Northern Stage premiere of Abigail's Party is all set to serve up a fresh take on a comedy classic

Theatre-goers who take up the current invitation to a party at Northern Stage can expect a toe-curling night with an appalling hostess and a mix of awkward guests.

And they will most likely love every horrible minute. A new production of Mike Leigh's classic dark comedy Abigail's Party is to make its debut at the Newcastle theatre this Friday and for the next two weeks that infamous cocktail evening will play out, with The Sins and Bad Girls actress Laura Rogers in the role of hostess Beverly.

It's a role made famous by Alison Steadman in the original 1977 BBC Play for Today adaptation and here Beverly will be ruling the roost in a new take set to appeal to modern audiences - but with some retro vibes too. Writer-director Jack Bradfield says: "I’m thrilled to be reviving Mike Leigh's savage suburban comedy.

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"We're ratcheting up the awkward, the inappropriate, the unbearable and the plain strange and staging the play in a whole new way." He said that Leigh was writing about the time he was living in and added: “You have to find where the electricity is in things he's skewering and zap that into now, rather than make it a piece about a period of time.”

In the original, the seventies backdrop featured the likes of cheese and pineapple on sticks and Demis Roussos records, with Alison Steadman floating around in a long evening dress while much of the conversation is dominated by concerns over what might be happening at a neighbouring party which is being hosted by teenager Abigail.

Newcastle audiences will soon find out how the new version looks and there is due to be surprise or two on set. Jack, who recently directed Player Kings, was picked as 2023 winner of the Royal Theatrical Support Trust's Sir Peter Hall Director Award in a panel chaired by Northern Stage artistic director Natalie Ibu.

She says of Abigail's Party: “Mike Leigh’s iconic comedy rightly deserves its cult status. Jack’s vision brings it to life for audiences in 2024 with wit, humour and sprinkle of psychological drama - it will be spectacular."

Also in its cast will be Leander Deeny as Beverly's husband Laurence while the couple's house guests will be played by Amy Rockson; Chaya Gupta and Joe Blakemore. The play, a Northern Stage co-production and supported by a grant from the Royal Theatrical Support Trust, will run at Northern Stage from September 13-28.

It then will tour to Mercury Theatre in Colchester from October 2-12; Blackpool Grand from October 22-26 and Rose Theatre in Kingston upon Thames from November 5-16. To book tickets see here and for a round-up of other shows and events to enjoy around Newcastle in September see here.