The Vicar of Dibley

What a tremendous success with all tickets sold, even with an extra performance put in, and a waiting list for returns.

In her directorial debut, Ruth Elliott pulled out all the stops, managing an ideal casting perfectly balanced to bring out and really ‘point’ every comedic phrase, and also designed that excellent set to capitalise space on the small stage (and inspire the well-drilled props team), she must try this side of the book again and not just the acting mode.

In the title role, Laura Williamson looked quite perfect and had the bubbly personality and fun required to overcome all the relationships in the village of Dibley, timing good and interaction with other characters worked well.

Newcomers Joanna Maxwell (Alice) and Tom Denny (Hugo) were ideal in their naivety as they worked and reacted to each other, their youth very well balanced and realistic in ‘the kiss’, and also in their relationships to ‘Vicar’ and ‘Father’ giving so many laughs throughout.

As chairman of the PCC, David Horton, Graham Blyth displayed the pomposity and overbearing personality to always gain his desired response to a situation, liked his mixed relationships to Hugo from bullying to final softening. Greg Pope as Frank Pickles could drive a chairman to distraction when sorting out his secretarial duties and muddling through. Martin Howard as Jim Trott maintained his stuttering no, no, no, yes to the frustration of others in the cast. And loved all the colour wools which appeared from the capacious bag (along with those disastrous culinary efforts) as Thelma Torr extracted so much humour from the role of Letitia at the right moments.

When, as newly elected chairman of CSODS, Robin Taylor discovered at 8am on Monday that there was no Owen to open on Tuesday evening (illness striking Neil Robertson), well he stepped in and learnt the part to perfect comedy timing and  ‘his kiss’ plus agricultural and gut-wrenching characterisation, and is to be congratulated on his performance. (Had there not been an announcement of change of cast, the audience would never have known).

And the team spirit and support for each other in all matters of characterisation and timing showed through to give an excellent production of such fun. Pat Chapman (winner of Jim Farr award) was there in the wings on the prompt copy and never used! The pace was just so good, the lines delivered clearly so that the capacity audience could appreciate all the humour, and the theatre just rocked from beginning to end with the laughter. This was the funniest ‘Dibley’ that I have seen!

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