| Petina Hapgood | Director • Educator Artistic Director • Goodmann Productions |
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Abigail’s Party Tour – 2009/2010
Director: Petina Hapgood Beverley: Gaby Finer “Best goddamn night in the theatre for years!” – Greg Wise – Actor/Etcetera Theatre, Camden. CLOCKTOWER THEATRE, CROYDON – Reviewer Peter Davies, Principal of City Lit. Abigail’s Party, expertly directed by Petina Hapgood, received rave reviews when it was performed at the Clocktower in Croydon in January. Gaby Finer, Beverley and Alix Martin, Ange had to stay in difficult and challenging characters throughout the play which they did superbly. Will O’Connel, Lawrence, Daniel Rodriquez, Tone, Sue Ferguson as Susan played three very different characters believably which added spice and variety to the play. Many sitcoms fall flat because of lack of pace or poor timing but definitely not this one. Petina’s visionary production is frankly better than a couple of recent West End plays which I have seen. “All the cast were superb, the direction and whole production just great. My partner and I go to the theatre all over London so we’ve got a lot to compare it with” – Matt Davies-Royal College of Surgeons/Etcetera Theatre, Camden. SHREWSBURY HOUSE THEATRE– Reviewer Claire Evans. Journalist and former theatrical agent. Director, Petina Hapgood, brought the play sizzling into the C21st. Everyone remembers the iconic Alison Steadman as Beverley and Janine Duvitski as Ange and it was a credit to this production that Gaby Finer (Beverley) and Alix Martin (Angela) were not intimidated by the roles and made them very much their own. William O’Connell as Lawrence gave a very well judged performance subtly pointing the way to theheart attack whilst Sue Ferguson chose a particulary glacial and ascerbic interpretation of Abigail’s mother which for me brilliantly re-defined the role. Daniel Rodriguez as Tone brough a dark and edgy animalism to this role. I thought the director’s handling of the play’s final conclusion was masterful. Gaby Finer played impressively Beverley’s chaotic descent into loss of control and Alix Martin, the cookie Angela in her ill-chosen clothes, rose with dignity to the medical emergency. I have seen this play on numerous occasions and I was pleasantly surprised throughout by the freshness that breathed life into the comedy and proved that this play still has a lot to say about human nature. “The last scene was so realistic that I though I was going to be called in to help!” – Dr. Manuel Gonzales. Etcetera Theatre, Camden.
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