Review: Abigail’s Party, Stratford East

With olives, endless Bacardi & Cokes and a cheesy pineapple hedgehog at the ready, the scene is set for a fantastic drinks gathering hosted by Beverly (Tamzin Outhwaite) and Laurence (Kevin Bishop) for their neighbours Angela (Ashnu Rabheru) and Tony (Omar Malik), and Susan (Pandora Colin), whose daughter Abigail is hosting her own party at the same time. The boasting about assets from this nouveau riche couple is relentless, while we’re all too aware of the music and shenanigans taking place at Abigail’s party across the street. The play premiered at the Hampstead Theatre in 1977 and was developed through lengthy improvisations with writer Mike Leigh. It was then recorded for TV and is a biting satire of the ‘keeping up with Joneses’ and middle-class aspirations of the 1970s.

Before all mingling can commence, our buzzing audience at the fittingly cosy and plush Stratford East is treated to Beverly having a dance-like-nobody’s-watching moment to “Love to Love you Baby” by Donna Summer, dazzled by a disco ball. What a perfect introduction to the delightfully domineering Beverly. Outhwaite’s incarnation is – if it were possible – even more bold, statuesque and hysterical than Alison Steadman’s original version. Commanding the stage, Outhwaite doesn’t miss a moment of her plethora of perfectly timed jokes, weakly disguised put-downs or death stares. It’s as if some extra feminist life force has been introduced to her from 2024 and it’s worth another round of drinks just to celebrate. She doesn’t milk the laughs though and is utterly absorbed in this excessive but hilariously believable portrayal of the flirty hostess with the most-ess.

It’s rewarding and satisfying to enjoy plays set in such domesticity; it’s all about the analysis, depth and minutiae of the characters, and the endless, detailed improvisation that originally took place really does ooze out of every performance via this iconic script. It’s also very funny and these actors really do make it look easy. There’s a lot of repetition, especially from Beverly, and keeping the freshness of the humour can’t be straightforward. Bishop, an established comedian and comic actor, is supremely skilful, with effortless comic timing. He captures the desperation of this neurotic, hard-working and pretentious man in his attempts to be heard, appreciated and not belittled constantly by his wife. Malik is perfectly cast as the slightly grumpy and morose Tony, as is Rabheru who takes Angela to a whole new level of brilliance, portraying the tactless nurse who goads her husband as she quickly becomes drunk. Pandora Colin could have invented Susan in those early improvisations. She plays the rather posh and buttoned up divorcee to utter perfection.

I have to mention the accents, mastered by the whole cast. They’ve managed to pull off the particular Essex/East London accent that you rarely hear anymore and was so familiar in the 1970s and ‘80s. The script does show its dated features, sometimes quite shockingly, with lines bandied about for Beverley’s laughs about rape, and I was aware of the younger audience members feeling slightly lost here and there because it is so loaded with references to the ‘70s.

As a huge fan of the TV play, it is so thrilling that the costume and set is equally authentic in this production. It is retro heaven, showing every detail of Beverly’s carefully curated collection of  everything one needs to be the envy of the street. There is a true poignancy about their desperation and competitiveness to keep up and better themselves. The direction too is deftly executed, in a production which is almost like a choreographed dance, full of farce. Not a moment is lost in the melee. The brilliant artistic director Nadia Fall is going out with a bang.

Truly sublime and impeccable comic performances, coupled with loyalty to the decade that taste forgot, Abigail’s Party makes you forget where you are, until the applause begins.

Written by: Mike Leigh
Directed by: Nadia Fall
Produced by: Sean Brooks
Set and costume design by: Peter Makintosh
Sound designer: Alexandra Fay Braithwaite
Lighting Design by: Howard Harrison

Abigail’s Party plays at Stratford East until 12^th October. Further information and bookings can be found here.