It's almost impossible to divorce Abigail's Party from the woman who made it's central role famous - Alison Steadman. Any actress taking on the role of the doomed hostess struggles to fill those famous silver sandals and every production of the play is only as good as the actress playing Beverley. Luckily for Liverpool Lizzy McInnery is so fabulous, you almost forget anyone else has ever uttered the immortal lines 'I have very beautiful lips' or even 'do you want another light ale, Tone'. Lizzy McInnery carries the first act, she fills the stage with her asymmetric turquoise dress and disco dancing, the audience craning to watch her prepare for the arrival of her guests at the world's worst drinks party. You could call it over acting, but to be honest, under-acting the part would simply not work - it's a farce not a kitchen sink drama.

By the second act, Beverley's high-blood pressured husband and neighbours come into their own, putting together a comic performance that has the audience shrieking with laughter.. a little too enthusiastically, if that's possible. Almost every line is greeted with applause.

Abigail's party is surely one of the funniest plays ever written and a perfect snap shot of the 1970s middle classes battling it out to have the cheesiest pineapple chunks, the snazziest soda siphon or the most expensive three piece suites. You could see it as a biting satire of life in the 1970s - people pretending they'd never had it so good whilst all around them the country slumped into economic decline. Then again, you could just see it as a damn good laugh.

Words : Claire Hamilton