Abigail’s Party
Written by Mike Leigh
Directed by Philip Vander Gucht
30 March – 4 April 1992
British suburbanites Laurence and Beverly are entertaining their new neighbors, 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, cliches and fatuous small talk abound. The tension escalates as the marital strain between Beverly and Laurence surfaces. Susan’s anxiety over Abigail’s party accelerates as rock music and God-knows-what permeate the room. As Beverly and Angela offer some supremely tactless remarks, reality breaks through the smugness when Laurence collapses with a fatal heart attack.
Cast
Beverly – Christine Angell
Laurence – Roger Butler
Angela – Janet Pearce
Tony – Kevin Fraser
Sue – Jeannie Poole
Crew
Stage Manager – Michael Angell
Assistant Stage Manager – Clive Spinks
Set Design – Philip Vander Gucht, Molly Pritchard
Set Construction – Abigail’s Friends
Props – Molly Pritchard, Barbara Brookes
Lighting – Peter Price, Margaret Price
Sound – John Gritton
Costumes – Marjorie Sawyer