This Party makes you cringe and then roar with laughter

THE Royal Exchange's latest production is a revival of Abigail's Party, a play for stage and television, devised and directed in 1977 by Mike Leigh.

- REVIEW: STEVE COOKE

It is a suburban situation comedy - a satire on the aspirations and tastes of the new middle class that emerged in Britain in the 1970s. This production, directed by Natalie Abrahami, is set in the same period of time but transferred from the suburbs of Essex to Manchester.

Mike Leigh in his trademark style developed the play through lengthy improvisations during which he explored the characters with the actors, but did not always reveal the incidents that would occur during the play.

The production opened in April 1977 at the Hampstead Theatre, and returned after its initial run in the summer of 1977, for 104 performances in all.

A recording was arranged at the BBC as a Play for Today, produced by Margaret Matheson for BBC Scotland and transmitted in November 1977, the central character Beverley played by Alison Steadman.

Abigail's Party is meant to make you cringe - and the audience did on numerous occasions but much more frequently exploded with laughter at the ensemble’s facial expressions.