The Vicar of Dibley

It's hard to believe that 2024 marks the 30th anniversary since The Vicar of Dibley made its debut on our screens.  When a TV show is loved by millions and the characters are so well known, it takes a company with guts to tackle such a piece, however under the superb direction of Julie Whitfield, Take2 smashed this laugh a minute comedy right out of the park. The stage was split into two, with one half being Geraldine’s kitchen and the other, the parish hall. The music to cover the scene changes had been cleverly picked, which related to the scene we had just witnessed. It was also great to see Julie make a cameo appearance at the wedding of Alice and Hugo!  

When characters are as fresh in our minds now as they ever were, this could of course be a big problem for any  actor wanting to bring this show to the stage .The title role of The Vicar of Dibley was written for Dawn French, however step aside Dawn as we have a new Vicar in town. Pauline Hindle was every inch the Geraldine we love, ‘the babe with the bob and the magnificent bosom’,  Pauline  had a great relationship with all the cast members, but her relationship with Ann Micklethwaite as her verger, Alice, was wonderful, especially during Geraldines’s infamous ‘knock knock’ jokes. Ann’s interpretation of Alice Horton nee Tinker was as delightfully ditzy as I wanted, but Ann also put her own spin on the character, without imitating the late, great Emma Chambers.

The chair of the Parish Council was wonderfully played by Tim Rutherford. Tim was just the right side of pompous, and his put downs about Alice were brutal and cutting, but without becoming a panto villain. The parish council meeting scenes were an absolute joy to watch with each performer relishing the eccentricities of their characters. Cev Barker as the bumbling Jim Trott was a true audience favourite, no no no no no no doubt about it, and Cev had the audience in the palm of his hand. Fresh from his outstanding performance as Bernadette in Priscilla Queen of the Desert, Lee Caddick was a wonderful dithering, gormless, lovable Hugo, with a smashing collection of spiffing ties. David Thorpe played Frank Pickle, the parish clerk ,who was charmingly pernickety about the council minutes and who Alice’ father was. Mrs Cropley played by Sandra Dickinson, was as nutty as a fruitcake and I loved it. Although, I would also have passed on the ham and lemon curd sandwiches! The performance of the night for me, however, came from Dean Watson as Owen Newitt. Dean was every inch the grotesque farmer who spent all days with his cows and lusting after the Vicar. His diction, accent and timing were spot on, and if you closed your eyes, you would have thought you were listening to Roger Lloyd-Pack! An exceptional performance.

Thank you so much Take 2 for your hospitality, and a fabulous evening of entertainment.

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