Abigail's Party: Tamzin Outhwaite is 'mesmerising' as hostess of 'soiree from hell'
Nadia Fall's revival of 'savage' Mike Leigh satire at Stratford East

"We all know a Beverley," said Nancy Durrant in The Times. The "magnificent monster" at the heart of Mike Leigh's "savage 1970s satire of the aspirational middle classes" has "never gone away".
More than four decades since "Abigail's Party" premiered at Hampstead Theatre, Nadia Fall's revival of the hit play has opened at Stratford East. Taking on the role of Beverley is a "mesmerising" Tamzin Outhwaite, who is hosting a dinner party alongside her estate agent husband Laurence (Kevin Bishop) to welcome their new "younger, less wealthy" neighbours, Angela and Tony, to the area. Really it's an opportunity for the older couple to flaunt their bigger house – a "glorious orange riot" designed by Peter McKintosh.
Also in attendance at the "brittle little do" is Beverley's divorced neighbour Sue (the "wonderfully subtle" Pandora Colin), whose teenage daughter Abigail is holding a punk-soundtracked house party within earshot.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Fall has "hardly tweaked" the production, except for casting two British Asian actors in the roles of Angela and Tony: a "brilliant touch" that adds another layer to Laurence's "snide" comments about the area becoming more "cosmopolitan".
Presiding over the "soiree from hell", Outhwaite puts her "own stamp" on the lead role, expertly moving between "marital carping, proprietorial fussing and predatory manoeuvring", said Dominic Cavendish in The Telegraph. Throughout the "superbly acted" production, "not a beat or look is misjudged". At its "vicious best", the show feels like "pre-Thatcher England’s answer to 'Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?'"
It's not without "flaws", though, said Theo Bosanquet in What's On Stage. The ending fails to "live up to the promise of what precedes it", and some parts of the script felt dated, "not least the use of the word 'rape' for cheap laughs". But Fall's revival "revels in its sheer entertainment factor", and Outhwaite is on "stellar form" as the comic lead.
Many of the lines are "gaspingly, immortally funny", added Andrzej Lukowski in Time Out, and as a "simmering study of passive-aggressive Britishness it is utterly peerless".
Until 12 October, Stratford East, London E15
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Irenie Forshaw is a features writer at The Week, covering arts, culture and travel. She began her career in journalism at Leeds University, where she wrote for the student newspaper, The Gryphon, before working at The Guardian and The New Statesman Group. Irenie then became a senior writer at Elite Traveler, where she oversaw The Experts column.
-
July 5 editorial cartoons
Cartoons Saturday’s political cartoons include an extrajudicial detainment camp, 'alligator Alcatraz', and tax cuts for billionaires.
-
5 explosively funny cartoons about the 4th of July
Cartoons Artists take on liberty and justice for all, a terrifying firework, and more
-
Jeff in Venice: a "triumph of tackiness"?
In the Spotlight Locals protest as Bezos uses the city as a 'private amusement park' for his wedding celebrations
-
5 dreamy books to dive into this July
The Week Recommends A 'politically charged' collection of essays, historical fiction goes sci-fi and more
-
Rustle up some fun at these Western hotels and dude ranches
The Week Recommends Six properties that are ready to rope you in
-
The best film reboots of all time
The Week Recommends Creativity and imagination are often required to breathe fresh life into old material
-
Feel the groove with these music-centric getaways across the globe
Let the rhythm move you
-
5 high-concept animated science fiction shows for grown-ups
The Week Recommends How filmmakers are using a different medium to bring visionary science fiction to life
-
See the bright lights from these 7 big-city hotels
The Week Recommends Immerse yourself in culture, history and nightlife
-
8 recipes that require minimal effort for the best kind of summer eating
The Week Recommends It's the season of grilling and smart desserts
-
7 places across the country to experience the best of summer drinking
The Week Recommends Stops include a Basque-inspired spot and a bar where the menu overhauls twice a year