I have long since admired the work of Mike Leigh who is well known for his style. Leigh’s work has previously been described as both ‘gritty’ and ‘kitchen sink realism’ which I think sums up the majority of his work perfectly. Because of this, this production of Abigail’s Party was not at all what I expected; over the top and at times brash, this production is not a glimpse into the real lives of the aspiring working and middle class in 1970s England, but instead a parody of the time.
Leigh describes his own work, Abigail’s Party, written in 1977 as a ‘lamentation, not a sneer.’ Many have suggested that Abigail’s Party is a ‘state of the nation’ play – as I didn’t grow up in the 70s (or anywhere near, in truth) it is difficult for me to describe the play under its current direction as anything but a complete mockery of the time. That being said, Abigail’s Party needn’t be performed to provide insight of the lives of those living in the 1970s, its message transcends all generations. Abigail’s Party tells the tale of five neighbours, dealing with the consequences of conforming. We see themes of love and loss, marriage and separation, and the importance of appearing as though you ‘have it all’. All of which are relevant themes even in today’s society, and because of this, I was able to relate to the play and very much feel as though I could cry, laugh and have a really good time with each and every one of the characters.
Sarah Esdaile and her cast present the story of five neighbours living in Richmond Road during the 1970s. The play is set entirely in Beverly and Lawrence’s suburban home. The set and staging of this production is superb and credit must be given to Janet Bird. Immediately as you enter, the stage is set, and we as the audience feel almost like ‘peeping Toms’ as we peer into the large open windows of Beverley and Lawrence’s home. As the front of the house disappears, we enter into their home where each and every item in the garish 70s living room fits. From the matching leather sofa and side seat, to the fully stocked drinks cabinet, equipped with some well chosen 70s style ombre glasses all helping to transport your back to a time when flares were in fashion, and ‘keeping up with the Jones’s’ was everything anyone was bothered about.
The play opens with the bold and boisterous Beverley Moss, played excellently by Jodie Prenger. It was obvious that a large proportion of the audience had come to see Miss Prenger take on the lead role, as is often the case with many productions these days that place a ‘big name’ at the top of their billboards in the hope of putting ‘bums on seats’. However, I must admit that I thoroughly enjoyed Prenger’s characterization and performance. Beverley is an aspirational middle-class wife. She is house-proud and self-conscious to a fault, eager to point out the latest mod-coms in her seemingly perfect life. At first, I found Prenger all too much. She came across as a caricature - too loud, and annoying – the accent in particular, however as the play progressed, she certainly warmed into the role, and I found myself warming to her too. She maintained character throughout, and delivered her lines with accurate comic timing and some brilliant asides. The audience were completely with her. This was certainly noticed when Prenger and co-star Calum Callaghan playing the role of Tony, corpsed just as the drama began to intensify. A mis-thrown packet of cigarettes threw the pair off course completely, yet they had the audience laughing along as if we were all sharing in a moment. It definitely was one of those ‘you had to be there’ moments, which actually made me enjoy the performance that bit more!
Lawrence Moss was played by TV star Daniel Casey, probably best known for his role as DS Troy in Midsomer Murders. I found Daniel Casey’s performance difficult to believe. His portrayal could be described as a cross between Boycie from Only Fools And Horses and John Cleese’s Basil Fawlty, and for me, the humour he wanted to add to the character was unwarranted, and ultimately took away from the drama at the end of the play, leaving me with a feeling of an anti-climax.
Vicky Binns excelled as the chipper Angela. Upbeat and almost unbearably sweet throughout, Vicky was able to show light and shade, developing and sustaining her character well during the whole piece. Vicky brought real pathos to the role, using naivety and awkward silences effectively to highlight an undercurrent in her marriage to Tony, which at times made the audience feel somewhat uncomfortable. The role of Sue was played by Rose Keegan whose lines mostly consisted of ‘oh yes’ and ‘not really’ yet each one delivered with excellent timing, adding comedy value throughout.
Despite the fact that this was not the play I was expecting to see, I enjoyed the production for what it aims to deliver – a message for us all, that appearances can be deceiving, and we don’t really know just what goes on behind closed doors.
Reviewer - Jen O'Beirne
on - 8/4/19
No comments:
Post a Comment