A Classic Revival: Abigail's Party at Hever Festival Theatre
Hever Festival Theatre | 21 & 22 August 2026
Gin. Demis Roussos. Social disaster.
Edenbridge Players were delighted to bring their acclaimed production of Mike Leigh's Abigail's Party to Hever Festival Theatre, following a special invitation from the Festival organisers.
Set in suburban London in 1977, Abigail's Party unfolded over one excruciatingly awkward evening as hostess Beverley and her long-suffering husband Laurence welcomed guests for drinks while their teenage daughter attended a party nearby. As the gin and tonics flowed and Demis Roussos played on the record player, polite conversation gradually gave way to social one-upmanship, simmering tensions and quietly devastating consequences. Both painfully funny and uncomfortably familiar, the play remains a brilliant portrait of late-1970s Britain and the aspirations of the emerging lower-middle class.
Recreating the Seventies
Designer Andrew Dore drew on his own memories of the era when creating the set. The world of Abigail's Party was very much the age of Habitat, the stylish home furnishings retailer that defined contemporary interior design in the 1970s. As a young man, Andrew and his wife regularly browsed the Habitat catalogue and visited the stores in search of the latest trends.
The set featured a range of carefully chosen period details, including the iconic Chicken Brick, a tall spaghetti jar, distinctive light fittings, a lava lamp, a fibre-optic lamp and, of course, the unmistakable shag-pile carpet. Together, these elements helped recreate the distinctive look and feel of suburban Britain in 1977 and provided the perfect backdrop for the play's increasingly uncomfortable drinks party.
Bringing the Production to Hever
Bringing Abigail's Party to Hever Festival Theatre was the culmination of a long-held ambition. Edenbridge Players first discussed the possibility of performing at the venue in 2018, but plans were delayed before finally coming to fruition several years later.
The company chose Abigail's Party because of its enduring popularity and the enthusiastic response it had received during its original run in Edenbridge. The production reunited much of the original cast, with Rachel Dresyner, Steve Jones, Andrew Robinson and Anna Rumgay returning to reprise their acclaimed performances. The company was also delighted to welcome Phoebe Sleeman in the role of Angela.
Directed by Andrew Robinson, the production successfully recreated all the humour, discomfort and sharp social observation that have made Abigail's Party a modern classic. The revival captured everything audiences had loved about the original production while introducing the play to a new audience in the unique setting of Hever Festival Theatre.
CONT'D
Acknowledgements
Edenbridge Players were grateful to Ailsa and the team at Hever Festival Theatre for their encouragement, support and assistance throughout the project. Their help was instrumental in bringing this memorable revival to life and making the company's long-held ambition a reality.
Recreating the world of 1970s suburbia involved many hours searching charity shops for authentic props, costumes and set dressing. We would like to thank Barnardo's and Sue Ryder in Oxted, Hospice of Hope in Otford, Hospice in the Weald, YMCA in Tunbridge Wells, The Salvation Army and Oxfam for their help in sourcing period items.
Special thanks also go to The Oast Theatre Costume Hire in Tonbridge, The Queen's Theatre, Hornchurch for the loan of the three-piece suite, Design Projects for scenic materials, and Ray and Carolyn Wilson for the loan of the Wings of Love painting.
Finally, we would like to thank our audiences, friends and families for their continued support and encouragement. Community theatre depends on the dedication of so many people both on and off the stage, and we are immensely grateful to everyone who helped make this production such a success.