Gem of a series turned into wonderful show

Chairman was all bluster and bumptiousness

FANS of the much-loved TV series ‘The Vicar of Dibley’ were out in force at the Concordia Theatre last week, writes Tony Parratt.

And they were not disappointed as the New Theatre Players produced a near faultless performance of four classic episodes.

Leading the way as female vicar Geraldine Granger was Caroline Luke who provided just the right balance of religious fervour, mixed with the essential ingredients of pragmatism and a wonderful sense of humour. And she fitted the cassock perfectly!

Will Hare as pompous David Horton, chair of the parish council was all bluster and bumptiousness, while James Martin provided his comic foil as son Hugo.

His love interest, the dizzy Alice Tinker, was played to perfection by Sue Williams-Lee, while Iain Hamilton was a convincing Frank Pickle, the village bore!

But I must admit, for me two roles anyone would die for, were played in exuberant fashion by James Ross as irreverent farmer Owen Newitt and Darran Shorthose as Jim Trott, the man who says ‘yes, yes, yes’ until he says no. And when Darran did an impromptu turn as one of the Full Monty crew during a village talent show, it brought the house down, as well as almost all of his clothing!

Yvette Emmett’s Mrs Cropley and Mark Glover as Daniel Frobisher helped the action along, while Mark Benn’s cameo appearance as David’s younger brother in Love and Marriage brought some extra comic moments.

Dee Burton as Darcy Bussell showed some nifty ballet moves in a very funny sketch, where Geraldine’s mirrored dancing was certainly on a very different level.

Minimal set changes and front of house jokes between Geraldine and a totally confused Alice, who never understood them, kept the action going.

And as you left the show, it made you reflect on just what a gem the whole series was and how well the Players had taken on the task of recreating it on stage.