Abigail is having a party

It was 1977, the year of skin-tight polyester and ‘Saturday Night Fever’. The Sex Pistols were storming up the charts, skateboarding was the latest craze and Angela Rippon danced with Morecambe & Wise.

However, at Hampstead Theatre in London, Mike Leigh and his cast were putting the finishing touches to ‘Abigail’s Party’, a ferocious black comedy and landmark of twentieth-century theatre.

Now the renowned London Classic Theatre has announced the full cast for their UK and Ireland tour of Mike Leigh’s classic comedy and it’s coming to Cork. Michael Cabot, the founder and artistic director of London Classic Theatre, directs Rebecca Birch (Beverly), Jo Castleton (Susan), Alice De-Warrenne (Angela), George Readshaw (Tony) and Tom Richardson(Laurence).

London Classic Theatre’s new tour opened at Theatre Royal in Winchester yesterday, Wednesday and will tour to a further 19 venues across the UK and to the only venue in Ireland, The Everyman from 29 May-2 June.

Artistic Director of London Classic Theatre, Michael Cabot said: “I am delighted to announce the cast for our 2023 tour of ‘Abigail’s Party’. Our casting process lies at the centre of everything we do as a company and is fundamental to the work we produce. Not only do we see as many candidates as we can, but we always go through a rigorous recall process where we watch various combinations of actors and how they work together.

“Putting together the right ensemble is something I have always taken incredibly seriously as those decisions have such a key impact on the work. Our policy has always been to draw from our incredible ‘core company’ as well as opening the door to as many new faces as possible. In this instance, two of the cast are returning to us from previous shows and the remaining three actors are new to the LCT fold. I think we have assembled a first-rate company of actors with impeccable theatre pedigree and can’t wait to get into the rehearsal room with them.”