Abigail's Party

Abigail's Party

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Editorial Reviews

ABIGAIL'S PARTY features Beverly (Alison Steadman) a bitingly funny hostess of a dainty evening party at which her husband has the ultimate bad taste of having a heart attack on her new living room carpet. Unable to decide which is more important, her dying husband or her new, very expensive, carpet, Abigail must come to terms with where her true priorities lay. One of Mike Leigh's greatest works, ABIGAIL'S PARTY reaches a moment when the unbearable and hopeless fuse to create an explosion of incredible humor and tremendous insight into the state of human affairs.

Customer Reviews

Beastie Boys Mustache Theatre Presents!

Reviewed by Sleep2much, 2010-01-30

There exists a certain unexplored territory. Or so I thought. Between Who's Afraid of Virginia Wolf and 70's porn. And here it is. Wow! All pornography is is man's attempt to fill in the missing scenes of soap operas. This is more unusual void filling than that. This is the greatest porn film ever made -- without sex. So many times here the dialogue and situations feel like a porn movie is about to unzip yet they continue and you cannot believe it. This is very funny and if you've only seen Mike Leigh's later works nothing like you'd expect. If you've ever sat through through Look Back In Anger or other highly overpraised, or at least dated works. This is not that. The ironic mustache of recent years began to grow here. I don't know how this was received at the time but this is fantastic. I rented The Rules of The Game, The Earrings of Madame De, Divorce Italian Style and this. And this is the best.

Glimpses of Leigh's genius, but only glimpses

Reviewed by P. Johnston, 2009-11-05

This is a comedy that will make you snicker, masquerading as a (not really) great ensemble peice. The characterizations have all the subtlety of a college work, frankly. Leigh sinks his teeth into social class like a little Rotweiler and doesn't let go. In some works like "Secrets and Lies" it feels visionary. In others like this it feels like a self righteous college kidwho's only just read Marx wagging his finger at his parents. Okay so everyone in Abigail's Party is priggishly middle class wannabe, or an obnoxious upper working class type. They're having a little casual mixer at Bev and Larry's. It gets very ugly what with Bev's working class coming through as she drinks, and Larry's priggishness coming through as he watches Bev throw herself at her new neighbor's husband. The thing is the anger and conflict feel quite forced. There's no way anybody has EVER seen a party go down like this since "Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?" which had an emotional impact because it was about the lies we tell ourself to keep on going. Instead this is just sort of a term paper on social classes, and it doesn't really give anybody any credit- or humanity.
At first though its very funny. The characters ask each other for a drink more often than in a Dasheil Hammett story. And Alison Steadman's accent as Bev will be one to mimic for the centuries. And the seventies decor and costumes are to die for.

I would have loved this if I'd run across it on cable. If you're seeking out Mike Leigh go get Secrets and Lies. He's never done anything better.

A Scorcher

Reviewed by Kathryn M. Kuchenbrod, 2007-08-10

I absolutely love this movie/play. I once saw a very good stage production in New York, but nothing beats seeing Alison Steadman playing the monstrous Beverly ruling her roost.

It's a not-terribly-kind portrayal of suburban angst and tension among the classes in Britain circa the Queen's Jubilee.

Every scene boils with subtext, and you are gripping your seat wondering how this tinderbox will explode.

Very black comedy, and very astute about the rage and pain that lies behind those suburban doors.

Abigail's Party

Reviewed by John Farr, 2007-07-03

Based on a theater play produced for the BBC, Leigh's dark-humored situational farce examines a group of people feebly attempting to have a good time although they are all secretly miserable. As Beverly, Steadman (wife of the director) is aggressively jolly and controlling, not to mention drunk and openly flirtatious with Salthouse's simmering Tony. For every awkward moment, another drink is poured. This is an ensemble piece, and the interplay between the five actors, confined to a single living-room stage, is exquisitely handled by Leigh. Crash this "Party" for a harshly funny look at failed marriage and the cruelties of passive aggression.

Abigal's Party

Reviewed by T. Lease, 2007-03-09

Awesome play. Saw it in London 2x. The DVD is nearly as enjoyable as the live performance.

Storyline reminds me a lot of Who's Affraid of Virginia Wolf.