Cult-classic comedy Abigail’s Party has returned with a new tour with an invigorated contemporary twist. We spoke to Leander Deeny who plays Beverly’s husband Laurence in the piece.

For those who may not know, what is Abigail's Party about and who is your character in the show?

Abigail’s Party is about the cocktail party from hell! It’s set in Essex in the late 70s. Abigail is actually the name of a teenager down the street who is having a much cooler party. I play Laurence, an estate agent who drives a Mini and owns a very well bound set of the Complete Works of Charles Dickens.

What is different about this production of Abigail's Party in comparison to previous ones?

It’s a deceptively simple play full of unanswered questions, mysterious motivations and uncertain relationships, and it’s a joy for any production to rediscover afresh. Ours is much darker than the original in some ways, but gentler in others. The set is VERY different - it’s a sort of wide-open Ideal Home showroom on an infinite field of shag carpet, rather than the claustrophobic room/divided set of the original. As a cast, we are also less exclusively Essex – it’s more generally a British story.

What do you think the play has to say about today's world?

It’s a portrait of the baby boomers when they turned thirty, looking around at what they thought was the good life, at their washing machines and cars and sofas, and wondering why they still felt so desperate – but I think that’s a universal, relatable story about how the pursuit of happiness can end up making you feel more miserable and how, just when you’ve got what you wanted, you find yourself unaccountably wanting to blow it all up.

How have audiences been receiving the show on tour so far?

We’ve had laughs in all kinds of strange places, lots of gasps and occasional advice from the audience about whether we should have another cigarette or not.

How do audiences and their reactions differ in different parts of the country?

We’ve had a lovely reception everywhere – but we were a bit nervous about Colchester because it’s an Essex story, and we thought they might be a bit protective of it, but they made us feel right at home.

What has been the highlight of your career so far and what are some of your future goals as an actor?

My highlight was playing an unhinged man in a barber’s chair in The Dying of Today at The Other Room pub theatre in Cardiff in 2015 because I think it was my best work, not because it was the biggest audience or anything, and I have no goals at all other than never phoning it in.

What can people expect from Abigail's Party if they come and see it in its final couple of tour stops?

It’s a fantastically funny play, with vivid, complicated characters, set in a richly detailed portrait of late 70s suburbia, and with a sort of haunting longing for true love at its heart.

Abigail’s Party’s final tour stop is at the Rose Theatre Kingston from 5-16 November, with further info here.