Review: Abigail’s Party at the New Vic Theatre*

Review: Abigail’s Party at the New Vic Theatre

[Ad-gifted] I had the privilege to watch Mike Leigh’s achingly funny black comedy examining the 1970s British life in Abigail’s Party  at The New Vic Theatre in Newcastle-Under-Lyme yesterday and what a show it was.

Originally written for stage and then television, the play is presented by London Classic Theatre where audience are transported to 1977 to Romford, Essex to Beverly and Laurence Moss’s suburban living room.

Beverly and Laurence have invited new neighbours, Angela and Tony as well as Susan who has been divorced for three years over for drinks.  Ironically Susan’s fifteen-year-old daughter, Abigail is holding a party at her house at the same time.

The party starts innocently as the virtual strangers gather and chat, until Beverly and Laurence start sniping at each other. As more drinks are served, things start getting loud and a little out of hand. What will become of the the night?

What I thought of Abigail’s Party?

Directed by Michael Cabot, the show examines the British middle-class way in the 1970s.  You could see Laurence (played by Tom Richardson) and Beverly (played by Rebecca Birch) are more affluential compared to middle-class Susan or Sue (played by Jo Castleton) and their not as rich new neighbours, Angela or Ange (Alice De-Warrenne) and Tony or Tone (played by George Readshaw).

Soon as we sat down, we were immediately transported to 1970s England from the orange leather sofa, fibre-optic lamps,  pineapple and cheese on cocktail sticks and vinyl record player.

What a brilliant set of cast!  They had amazing chemistry and worked well as an ensemble yet they could each keep the audience engaged with their individual performance.  Rebecca played Beverly ever so well and came across as patronising and confident,  making the audience wanting more.  At times, her expressions were penetrating and no words were needed  to explain how she felt.

Alice as Angela was excruciatingly funny and captivated the audience with her performance, it was such joy to watch her. Jo‘s portrayal of Susan as the sympathetic divorcee is so believable. I am sure the audience could relate to Sue who kept worrying about her teenage daughter’s (Abigail) party.  Tom played the hard working husband while Tony was quiet throughout the play, giving only one-word replies when asked a question.   Credit also goes to the Bek Palmer for the fitting set design and stunning costume which depicted the time period well.

Surprisingly, the story of Abigail’s Party is still relevant and relatable today even though it first opened in Hamstead Theatre in 1977 followed by a transmission as a “Play for Today” on BBC 1.  I experienced a roller coaster of emotions from laughing out loud, to feeling cringe when Beverly starts flirting and dancing with Tone to tensed emotions followed by the shocking ending.  A play worth watching to reminisce the 70s and how things once were.

Cast:

Rebecca Birch Beverly
Tom Richardson Laurence
Alice De-Warrenne Angela
George Readshaw Tony
Jo Castleton Susan

Creative Team:

Director Michael Cabot
Set & Costume Designer Bek Palmer
Lighting Designer Matthew Green
Production Manager Helen Samways
Stage Manager Matthew Green
Assistant Stage Manager Megan Lawson
Costume Supervisor Margaret Lock
Production Photography Sheila Burnett
Rehearsal Photography Rosalind Furlong
Videographer Paul Keeley-Sandys
Producer Kathryn Cabot

How much do the tickets to Abigail’s Party cost?

Tickets are on sale now, priced from £20 – £29. 
Concessions: £2.00 off
Group Discounts: £2.00 off for ten or more
Four Friends for £82
Under 16s Go Free
Under 26s Go Free

How do I book tickets to Abigail’s Party?

Tickets are now on sale and available from the Box Office, by calling 01782 717962 or visit the New Vic Theatre’s website here. Recommended age is 14+. Contains strong language.

How long is the show for and what are the timings?

Abigail’s Party will be running until Saturday, 15 April 2023 with evening shows at 7.30pm while the matinee shows will be at 2.15pm.  Please check their website for the exact timings.

Where is New Vic Theatre in Newcastle-Under-Lyme?

New Vic Theatre
Etruria Road
Newcastle-under-Lyme
Staffordshire
ST5 0JG

The theatre has a large car park, with a £2 charge after 6pm on show days. Only contactless card payment is currently accepted for parking charges.

The theatre café is open 10am to 3pm, Monday to Saturday – then from 5.30pm for pre-show meals.

Booking is required for pre-show meals 5.30pm onwards, via their booking system at this link.

About The New Vic Theatre

Founded in 1962, the New Vic is the producing theatre for Stoke-on-Trent and Staffordshire. With around eight major productions a year, its varied programme includes contemporary drama, new commissions, adaptations and classics. Recent productions have toured nationally and internationally, and have transferred to London and Manchester. The New Vic has developed extensive and award-winning community involvement. It works regionally, nationally and internationally through its education department and New Vic Borderlines, which aims to change the lives of the most disadvantaged members of the community. The New Vic is funded by Arts Council England, Newcastle-under-Lyme Borough Council, Staffordshire County Council and Stoke-on-Trent City Council.

About London Classic Theatre (LCT)

London Classic Theatre is based in Whyteleafe, Surrey and is run by Artistic Director Michael Cabot and Producer Kathryn Cabot. The company was launched in 2000 as a touring theatre company with David Mamet’s Oleanna. This inaugural tour lost a small fortune, but doors had opened and crucially, the work was being seen. Twenty-three years and forty-four tours later, London Classic Theatre is now a successful, established part of the commercial UK touring theatre scene. The company has never received any funding or sponsorship for its work. As Artistic Director, Michael Cabot has programmed a repertoire of classic and modern classic plays, a mixture of the challenging and the commercial, big titles and less well-known, including two UK premières – Hugh Leonard’s Love in the Title and Joanna Murray-Smith’s Nightfall. As venues and audiences have become more familiar with the company’s work, Michael and Kathryn have been able to push the boundaries of what LCT offers, in ambition, scale and complexity.

About Arts Council England

Arts Council England is the national development agency for creativity and culture.  By 2030 we want England to be a country in which the creativity of each of us is valued and given the chance to flourish and where everyone of us has access to a remarkable range of high quality cultural experiences.  Between 2018 and 2022, we will invest £1.45 billion of public money from government and an estimated £860 million from the National Lottery to help deliver this vision.

Keeping you safe

To help you enjoy your visit, the New Vic has put measures in place to help all visitors feel as comfortable as possible:

• Please feel free to wear a face covering while at the New Vic, when walking around the venue and during the performance.
• They ask all guests to be mindful of fellow audience members when at the theatre, who may prefer to continue to keep a distance from other theatregoers while in their spaces.
• They have hand sanitiser stations positioned around the theatre, free to use by all. They are maintaining their high levels of cleanliness throughout the building, ensuring all spaces and contact surfaces are regularly sanitised.

Feeling unwell? If you, or a member of your party, are exhibiting symptoms of Covid-19 prior to your visit, they politely ask you do not attend the theatre. If this is the case, please speak to a member of their box office team who will be able to talk you through options to exchange your tickets.

You may also want to read this:

Review: Quality Street at the New Vic Theatre

Review: Ladies’ Day at New Vic Theatre

Review: Ayckbourn’s Family Album at New Vic Theatre

Photo Credit: New Vic Theatre/Sheila Burnett

* We were provided with press tickets in exchange for a review. All opinions are our own.