FOLLOWING a triumphant West End season, Mike Leigh’s classic comedy Abigail’s Party comes to the Lighthouse Poole from March 19-23, starring Hannah Waterman as the socially aspirational Beverly.

Beverly and her estate agent husband Laurence are hosting a cocktail party and invite new neighbours Tony and Ange and nervous divorcee Sue, who is twitchy about the party her 15- year-old daughter Abigail is throwing across the road.

As Beverly plies her guests with alcohol, cigarettes, Demis Roussos and nibbles, the evening descends into drunkenness and debauchery.

This ruthlessly accurate and painfully funny observation of the pretensions of suburbia was an instant classic when it first appeared as a BBC Play For Today in 1977.

Hannah Waterman is best known for her role as Laura Beale in EastEnders.

Following her departure from the BBC soap she has performed extensively in theatre productions both on tour and in the West End.

This included Carrie’s War, Rattle of a Simple Man, The Vagina Monologues (on tour) and Calendar Girls (on tour and West End).

Joining her is Martin Marquez, most recently seen in the West End in Billy Elliot and now appearing in the film version of Les Misérables, plus Samuel James, Katie Lightfoot and Emily Raymond.