Amanda Abbington

It’s been forty years since the appalling Beverly first put Donna Summer on the turntable, stacked a plate with little cheese and pineapple sticks, plied her guests with alcohol, cigarettes and Demis Roussos and slow-danced her way across the shag-pile into theatrical history.

The drinks party from hell begins when Beverly and her estate agent husband Laurence invite round their new neighbours, Tony and Ange, along with the nervous divorcee Sue, who is jittery about the bash her teenage daughter Abigail is throwing down the road. As that party gets out of hand, this one too descends into chaos, and comedy, drama and tragedy combine into an iconic piece of theatre.

Hilarious and horribly compelling, Mike Leigh’s Abigail’s Party is an undisputed classic. Amanda Abbington is best-known for playing Mary Morstan in Sherlock, Miss Mardle in Mr Selfridge and DS Jo Moffat in Cuffs.

Director Sarah Esdaile’s productions include Talking Heads for Theatre Royal Bath Productions and Death of a Salesman, Cat on a Hot Tin Roof and The Deep Blue Sea for West Yorkshire Playhouse.