THEATER REVIEW : ‘Abigail’s’ Offers a Glimpse of Leigh’s Early Efforts

Mike Leigh’s controversial film “Naked,” about an angry young man on a self-destructive odyssey in London, isn’t typical of the British artist’s body of work. Leigh is usually more bittersweet while ironically depicting working-class relationships, as in the cult movie “Life Is Sweet” and his early plays.

The Fountainhead Theatre Company has mounted an ambitious, timely example of a Leigh stage experiment, “Abigail’s Party.” Although the production ultimately is unsatisfying, the 1977 comedy offers valuable perspective on the provocative filmmaker’s technique. It is not generally known in the United States that Leigh’s quasi-documentary, collaborative style emerged from his formative years in British theater. As Leigh prominently notes in the published script: “ ‘Abigail’s Party’ was evolved from scratch entirely by rehearsal through improvisation.” A similar approach created “Naked.”

However, this improvisational style poses a major challenge for director Dane Holweger. How do you interpret such idiosyncratic material? Is it character? Or is it caricature?

On the page, “Abigail’s Party” reads almost like absurdist satire by Edward Albee. In a suburban London living room, cocktails are consumed while mundane cliches are tediously recited.

We can either laugh at such characters, or we can feel sorrow and pity. Holweger tries to make “Abigail’s Party” a party. Leigh, it would seem, would be more likely to maintain a respectful, objective eye. Holweger looks down on the two major characters without respect, trivializing them, so that when something serious does happen, we don’t know what to make of it.

Leigh’s style of improvisation is but a distant cousin to Los Angeles comedy club sketches. It’s rooted in genuine pathos, hard-earned experience and blue-collar desperation. It’s naked. By contrast, the Fountainhead’s version seems fashionably dressed in stand-up shtick.

* “Abigail’s Party,” Fountainhead Theatre, 1110 N. Hudson Ave., Hollywood. Thursday-Saturday, 8 p.m. Ends March 3. $10-$12.50. (213) 466-1767. Running time: 2 hours.