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Abigail’s Party at the Green Room |
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Written by Dean Beedell (webmaster)
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Article from http://www.henleystandard.co.uk/news/news.php?id=632536
MOST people are happy to spend an evening discussing cars, house
prices, curtains and the ordinary things which go to make up day-to-day
life.
Only a few seek to talk of art, music, theatre, literature and
politics — and Mike Leigh wasn’t interested in them when he wrote
Abigail’s Party in 1977.
Falcongrange Productions recognised that in their stimulating interpretation of the play which is set in home counties suburbia.
This was energetic and pacey with some excellent character
portrayals — although Yvie Magee’s Beverley came close to a pantomime
dame sometimes.
The Green Room, HAODS’s rehearsal and social space next to
the Kenton Theatre, may not be the easiest of venues in which to put on
a show but the young Falcongrange didn’t let that get in their way.
Yvie Magee set the pace in the opening scene
as she shimmied around her living room, setting out the peanuts and
cheese and pineapple snacks, and drinking wine.
This woman was in your face from the start with exaggerated
movements and speech. She was matched by the one character in the play
who had any time for reflection — and he wasn’t liked for it. Daniel
Creasey as Lawrence, Beverley’s husband, was the put-upon unhappily
married estate agent who cared about art and wished he had talent.
No one else cared about talent, they were happy as they were,
and as the drink flowed they became happier and more argumentative.
Perhaps the characters were close to caricature at times, but that
helped to highlight their foibles.
The play built from a running start to a high intensity and the cast never let up on the pressure. M.R.
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