The Vicar of Dibley

Review by Lisa Butler.

Up front, I have to say I am doing my utmost to be impartial, but I have known and worked with the Director, Tom Hitchcock, for several years. Therefore, in an attempt to provide balance, I took my mum (who doesn’t know Tom) to watch the show, and she was happy to provide me with her unbiased opinions.

Having seen many of the shows that Tom has won awards for, I arrived at the beautiful Theatre Royal in Bury St Edmunds with high expectations for this adaptation of ‘The Vicar of Dibley, as did the rest of the audience for what was an almost full house for opening night.

The Vicar of Dibley was an award-winning BBC television sitcom created by Richard Curtis and Paul Mayhew-Archer, which primarily aired in three series from 1994 to 2000. The sitcom is inspired by the experiences of Reverend Joy Carroll, one of England’s first female priests who was ordained following the 1993 changes in the Church of England, that permitted the ordination of women.

Set in a small Oxfordshire village called Dibley, this adaptation by Ian Gower and Paul Carpenter combines three episodes, the arrival of Geraldine Granger in the village of Dibley and the sacrifices of Lent in Act 1, ending Act 2 with the marriage of Alice and Hugo.

When watching a play based on a much-loved TV sitcom it is impossible not to compare the play with the TV show, and to want to see a faithful depiction of the well-known characters.

Fortunately, this play did not disappoint on that front. The excellent casting was spot on, and we were captivated by the whole ensemble cast, every one of them capturing the well-known stereotypes of the village characters.

The Vicar of Dibley, Geraldine Granger, is played by Sarah Brodie. She brings wit, warm authority, vibrant cardigans, and an ever-present bar of chocolate. Line perfect and with comic timing, she had the audience rolling with laughter.

Playing against her as Alice Tinker is Jess Hughes. She had all the mannerisms of the ditsy wide-eyed innocence and physical awkwardness of the character perfectly.

Hugo Horton is played by Hugh Weller-Poley, who fidgeted for England as the affably foolish but charming Hugo. The tension between Hugo and Alice was portrayed believably until the audience wanted them to get together as much as Geraldine did.

Hugo’s father David Horton was played to great effect by Richard Ashby. Many lines to say and (as someone who can lip read) in the scene where David Horton finds out Hugo is to marry Alice he does indeed say exactly what is scripted, even though the audience can’t hear it as instead we hear dramatic music over his curse-filled response! Excellent scene.

Ash Seaborne as Jim Trott had us all in stitches with his well-timed ‘no-no-no-no-yes’ responses and his mannerisms. He was exactly the Jim Trott I was hoping for and with 55 years of stage experience he effortlessly inhabited the character.

Danny Singleton managed to not only have the mannerisms of Owen Newitt, but also his voice, which is no mean feat, and he delivered dead pan all the comedy of the character with expert precision.

Frank Pickle was brought to life by Phil Cockell who managed the pedantic mannerisms of the minute taker with consistent persistence, and brought an inspired hint of Mr Bean to the character which I loved.

Mrs Cropley was delightfully portrayed by Julie Moss. Constantly knitting she appeared in an array of knitted hats and tops bringing comedy to the presentation of her unusual food combinations, and delivering her excellent comedic lines as bomb drops to make the audience sit up.

An all-round excellent ensemble cast, they were ably supported by a choir that were well-timed and tight on harmonies - a pleasure to listen to: when we weren’t distracted watching the comedy of the musical director Cian Harriss and his wiggle, which was played up for full comedic effect. This culminated in full hand actions for ‘All things bright and beautiful’ which had the audience in stitches. A lovely cameo role from Cian, and it was a great touch that all the choir became wedding guests, including all four Teletubbies.

The set split the stage into two halves, Geraldine’s front room and the parish room at the village hall. All scene changes were carried out by the cast, in character. This made the scene changes quick. They often overlapped with the choir singing, but even where they didn’t, the cast stayed in character as they chatted and exited the stage. Lighting was used for well-timed changes as the cast turned off the village hall lights on exit and lighting switched over to the Vicarage.

Costumes were spot on with an array of colourful cardigans for Mrs Cropley as well as for Geraldine, and an inspired cardigan choice for Frank Pickle in Act 2. A fabulous set of costumes for Alice too with a wedding dress that was everything it promised to be.

And I must mention the programme, which was styled as the Parish Newsletter and designed by Sarah Brodie, who plays the Vicar of Dibley - how apt. It also contains a collection of full costume cast photos making it a lovely memento of the show. I really must try the Chocolate Pudding recipe, but maybe without the haddock.

Congratulations to the cast and crew for an enjoyable show with laugh out loud comedy throughout - it was thoroughly enjoyed by the whole audience.

So, should you go see this play? Mum says it’s a resounding “no, no, no, no, YES!”. We loved it. Very few tickets left, so don’t miss out!

Vicar of Dibley is at Theatre Royal, Bury St Edmunds until 26 September 2026.

FOR SHOW DETAILS AND BOOKING LINK, CLICK HERE