The Vicar of Dibley

It’s always interesting to see how societies perform a well known and loved iconic television comedy series that has been adapted to the stage. Audiences have very distinct ideas of what the characters look like and sound like and that can make or break a production, the test is to shut your eyes and listen, do they sound like the memories that one has of television.

Well, I can say with great satisfaction that the cast not only looked like the television characters, but also most definitely sounded like them, they definitely passed the shut eye test. The casting for this production was excellent.

The problem with a script adapted from a television series is the numerous number of scenes and how best these transitions are shown on stage, in this production it was by blackouts and entrances from different sides of the stage. The stage was sensibly laid out with the main box set being the Parish Hall and a stage extension down stage right being the Vicarage and a rather tight area down stage left having a table and chairs being set as needed as the Vestry, but gave a very cramped performance area, almost blocking a stage entrance  Both the Parish Hall and the Vicarage were well dressed with appropriate furniture and props and a very effective, well designed and made stained glass window centre back of the box set, courtesy of Phil Melia.

I had a coffee with Tessa Davies on the following day and we both agreed that the scene changes would have worked better with the characters moving across the stage with lighting dimming and rising as necessary for the appropriate scene areas giving a smoother change between scenes, also saving the cast running around back stage. I suspect that this was partly to allow costume changes. All costumes were very in character and well thought through and well fitted, with a nicely hired in wedding dress.

As previously stated, this was well cast, the youngsters were suitably good as school children, choir girls and Teletubbies, they did rather take centre stage at the bows as it was virtually impossible to see Nerys Brooks as she came on for her bow, they maybe should have been sat on the steps.

The adult cast was led by Nerys Brookes as Geraldine Grainger who gave a good performance throughout, a great fun role, well delivered and along with Megan Abbott giving an almost perfect interpretation of Alice delivered their lines with great timing and skill, clearly replicating the television characters. Sam Lord as Hugo also gave a good performance, a good presence on stage and with some great interaction with Alice. Of the members of the Parish Council Andy Prior gave a humorous and entertaining performance as Owen, Phil Garrod as Frank, Beccy Pooley as Mrs Cropley and Alan Lord as Jim gave ‘no, no, no, no, yes’ good interpretations of their Characters and added greatly to the humour of the show, Ian Ding as David leading the Council and with the interactions with Geraldine gave a good performance interpreting well the moods of the character, all of these gave good clear diction throughout the show so that the audience had  no problems with sound.

This was an entertaining production much appreciated by the capacity audience, well done to all concerned.

 

 

 

 

 

 

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