The Vicar of Dibley

After delighting their audiences with their pantomime at the beginning of the year, Audlem Theatre Company returned to the stage with their production of the classic television comedy, ‘The Vicar of Dibley’, which was directed by Paul Cass. One of the main concerns with performing this sort of play is that the audience expects to see the characters from the television series on stage. They were certainly not disappointed here! The cast had obviously studied their characters, bringing their voices and mannerisms to life. Paul’s direction allowed natural conversation to happen and all the characters were clearly defined. The pace was generally good throughout. The set was very clever, and worked well on the small stage at Audlem Public Hall. With the Dibley parish hall taking up the whole stage, and Geraldine’s house being created by unfolding flats. Other furniture was used well to help create the different locations. Alice and Hugo’s wedding took place in front of the curtains, which was nice. The involvement of the audience to stand created a fun moment for the audience to be involved. The scene changes were like a play in themselves! They were well choreographed and worked well, adding to the humour of the play. The songs used during the scene changes linked to what the audience were watching. There were some interesting music choices that didn’t fit with the time it was set, but it was understandable why the music was chosen. The costumes were great throughout, helping to establish the different characters. The various knitwear donned by Geraldine was very good.

Technical aspects were well thought through in this production. There was a general wash throughout, which was fine for this production. One of the lights stage right kept intermittently flashing different colours throughout – something to look at and fix for your next production. Sound effects and music were well sourced and cued at the appropriate time and level. There was just one hiccup when the phone kept ringing after Alice had answered it.

Taking on the role made famous by Dawn French, Geraldine Granger, was Rachael Hodgkins. What a role to be making your stage debut in! Rachael created a warm character, and displayed a good knack for comedy. There were some lovely interactions with the rest of the cast. There were a few moments where you broke character

The director, Paul Cass, stepped into the role of David Horton with three weeks’ notice, and did a commendable job. He played the uptight parish council chair very well, and it was nice to see the character gradually soften with a nice moment with Geraldine at the conclusion of the play.

Em Morris was a delight as Alice Tinker. She fully embodied the much loved character, full of charm and quirks. The accent was great and Em’s timing was spot on. Her delivery of the ‘I Can’t Believe It’s Not Butter’ speech was top notch and brought the house down.

John Dixon played Frank Pickle. John delivered a strong characterisation and the interactions about the minute taking were funny. The recurring sequence of John putting items in the bin, brought on by a member of the stage crew, at the end of scenes added to the humour.

David Davenport played Hugo Horton. David played the awkwardness of the character well, and created a fantastic relationship with Alice. He showed the control his father had over him well, and the moment before the wedding between them both was nicely played.

Lee Bottomley played Owen Newitt. This was a convincing performance from Lee, as the lothario farmer. There were some strong interactions with the rest of the cast, and the kiss with Geraldine was very well played.

Stuart Furber played Jim Trott. This was a convincing performance from Stuart, who nailed the accent and mannerisms of this comic character. The best man speech and the ‘Deal or No Deal’ joke were well delivered with super comic timing.

Helen Katterloher played Letitia Cropley. This was a lovely performance from Helen as the dotty Letitia, with her unique food creations. Helen’s cameo in one of the scene changes was inspired and downright hilarious!

Olivia Bottomley, Nessa Furber, Arthur Hughes, Oscar Hodgkins and Thea Waddinton appeared as the kids. They were confident and assured in what they were doing. Just make sure that you are concentrating on what is happening on stage.

Overall, this was an enjoyable production. There was great care in bringing these beloved characters to life, there were many laugh out loud moments, and there was a real sense of community.

A big thank you to everyone at Audlem Theatre Company for their kind invite and hospitality.

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