YORK Theatre Royal will tap into the fashion for Seventies retro in its summer production, Abigail's Party.

Mike Leigh's acerbic satire on middle-class England will be played out in "full Seventies' style crime" in Marcus Romer's production from July 8 to 23.

"I was at Abigail's party when this play was first produced," he says. "Not the show but the party that the fictional Abigail was attending! It was the year of The Queen's Silver Jubilee and the Sex Pistols; piercing and tattoos; a sense of unrest and wanting to overthrow everything that parents stood for.

"Not much has changed with young people now, I am happy to say. The energy and vitality is still there, as is the need to create and make their own world."

In Leigh's world of orange, brown and avocado decor at 13 Richmond Road, London, Beverly and Laurence invite new neighbours Angela and Tony and recently divorced Susan to a get-together, while Susan's rebellious teenage daughter holds a punk party of her own. The alcohol flows, the sideswipes bite and the pineapple chunks couldn't be cheesier in this age of skewed perspectives and obsession with self-importance, material wealth, righteousness and the perfect three-piece suite.

Romer, who was a punk-loving schoolboy at the time of the original production, is in his second week of directing a cast all too young to remember that era. Sara Poyzer, from BBC1's Doctors, plays hostess Beverly, opposite Andonis Anthony James, last seen at the Theatre Royal in Pilot Theatre's revival of Beautiful Thing earlier this year, who takes the role of stressed husband Laurence.

Like Poyzer, Helen Goldwyn will be making her Theatre Royal debut as bubbly nurse Angela. John Kirk, who plays Angela's taciturn husband Tony, can call upon his experience of being directed by Mike Leigh in Career Girls. Beatrice Comins returns to the Theatre Royal for the first time since All My Sons in November 2002, this time cast as timid divorcee Susan.

Emma Donovan has designed the Seventies' set. "It's an amazing design that's literally sliding off the stage: a perspective that's skewed with the stack heels and music centre working at full tilt," promises Marcus.

For tickets, ring 01904 623568.

Updated: 09:55 Friday, June 24, 2005