Abigail’s Party 2016 by Mike Leigh

Fri 29th January - Sat 6th February 2016

Tenterden Town Hall

British suburbanites Laurence and Beverly are entertaining their new neighbours, Angela and Tony as well as Susan, whose teenage daughter, Abigail is having a party to which Susan has been dis-invited. Over drinks and snacks, clichés and fatuous small talk abound. Mike Leigh’s Abigail’s Party – telling of two marriages spectacularly unravelling at an awkward neighbourhood drinks party – remains a pinnacle of British theatre.

Directed by Heather Leslie.

There has been a lot of laughter at all the rehearsals – so much so that we were worried this might happen to the cast in the performances! The laughter is always accompanied by a slight sense of discomfort as we witness the behaviour of these individuals as the evening progresses, and Beverly forces her guests to top up their glasses constantly, smoke when they’ve given up, and eat her ‘little cheesy pineapple snacks’ on empty stomachs.

Heather Leslie

Cast:

Beverly – Julie Austin  ~  Laurence – David Richardson

Angela – Karen Wright  ~  Tony – Michael Fitzgerald

Susan – Kay Fitzgerald