The Vicar Of Dibley

The All Saint`s home stage is quite small, but they made superb use of every inch of space for the set for 'The Vicar Of Dibley'. There were some stunning, bright stained glass window effect panels, Geraldine`s sofa, her front door, her bureau complete with her "boys" and the table and chairs for the church hall - it should have looked cluttered, but somehow it didn`t, it looked very well thought out and positioned. The lighting of the various areas as the play progressed was clean, it was tight for the sofa scenes and never once did my eye stray to the rest of the unlit set - well done. The sound throughout was good, all the sound cues bounced in on time and the actors projected well. Costumes were good for the main but please do check all footwear being worn is suitable for the character. Props were good but I would have liked to have seen a real chocolate bar  used for the extra large bar during the chocolate scene. Pace was a little stilted throughout and a few prompts were definitely heard, some nerves were evident in some members of the cast and at times it was obvious that a line had been paraphased or dropped, that is me being picky as the audience were chuckling away and enjoying themselves immensely. I was a little sad and surprised to see no flashing lights on Alice`s wedding dress or headdress, perhaps this was a directorial decision, but for me personally it is a moment that the audience anticipates and eagerly waits for.

Ewan Arthur and Helen Shaw as Hugo and Alice were perfectly cast, they had some great chemistry on stage and had fully enveloped their individual characters. Martin Wadsworth as the pompous David was excellent too with his drawn out vowels and condescending stare. Samantha Wadsworth as Mrs Cropley gave a solid performance and certainly had me giggling over her baking concoctions and her facial expressions. Bryan Crowley as Frank for me personally could have been a bit more camp and flamboyant, Niel Gioia and Darren Brierley as Owen and Jim are no strangers to these characters having both played them in a previous production for a different society, neither needed any prompts and both delivered a safe, dependable performance. Jacqui Collier took on the lead role of Geraldine Granger and put her own mark on the character, she was nervous and at times her dialogue was rushed but she soon settled down and  got her story across.

Thank you for inviting me. Both myself and my guest enjoyed your production and I look forward to seeing you all again very soon.

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