Abigail’s Party review: Mike Leigh drama brought sensually to life

Abigail’s Theatre at Stratford East Theatre – ★★★★☆ 

In Mike Leigh’s early play Abigail’s Party, almost nothing happens: even the titular shindig takes place next door. Instead, saucy old soak Beverly – impeccably, outrageously played by a sensual and sozzled Tamzin Outhwaite – has gathered a smattering of neighbours for a far more intimate soiree. There is Laurence, her put-upon estate agent husband; Angela and Tony, a young couple from immigrant families; and Susan, a nervous divorcee and mother to the eponymous teenager having the nextdoor knees-up.

The first thing you notice is the incredible 1970s set, clearly a (former?) council house but decked out in suave orange prints, floral patterns and louche, curvaceous furniture. This is, after all, the late 1970s, when Britain was going through a monumental social upheaval, working class identity being replaced by a more blanket consumerism and home ownership becoming, for the first time, a realistic aspiration for millions (it stings to hear the young couple talk about buying their Hackney house for £20,000).

Leigh’s play has the pacing and punchlines of a sitcom – a kind of Keeping Up Appearances meets ‘Allo ‘Allo! – but a tone that falls somewhere between gritty soap opera and kitchen sink melodrama.

Beverly is utterly fearsome. Draped in a full-length, flowing Grecian-style dress, hair blow-dried to within an inch of its life, she mercilessly mocks her hangdog husband, issuing orders as she knocks back gin and tonics (always with “ice and lemon”; she’s classy like that). She bullies everyone else, too, although less overtly. She plies the awkward Susan with unwanted cigs and booze until she vomits, and insinuates her 15-year-old daughter will trash their house and sleep with older men. Angela is treated to a more insidious, psychological meanness, highlighting her lack of social standing and naivete. Tony, on the other hand, is flat out objectified, Beverly flinging herself at him – in front of their partners – at every opportunity.

It’s mostly played for laughs but there’s a seam of terrible realism to the whole affair: the subtle racism faced by Angela and Tony; the rampant dissatisfaction felt by Beverly (she admits she wouldn’t have married Tony had she lived with him first); the sycophantic desperation with which Laurence approaches life, terrified of having the little he has gained taken away; the shame felt by Susan over her divorce. It’s a portrait of a country at a crossroads, with everyone involved realising this brave new world is perhaps not all it’s cracked up to be. It’s also remarkably prescient, appearing to look back with the benefit of hindsight when it was in fact written amidst the turmoil of change.

Wonderfully acted and stylishly directed – especially the scene-change dance sequences – Abigail’s Party is a brilliant if slightly depressing night of theatre.

• To book tickets to Abigail’s Party at Stratford East go to the website here