As I took my seat, voices in all directions were talking about it, 'I remember that', 'I have one of those'. As I looked at the stage, we were taking a step back in time to the 70's - fibre optic lamps, coal-effect fires, soda-siphons, spider plants, sideboards and room dividers, the whole décor in orange, brown and avocado!

So with the help of the fantastic and nostalgic set (by designer Jonathan Fensom), we have travelled back in time to 1977. Beverly (Lizzy McInnerny) wanders in, dressed to the nines, fussing nervously, before turning on the record player and beginning to wiggle her bottom in a dance routine to Donna Summer's Love to Love You Baby. She moves round the room attempting sophistication and sexiness, that is until she opens her mouth to address her estate agent husband Laurence (Huw Higginson) in a very abrupt and wonderfully annoying voice.

Beverly and Laurence play host to a cocktail party which is being held, not so much to welcome the new neighbours Angela (Elizabeth Hopley) and Tony (Steffan Rhodri), but to show their own home off to them. Also invited to the party is Susan (Liz Crowther) a nervous divorcé from next-door-but-one who needs to find refuge from her daughter (and title character) Abigail's 'freak out' party, which is taking place, unsupervised, at her house.

Each time it was 'time for another drink' (Beverly, ever the hostess, keeps everyone supplied with never-ending refills), the conversation, which started as nothing more than small talk, gets onto an interesting level, I'm not entirely sure I'd want Angela's recipe for Pilchard Curry!

The audience reacted appropriately to the goings-on on stage with laughter and coughing (as the perfume and cigarette smoke drifted across the auditorium).

The whole cast deserves praise - the pace of the show was excellent, going from quick cued arguments to awkward silences. One moment that stood out was when Beverly and Laurence were both speaking at the same time. It was difficult to decide whom to listen to, but was very effective. Unfortunately when some of Beverly's lines were up against the sounds of Demis Roussos, you didn't get much choice but to listen to the music. Not just Tony's ego rises at certain advances made towards him. Susan spoke wonderfully through looks, Angela gets convincingly drunk, and her 'slow' dancing needs to be seen.

This was an excellent and enjoyable production and will have you laughing right to the very end of the play.

Footnote:

May I also add, that despite the roar of laughter at Beverly popping her bottle of Beaujolais in the fridge, that is exactly what should be done with a bottle of Beaujolais!

Helen Williams, February 2004