A SAMUEL FRENCH, LTD. TITLE

Abigail's Party

Full-Length Play, Dramatic Comedy  /  3w, 2m

Mike Leigh

British suburbanites Laurence and Beverly are entertaining their new neighbors, Angela and Tony as well as Susan, whose teenage daughter, Abigail is having a party to which Susan has been dis-invited. Over drinks and snacks, cliches and fatuous small talk abound.

Abigail's Party

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  • Cast Size
    Cast Size
    3w, 2m
  • Duration
    Duration
    90 minutes
  • Suggested Use
    • Scene work
    • Competition or audition material
Accolades
Accolades

  • Named among the "10 most influential postwar British plays" by Guardian UK!
    Nominee: 2003 Olivier Award for Best Revival of a Play
    Winner! 2013 Whatsonstage.com Award, Best Play Revival

Details

Summary
British suburbanites Laurence and Beverly are entertaining their new neighbors, Angela and Tony as well as Susan, whose teenage daughter, Abigail is having a party to which Susan has been dis-invited. Over drinks and snacks, cliches and fatuous small talk abound. The tension escalates as the marital strain between Beverly and Laurence surfaces. Susan's anxiety over Abigail's party accelerates as rock music and God-knows-what permeate the room. As Beverly and Angela offer some supremely tactless remarks, reality breaks through the smugness when Laurence collapses with a fatal heart attack.
History

Abigail's Party was first presented at the Hampstead THeatre in London on April 18, 1977. It was directed by the author.

Cast Attributes
Keywords
Performing Groups
BEVERLY
LAURENCE
ANGELA
TONY
SUSAN
  • Setting Laurence and Beverly's house. Early and late evening in spring.
  • Duration 90 minutes
  • Cautions
    • Alcohol
    • Strong Language
    • Mild Adult Themes

Media

REVIEWS

"A brutally accurate portrait of people who link ownership with status and who surround themselves with expensive objects...for which they have no practical use... An almost Strindbergian vision of marital loathing." - Guardian UK 

“Abigail’s Party” may be the most uncomfortable comedy in New York right now, and I’d sit through it again in a second. - Thew New York Times, Read More

Licensing & Materials

  • Minimum Fee: $130 per performance

Scripts

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Authors

Mike Leigh

Mike Leigh
Mike Leigh trained at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art, at Camberwell and Central Art Schools in London, and at the London Film School. He has written and directed over twenty stage plays. These include Babies Grow Old (1974), Abigail's Party (1977), Ecstasy (1979), Goose ...
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