AH, THE 1970's an era of gin and tonic, snobbery and punk - with a little bit of Demis Rousoss thrown in for good measure.

All what is good about the decade's taste largely forgot and quite a bit of what was bad take centre stage at Lancaster Dukes Theatre with an excellent production of Abigail's Party.

Mike Leigh's bitingly brilliant black comedy, set in suburbia in 1977, finds middle-class snobs Beverly and Laurence inviting new friends Angela and Tony a couple keen to keep up with the Jones' around for an evening of gin and tonic. Along with them is Susan, played with deadpan aplomb by Claire Vousden, the mother of rebellious teen Abigail, who is partying down the street.

The cheesy pineapple chunks are passed around and Roussos is joined on the record player by Donna Summer and the scene is set for a night high on embarrassment as inhibitions are lowered.

And as the party gets into full swing, tensions grow to exploding point culminating in an evening of hilarious revelations with a shocking twist at the end.

Special mention must be made of the performance of Vanessa Clarke as Angela. Clark is breathtakingly brilliant as the ditzy but caring nurse, who stresses the point that her and husband Tony got their new house for £21,000 rather than the asking price of £1,000 more.

And how Clarke keeps her face straight when talking about pilchard curry is anyone's guess members of the packed audience certainly couldn't.

A night of mutual loathing and incomprehension is drawn along the sofa. It is cruel and funny in equal measures and the similarities to today can still be seen, okay, we don't have the wallpaper but the Beverly's and Laurence's of this world still exist with their drinks parties from hell.

Sixteen million people once watched Leigh's play when it was on television and the Dukes production, directed by Ian Hastings, proves just how good the Salford-born writer really is with Abigail's Party a by-word for death by embarrassment.

Abigail's Party runs until October 16.

MD