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The appalling Beverley (played by Alison Steadman, a Leigh regular) has arranged a small party amongst a few neighbours, which provides the perfect opportunity to display her vast array of cultural pretensions and affectations, much to the distress of her husband Laurence, a go-getting real estate agent with a few of his own, thank you.
As in many of Leigh's films, the hot-bed of repressed sexual desire that lurks beneath the surface of the suburbs of London(!) bubbles over uncomfortably.
Leigh's best-loved piece in the UK was a huge hit on stage before being filmed (or more precisely 'taped' for it was shot on videotape not film). Shot entirely in the studio with only one set and a minimum of camera movement, directly replicating the original stage success. Abigail's Party is Leigh at his most direct, an incisive comedy-of-manners building to a shattering climax that goes way beyond the bounds of expectation.