Abigail's Party

Abigail's Party originally aired as part of the BBC's influential Play for Today series. Writer/director Mike Leigh was responsible for several productions for the series, as was Dennis Potter (The Singing Detective). This filmed play was developed the same way most of Leigh's work has been -- in ...more

Mike Leigh's Abigail's Party is a relentlessly unpleasant but fascinating social satire about an ill-fated social gathering. Leigh developed the story and dialogue by having the actors improvise their roles, as he has done throughout his career. Abigail's Party relies heavily on the performances of its five cast members, with mixed results. Alison Steadman, as Beverly, the party's rapacious and obnoxious hostess, is brilliantly over-the-top. She completely inhabits Beverly, and every line ...more