Tamzin Outhwaite delivers a "monstrous, show-stealing performance" as the hostess Beverly in the current West End revival of Mike Leigh's 1977 satire, "Abigail's Party." The production, running at the Harold Pinter Theatre until September 19, is noted for its ability to resonate with contemporary audiences despite its distinctly 1970s setting.
Outhwaite's portrayal of Beverly is described as a "flesh-eating raptor," channeling an "Amazonian dominatrix crossed with a drag queen." Sporting a "gigantic blonde wig" and "flowing orange robe over golden platform shoes," she commands the stage. The performance leans into a "crassly, even maliciously insensitive" persona, a "self-assured control freak" determined to ensure her guests enjoy a "nightmare drinks party" in a suburban cul-de-sac.
In the play, Beverly attempts to dominate her guests, including new NHS nurse Ange (Lauren Patel) and her husband Tony (Omar Malik), a former Crystal Palace footballer. Mousey divorcée Sue (Pandora Colin), whose teenage daughter is hosting a separate party next door, struggles to remain inconspicuous. Beverly's estate agent husband, Laurence (Kevin Bishop), largely disengages from his wife's antics, seeking solace in his disdain for her musical tastes, dismissing Demis Roussos as "a fat, caterwauling Greek."
The review notes that while none of the characters are particularly likeable or "very real," and Leigh's narrative relies on "situational agony," Nadia Fall's production finds strength in Outhwaite's "ferocious, proto-feminist defiance." Her Beverly is characterized as "Tyrannosaurus-Regina," a figure to be "simultaneously feared and revered."
The article also briefly mentions "Jeeves Takes Charge" at the Charing Cross Theatre, an adaptation of P.G. Wodehouse stories. This one-man show, starring Sam Harrison, attempts to liven up the Wodehouse material with a clowning performance as Bertie Wooster and various other characters. However, the production is criticized for sidelining the titular Jeeves and for Harrison's "rubber-man calisthenics" not generating sympathy for Bertie. The adaptation is deemed too boisterous for Wodehouse's typically more "genteel" comedic style. "Jeeves Takes Charge" runs until September 6.