The Vicar of Dibley

Thank you for your kind invitation to report on your production of “The Vicar of Dibley”, a selection of scenes taken from the TV series and linked together by a quirky narrator come experimental chef!  With the series having been written for Dawn French, these were enormous shoes to step into, while the other characters are all equally well known. I was interested that the Director could choose the scenes to include, which presumably meant that there was some room for creativity in devising the script.  Hopefully, this would reduce the problems in continuity that often occur when transferring a TV show to the stage.  For a first drama production by the Director, this was quite a challenge!

The scenery was very cleverly devised as the stage separated the vicarage from the village hall by furnishings and red and gold wallpaper, while the church was suggested by church-style chairs and lectern.  The manor’s front room was suggested by a standard lamp and chairs.  There was a lot of resetting of scenes that took place during the play that could perhaps have been reduced by using less furniture or incorporated the resetting into the business of the play.  However, the set was very effective in using the premises own village hall décor well and dividing the limited space available.

The music was effective in linking the scenes and giving a breathing space to the laughter, while the sound effects were on cue and at a good volume. The lighting was simple and very effective, although the sudden black outs were a bit of a shock at times.  The gradual change in light levels in the second Act was easier on the audience as our eyes could adjust to the change more readily.  The backstage crew worked well as a team.

Costumes were very good, with Alice’s wedding dress being a highlight of the evening – as were the going away outfits for Alice and Hugo.  Letitia Cropley’s costumes were wonderfully bizarre – as were her recipes – and her hats were great.  The Vicar’s sweaters were very well conceived, as was her change of hair colour.  Altogether this production had the makings of being excellent, with a superb cast, as below:

Geraldine:  An excellent performance in bringing out the different facets of her personality, particularly her humour. Excellent interaction with other cast members.

David:  Nicely played as domineering know all. Good facial expression - a really bad-tempered frown - and body-language. Well done!

Owen:  The matter-of-fact delivery perfectly captured the character’s rustic earthiness and his unselfconscious descriptions of bodily functions.  An excellent and amusing portrayal. 

Jim:  This character delighted the audience with his catchphrase “no, no, no, no, yes” uttered in a bumbling and slow-to-catch-on manner.  A good depiction of the character, with much gentle humour.

Frank:   A very enjoyable performance that captured the essence of the character well.  It was lovely to see his reaction when, to his great relief, his coming-out on air is not heard.

Hugo:  This was a remarkable performance.  Excellent facial expressions and body-language enhance this most enjoyable portrayal of Hugo.

Alice:  This was excellent! Her deadpan expression and clear body-language showed clearly both her bewilderment and sometimes determination. An excellent performance throughout.

Letitia:  As narrator, Letitia linked the individual scenes for the audience while staying in her own dotty character.  She was portrayed perfectly in this great performance.

Altogether this was a very good production of a very amusing script. The casting was excellent, with each actor portraying their character to the full, and maintaining the wonderfully awkward relationships with each other throughout. Each actor fitted their part so well that I could not tell who was new to the stage!  The cues were clear and well taken and the pace was very good, with pauses where appropriate and silence used effectively. The delivery was very good, although one or two could have been a little stronger, and the jokes and faux pas were beautifully timed.  A very good evening’s entertainment! Congratulations!

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