Description

Abigail’s Party DVD

OPTIONAL SUBTITLES 1 disc. Comedy. Colour. Years: 1977.
Running time over 1 hr and 40 mins.
Also includes: Featurette on Alison Steadman as Beverley.

Cast: Alison Steadman, Tim Stern, Janine Duvitski, John Salthouse and Harriet Reynolds.

Written and directed by Mike Leigh.

The original TV production, shown on Play for Today in 1977, this “cocktail party from hell” wickedly took apart the tastelessness, pretensions and pomposity of England’s aspiring suburban classes. As a get-together of neighbours turns from social embarrassment to personal antagonism to crisis, the audience is manipulated into squirming and laughing, but is ultimately shocked. Alison Steadman’s incredible performance as the overbearing and garish housewife Beverley launched her long and successful career, while the writer and director Mike Leigh took his improvisational methods to the big screen with films such as Secrets and Lies; Life Is Sweet and Mr. Turner.

£15 with free UK Postage.