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Abigail's Party

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

Mike Leigh

British suburbanites Laurence and Beverly are entertaining their new neighbours, 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.

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Abigail's Party

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  • Cast Size
    Cast Size
    3w, 2m
  • Duration
    Duration
    120 minutes (2 hours)
  • SubGenre
    Subgenre
    Period
  • Suggested Use
    • Scene Work
  • Audience
    Target Audience
    Adult, Senior, Teen (Age 14-18)
Accolades
Accolades

  • Nominee: 2003 Olivier Award for Best Revival of a Play

Details

Summary

British suburbanites Laurence and Beverly are entertaining their new neighbours, 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.

Abigail's Party was evolved from scratch entirely by rehearsal through improvisation.

History

First performed at The Hampstead Theatre, London on 18th April 1977

Cast Attributes
Keywords
Performing Groups

Beverly

Laurence

Angela

Tony 

Susan

  • Time Period Present Day
  • Features Period Costumes
  • Duration 120 minutes (2 hours)
  • Cautions
    • Alcohol

Licensing & Materials

  • Minimum Fee: £85 per performance plus VAT when applicable.

    Please submit a license request to determine availability.

Scripts

Available Formats:
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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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