A revival of Mike Leigh’s celebrated 1977 play - best remembered from its classic television version starring Leigh’s wife at the time, Alison Steadman - Abigail’s Party is at Malvern this week as it nears the end of its UK tour. 

A suburban situation comedy of manners and a ruthless satire on the aspirations and tastes of a new middle class that was rapidly emerging in British society, the play is very much a time capsule from nearly half a century ago. Hence this excellent London Classic Theatre production comes complete with set, props and costumes that perfectly reflect the dubious tastes of the 1970s: obligatory geometric wallpaper, an orange leather suite, a fibre optic lamp, vinyl classics playing on a record player, cheese and pineapple served on cocktail sticks, and fabulous clothes and hairstyles.

Beverly (Rebecca Birch) and her workaholic husband, Laurence (Tom Richardson), are throwing a small party for their less-affluent neighbours, Angela (Alice De-Warrenne) and Tony (George Readshaw), who are just starting out on the property ladder. Susan (Jo Castleton) has been invited, too. A slightly older divorcee, she has a 15-year-old daughter named Abigail, who is throwing her own rather more raucous party at the family home nearby.

Beverly and Laurence’s little soiree starts innocently enough as the near-strangers gather and chat. As the evening progresses and the alcohol flows freely, Beverly’s total lack of self-awareness, her overbearing demand that her guests enjoy themselves, and her flagrant flirting with Tony starts to bring out the worst in Laurence. 

As even more booze is served, things get louder and increasingly out of hand... 
Observing the relationship dynamics and the complex unravelling of the characters makes for exquisitely uncomfortable viewing, offering a smorgasbord of laugh-out-loud and shudderingly cringe-worthy moments.

The five actors work perfectly together throughout, bringing great enthusiasm and energy to their performances. Rebecca Birch in particular is worthy of mention. Not only does she succeed in putting her own stamp on the monstrous Beverly - no easy task, given that Steadman’s tour-de-force performance in the original TV play continues to loom large, even after all these years - she also manages to do so without muscling-out her fellow actors, each of whom revels in the space created for them by her admirably self-disciplined performance. 

This edgy and often uncomfortable visit behind the net curtains of mid-1970s suburbia may not be to everyone’s taste, but it’s a far more relevant work of satire than might initially seem apparent. Our lives today really aren’t all that different. Consider, for example, the use of social media to try and impress our contemporaries by giving the illusion that our lives are perfect. Or dig a little deeper into the unhappy and dysfunctional interactions of the characters, and you quickly realise that the exact same issues continue to blight relationships a near half-century later.

Abigail’s Party has something to offer audience members of all ages, whether you well recall the 1970s in all of its glam garishness, or weren’t even so much as a glint in your parents’ eyes back in the day. Purchase a ticket asap and strap yourself in for an evening of nostalgic time travel and delightfully excruciating theatre.

Four stars

Reviewed by Sue Hull at Malvern Theatres on Tuesday 4 July. Abigail's Party continues at the venue until Saturday 8 July. The production then shows at Crewe Lyceum Theatre from Friday 28 to Sunday 30 July.