“Abigail’s Party”, in author Mike Leigh’s words, “goes beyond being a comedy; it’s a tragicomedy.” It’s a comedy of time, place, and manners, of the ‘done thing’ and the tensions couples face between the ‘freedom’ of the ‘swinging sixties’ and the reality of 1970’s middle class suburban expectations. It’s not only a polaroid snapshot of the day but a continuing insight on people living their lives the best they can . . . (while trying to fulfil what they perceive are the expectations of ‘the others’.)
Review by Jordon Jones for Backstage Christchurch
(A Community Theatre production by special arrangement with Samuel French Ltd and New Zealand Play Bureau Ltd)