RepTalk appearing in Midweek 23rd February

Production managers Jodie Palmer (left) and Dee Brough (right) have fun
sorting through 1970s costumes in preparation for the upcoming production
of Abigail's Party at Repertory.

Countdown to rehearsals

It’s been a busy week at Repertory with more preparations for our upcoming production of Abigail’s Party. The set design has been finalised (featuring a fabulous 1970s decor) and the design for the front of theatre billboard has gone off to Display Associates for printing- it’s going to look great when it goes up – very eye-catching!

Rehearsals start in a few days time and then it’s going to be full steam ahead until opening night on 31^st March. We have a brilliant cast assembled for this play. Talia Annear-Kjoss will be playing Beverly (a glamorous ex-beautician) and her performance is going to be just brilliant. Certainly no stranger to the stage, many will have seen her amazing performance as Rita in Educating Rita last year as well as numerous Repertory productions including Noises Off and Stepping Out. Peter Dilloway will be joining her, playing her long-suffering husband Laurence (Peter recently demonstrated his spot-on comic timing in Black Adder at Am Dram) and Repertory stalwarts Linda Kerfoot and Karen Ellett (both brilliant in Stepping Out) will be playing neighbours Susan and Angela. With all that combined stage experience, it’s also great to welcome newcomer Troy Taylor into the fold – he’ll be playing Tony, Angela’s mean and moody husband. It’s going to be great fun!

For those of you unfamiliar with the play, Abigail’s Party has been described as a ‘Comedy of Bad Manners’ by its author, Mike Leigh. Set in a suburban home in the late seventies, it follows the comic (and dramatic!) events of one evening when bored and bitchy hostess Beverly throws a drinks party for the neighbours. A few too many gin and tonics later and what starts out as a civilised soiree quickly descends into the ‘party from hell’.

Tickets, priced at $20 (with concessions available), are on sale from February 28th at the Royal Wanganui Opera House. Call in or telephone 06 349 0511 to book your seats for Abigail’s Party which plays at Repertory from 31^st March to 9^th April.

The official Abigail’s Party blog continues at http://abigailspartynz.blogspot.com/  - log on and sign up as a follower and go in the draw to win two tickets for opening night.