Review: ABIGAIL’S PARTY, Richmond Theatre - Tour
Photo credit: Mark Senior
Entering the theatre, we see the outside wall of Laurence and Beverly’s house where the play takes place; a neat metaphor for the enclosed world we are about to enter, even if on press night it caused a brief show stop. Once we do enter that world, it is an incredibly detailed and thoughtful depiction of this 1970s home and always avoiding caricature or easy reference points.
Nadia Fall’s production was first seen at Stratford East, is now touring in a co-production with Theatre Royal Bath, and will play in the West End for six weeks later in the summer. The combination of Peter McKintosh as set designer with Howard Harrison’s inventive and sometimes surprising lighting design ensures that this is a show that is deeply satisfying on a visual level.
New neighbours Tony and Angela arrive for drinks with Beverly and Laurence, and are later joined by Sue, whose daughter, the unseen Abigail, is having her first teenage party just down the road. They are familiar characters, and the majority of the audience will have seen some of the many productions of this play since its premiere in the 1970s. Where this production differs is in detailed characterisation and through some inventive movement sequences.
As Sue, Pandora Colin is very much the odd one out; at least till we realise that all these characters are lost and lonely in their own ways. It’s a subtle portrayal of repressed hurt and constant dread of what might happen next, and is played not just for sympathy but for understanding. Lauren Patel has a ball as Angela, making the most of the glorious lines she is given, and revelling in her rapid decline after yet another gin and tonic. She also manages to hint at an inner steeliness which makes her actions in the final section of the play all the more believable. Omar Malik plays the mostly monosyllabic Tony, and manages to get layers of meaning into endless replies that consist only of “Yeah.”
Among a uniformly excellent cast, it is the drinks hosts’ Laurence and Beverly who must convince however, and here they are given two stunning portrayals. Kevin Bishop is the aspirant estate agent, always wanting something better but never quite sure what that is, with his unread books and endless attempts to convince his wife of the error of her ways. Bishop creates the character through a combination of nervous though perpetual movement and a voice which sums up everything that is important about his character. It’s a play where gradations of accent are important, and this production absolutely nails that.
And finally, the glorious Tamzin Outhwaite as the appalling Beverly. A magnificent performance, and very funny; her hair is almost an extra character all on its own. You have only to watch the way she offers round the cheese and pineapple on sticks to know that Beverly’s world is falling apart and she can rely on nothing, watching everyone with fleeting regretful glances. After watching the frantic way in which she jerks the cheese and pineapple away just at the right moment so that the stick comes out, we know that Beverly wants to be in control at every stage. That little detail, repeated every time, is an example of the great care taken to build this character through voice, movement and a kind of inner blankness and dread always to be seen in her eyes.
The movement sequences add interest, whether it is Beverly seen through her window dancing before her guests arrive, or the Act 2 opening in which we get a kind of story so far in mime, which includes everything from loud music to strobe lights. It’s diverting if not quite fully integrated into the play, but it’s always good to see something new in such a familiar play. It’s also good to see the return of cigarette acting, all the characters knowing just how to make a point with the deft handling of such a prop.
The play has sometimes been criticised for making fun of the aspirations of its characters, allowing middle class audiences to laugh at working class characters, but this production avoids that trap. Instead, we are presented with a group of lost and often despairing individuals, trying to make the best of the situation in which they find themselves, and doing so in an intelligent, eminently watchable and inventive production.
**** Four stars
Reviewed by: Chris Abbott