You know, in 1985 Demis Roussos was on a plane that was hijacked by Hezbollah terrorists. He sang to his fellow passengers to keep their spirits up.
Hezbollah showed mercy and released Roussos early. They knew the passengers had suffered enough already be being hijacked!
Over the years Roussos displayed bemusement that his name was forever linked with Abigail's Party.
Mike Leigh devised and directed this Play for Today. There was a lot of improvisation that goes on Mike Leigh productions and this was no exception. It cannot be a coincidence that Tony (John Salthouse) was a former footballer just like Salthouse was in real life.
Abigail is the 15 year old daughter of Sue who is having a party. In the play the party is in the background.
The action is next door as Beverly (Alison Steadman) invites her new neighbours Angela and Tony round for some drinks. A nervous Sue pops in a bit later on worried about the party in her own house.
Beverly's husband Laurence is an estate agent and aspires to be upwardly mobile. This is reflected in his musical tastes such as listening to classical music, however his cultural tastes are more for show. He is also a petty racist. He does not welcome the area being cosmopolitan.
Beverly is flamboyant. She has risen to be lower middle class but as the drinks flow. She becomes grotesque and increasingly argues with her weaker and more neurotic husband.
Angela is a nurse who is rather meek and weak willed. Tony is taciturn, a man of few words but becomes increasingly disdainful as the evening goes on. He does not seem to be happy to be saddled with a mortgage as they previously lived in a flat.
There is not much story going on and it is not really a comedy. There are a few laughs mainly because of Steadman's energy but really Abigail's Party is a tragic comic melodrama that becomes irritatingly whiny. There are no characters to root for, they all have issues. It does have a jolt of an ending.
The play now looks very mid 1970s when it was made. This is reflected in the clothes, music, deco and furniture in Beverley's house.
Although regarded as a classic, I think Abigail's Party is overpraised. Nuts in May was better.
Hezbollah showed mercy and released Roussos early. They knew the passengers had suffered enough already be being hijacked!
Over the years Roussos displayed bemusement that his name was forever linked with Abigail's Party.
Mike Leigh devised and directed this Play for Today. There was a lot of improvisation that goes on Mike Leigh productions and this was no exception. It cannot be a coincidence that Tony (John Salthouse) was a former footballer just like Salthouse was in real life.
Abigail is the 15 year old daughter of Sue who is having a party. In the play the party is in the background.
The action is next door as Beverly (Alison Steadman) invites her new neighbours Angela and Tony round for some drinks. A nervous Sue pops in a bit later on worried about the party in her own house.
Beverly's husband Laurence is an estate agent and aspires to be upwardly mobile. This is reflected in his musical tastes such as listening to classical music, however his cultural tastes are more for show. He is also a petty racist. He does not welcome the area being cosmopolitan.
Beverly is flamboyant. She has risen to be lower middle class but as the drinks flow. She becomes grotesque and increasingly argues with her weaker and more neurotic husband.
Angela is a nurse who is rather meek and weak willed. Tony is taciturn, a man of few words but becomes increasingly disdainful as the evening goes on. He does not seem to be happy to be saddled with a mortgage as they previously lived in a flat.
There is not much story going on and it is not really a comedy. There are a few laughs mainly because of Steadman's energy but really Abigail's Party is a tragic comic melodrama that becomes irritatingly whiny. There are no characters to root for, they all have issues. It does have a jolt of an ending.
The play now looks very mid 1970s when it was made. This is reflected in the clothes, music, deco and furniture in Beverley's house.
Although regarded as a classic, I think Abigail's Party is overpraised. Nuts in May was better.