Tamzin Outhwaite delivers a "monstrous, show-stealing performance" as the unforgettably awful Beverly in the current West End production of Mike Leigh's 1977 satire, "Abigail's Party." The play, which revisits the cringe-inducing social dynamics of a suburban 1970s drinks party, continues to resonate with audiences.
Outhwaite, despite being older than the original Beverly, embodies the character with "formidable athleticism." Her portrayal is described as a "flesh-eating raptor," an "Amazonian dominatrix crossed with a drag queen," complete with a "gigantic blonde wig" and "flowing orange robe over golden platform shoes." Ditching the shrill tones of the original, Outhwaite's Beverly is "crassly, even maliciously insensitive" and a "self-assured control freak" who insists everyone enjoy her "nightmare drinks party."
The supporting cast includes Lauren Patel as NHS nurse Ange, a new arrival who attempts to emulate Beverly's unhinged example, and Omar Malik as her husband Tony, over whom Beverly "drools." Pandora Colin plays the mousey divorcée Sue, who tries to "blend into the furniture" while her daughter hosts a party next door. Kevin Bishop portrays Beverly's estate agent husband Laurence, who seeks "solace in snobbery" and dismisses his wife's beloved Demis Roussos.
Despite the characters' unlikeability and Leigh's "situational agony" plot, director Nadia Fall's production is noted for tapping into a "ferocious, proto-feminist defiance" led by Outhwaite. Her Beverly is a "Tyrannosaurus-Regina – to be simultaneously feared and revered."
"Abigail's Party" runs at the Harold Pinter Theatre until September 19.
Jeeves Takes Charge
In contrast, the one-man show "Jeeves Takes Charge," adapted from P.G. Wodehouse's stories, is described as a "comic antique of a very different, more refined order." The production, a revival of a 1980 West End show, features Sam Harrison as the dim-witted Bertie Wooster and his butler Jeeves, among other caricatures.
Harrison's performance is characterized as an "effusive and effervescent fusion of Mr Bean and Kenneth Williams," with physical comedy including folding "like a deck chair" and "flopping about like a jellyfish." The show is enhanced by Caite Hevner's "impressive video projections" that transport the audience. However, the titular Jeeves is found to be "strangely sidelined." The critic suggests that Wodehouse's comedy requires "more genteel treatment" rather than "a bull in a china shop."
"Jeeves Takes Charge" plays at the Charing Cross Theatre until September 6.