Tickets were gifted in return for an honest review.
How do you approach bringing to life one of the UK's best sitcoms, The Vicar of Dibley, on the stage? Leicester Drama Society are more than up for the task of offering a hilarious celebration of the quirky characters created by Richard Curtis and Paul Mayhew-Archer.
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| David Lovell, Keir Watson, Kat Seddon, Elizabeth Spendlove and John Bale. Photo by Dave Morris |
Right from entering the auditorium the impressively designed set by Tristan Knowles feels familiar. On one side you have the Vestry and the Vicarage, on the other is the Parish Hall, and St Barnabus Church. Knowles and co have done a stellar job of bringing to life Dibley and the design really embellishes what are a fantastic group of actors.
The stage play adapted by Ian Gower and Paul Carpenter takes direct dialogue from the TV show the adaptation and breaks the plot into three real sections. It all begins as the Dibley Parish Council gathers in the wake of Reverend Pottle's death and awaits the arrival of their new Vicar. Of course, in enters a woman in Geraldine Granger which instantly divides opinion among the locals. The next section focuses on lent and the challenges the group faces as they give up some of the things they love, namely chocolate for our Vicar.
This shifts towards then the budding romance of Alice Tinker and Hugo Horton. Much to the detest of an excellent David Lovell as David Horton. He refuses to accept Alice into the family but despite this, the romance continues to flourish as the pair share their endlessly long first kiss. The second act follows the journey leading up to the wedding.
Bringing to life the characters is no easy job. They are so well played on the screen but here the cast have clearly worked on honouring the work done by their TV counterparts whilst everyone brings a bit of themselves to each character. Director Nikki Favell steers the production with a great eye for detail and delivery.
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| Kat Seddon and Kathryn Lenthall. Photo by Dave Morris. |
Stepping into Geraldine's dog collar is Kat Seddon. She has a great wit and warmth. There's of course much of Dawn French in Seddon's delivery but Seddon still makes it something more. She relishes in the delivery of lines and the impact they can have.
Kathryn Lenthall is fantastic throughout as Alice Tinker. She nails the goofy and dumbfounded elements of the role really well. She lights up the stage with every moment. She is matched well by Keir Watson's Hugo Horton, they believable build the roles together and leading the aforementioned kiss. On the flip side you have David Lovell as David Horton. Lovell is so well cast. He excellently layers the role with the stern shell giving way to something softer inside.
Jordan Handford excels as the ever randy and quirky Owen Newitt. He delivers lines with such a comedic skill, knowing how to land a joke perfectly. Handford clearly relishes this part as plays it with great gusto. Elizabeth Spendlove is a lovely presence as the mad baker Letitia Cropley, her ever growing wild choices of bakes causing constant dismay from the other members of the council. John Bale also does a fine job with the village dullard Frank Pickle with Bale bringing plenty to the character.
The most standout performance comes from Ian Carr as Jim Trott. Right from the get go he feels more like you are watching Trevor Peacock’s Jim. The delivery of the voice and the dithering of the classic "no, no, no, no, no, yes" is magnificent. Carr's humourous delivery leads to some really huge laughs.
There's also a terrific little cameo by Tabtha Fogg, she plays one character from one the most memorable scenes from the sitcom. Although the moment being so familiar meant that the audience were muttering the lines before Fogg even had the chance to say them.
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| Kat Seddon, David Lovell, Keir Watson, Kathryn Lenthall, John Bale and Elizabeth Spendlove. Photo by Dave Morris |
The witty dialogue is so superbly delivered by the company. The laughs are constant throughout. There are a few moments that don't quite land and a few slightly lengthy scene changes, particularly in the first act.
However, you are completely swept along by the warmth and nostalgia of the TV show and the familiarity of these quirky characters. This really is a hoot of a production delivered with care and attention. Whether you're a fan of the show already or not, you will leave the theatre wanting to revisit the show from the beginning. A truly blessed evening.
⭐⭐⭐⭐
The Vicar of Dibley plays at The Little Theatre in Leicester until Saturday 29th March 2025. Tickets are available from https://thelittletheatre.co.uk/
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| Ian Carr. Photo by Dave Morris |
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