Abigail's Party

Play

Writers: Mike Leigh

Overview

Show Information

Book
Category
Play
Number of Acts
2
First Produced
1977
Genres
Comedy, Satire
Settings
Period, Unit/Single Set
Time & Place
The home of Beverly and Laurence Moss, 1970s
Cast Size
small
Ideal for
College/University, Community Theatre, Regional Theatre, Professional Theatre, Small Cast
Casting Notes
Mostly female cast
Includes adult characters

Synopsis

Let’s travel back to the 1970s and a time of cheese and pineapple on sticks, paisley prints, and Dennis Rousseau. This evening, suburban socialite Beverly and her husband Laurence are hosting a drinks party, despite Laurence arriving home late from work. They have invited their new neighbors, married couple Tony and Angela, along with their recently divorced, next door neighbor Susan, who has been banished from her home as her teenage daughter Abigail is throwing her first party. As the drinks flow, tensions rise. Beverly flirts with Tony, while Laurence sulks on the sofa. Sniping, bickering, and drunken dancing ensue, until the evening comes to a sudden close when Laurence suffers a fatal heart attack.

Originally developed through lengthy improvisations, Abigail’s Party is a biting satire of British middle-class aspirations in the 1970s.

Lead Characters


Abigail's Party guide sections