenage party thrown at her house by daughter Abigail.
The one-upmanship begins as soon as the guests arrive with Beverly’s choice of long evening dress outshining the casual attire worn by her guests. The gulf in assets between the two couples quickly becomes apparent as – with free-flowing drinks loosening tongues- Angela admits that they have to sleep on a mattress, eat from their laps and only have a leatherette three-piece to sit on.
Sue becomes increasingly isolated in the company. An older, more refined character she is unable to handle the free-flowing gin or the overbearing attitudes of the other two women and is increasingly disturbed by references to her divorce and the likely goings-on back in her own home as the teenagers make merry.
The drink eventually does its worst. Clearly, neither couple is in a hugely-successful relationship. The monosyllabic Tony clearly regrets the eight-month romance that saw him move from first date to wedding day while Laurence despairs of his wife as he tries to interest her in classical music and his leather-bound volumes of Dickens works. There is talk of wife-swapping and clearly Beverly has the hots for Tony. How will it all work out?
The London Classic Theatre does what it says on the tin and breathes new life into classic British theatre. A by-word for quality, the Company has once again succeeded in its aim. Aided by some excellent design by Bek Palmer whose choice of costume and set give an authentic 1970s feel to the play, Director Michael Cabot has produced a slice of theatre that is both highly-entertaining and thought-provoking as it explores social interaction.
The actors are also perfectly cast. There is great interaction between Birch – a flighty and flirty performance – and De-Warrenne who is magical in her social ineptitude and Castleton is perfect at portraying a woman wondering just why she accepted the invitation. The male actors are not as involved in the social interaction but put in excellent performances as the upwardly mobile Laurence and the sexual tension-inducing Tony.
It is a number of years since Abigail’s Party first came to my attention but this production brought the fond memories flooding back and the audience gave a well-deserved warm reception at the end. Now, where did I put my cheese and pineapple nibbles?
The production runs for approximately 2 hours 15 minutes including interval and continues until April 15th. For ticket details, please contact 01782 717962 or tickets@newvictheatre.org.uk
