A Vicar of Dibley Christmas: The Second Coming

Tea Tree Players presented The Vicar of Dibley last year with a sell out season, so it makes perfect sense to present its sequel, A Vicar of Dibley Christmas: The Second Coming this year, reprising the original cast.

The play is based on the episodes "Dibley Live" and "Winter", in which the villagers set up a radio station and put on a nativity play at Owen's farm.

The production begins with the comfortably familiar “The Lord is my Shepherd” from the TV series as we are transported back to the little village of Dibley. Sadly, the village is fictional, but the good news is that the show was filmed in a real village, called Turville. Unlike Dibley, it's not located in Oxfordshire, but rather Buckinghamshire.

Like the series, the village is populated with our TV favourites - Geraldine Granger (the Vicar, AKA Lesley Main), Alice Tinker (her verger – Katie Packer), her husband Hugo Horton (Adrian Heness), his father David Horton (Tom Moore) and villages locals – Owen Newitt (John Hudson), Jim Trott (Tim Cousins), Lelitia Cropley (Cathie Oldfield) and Frank Pickle (Damon Hill).

This time, the vicar is keen to put on a Christmas show for the small village but enlisting the help of the well-meaning local characters turns out to be not such a good idea.  The resulting Nativity play is a disaster but somehow the true meaning of Christmas comes through.

As mentioned earlier, director Robert Andrews has retained his cast from last year. A wise choice which must have saved a lot of rehearsal time. His set design has been replicated from last year with one notable exception, the Parish walls now have red wallpaper for Christmas in keeping with the second season of the television series.

Once again it is effectively lit by Mike Phillips, who also designed the sound. This is a production relying heavy on props (shepherd’s crooks, radio station equipment, Mrs Cropley’s exquisite creations etc). Beth Venning has performed miracles and everything looks true to period and location.

Even though the original costumes from last year were used, there were some notable additions thanks to Jo Allenby and the Monday Club.

Lesley Main once again channels Dawn French and carries the burden of the play with ease. She is rarely off stage and gives us the Vicar’s enthusiasm for her profession and also her naughtier side. Her scenes with Alice are a highlight.

Katie Packer is a carbon copy of Alice Tinker in every way (looks, vocal intonations and timing). She is the perfect foil for the Vicar and their ‘joke’ scenes are a delight, especially the tinsellitis sketch and the final sketch concerning Santa and mince pies up his bottom!

Adrian Heness’ Hugo is gormless and torn between his Father (who does not care for Alice to put it mildly) and his wife who is pregnant. I loved his radio show antics.

Tom Moore brings gravitas to the role of David Horton. His quest to make Herod more approachable in the nativity play is a delight.

John Hudson captures Owen Newitt’s familiarity with farmyard animals perfectly and is a riot as Elvis Presley when auditioning for the nativity play.

Tim Cousins pulls out all stops and then some as Jim Trott. His “No,no.no.no…yes!” speeches are perfectly timed and his Billie Jean King costume at auditions is a crowd pleaser, revealing an unexpected surprise!

Cathie Oldfield’s Mrs Cropley doesn’t have all the food creations of last year but serves up Marmite cake and snails for a spotted dick surprise with great relish.

Damon Hill’s Frank Pickle is once again pedantic to the extreme. The revelation of his sexuality in the radio broadcast is an unexpected surprise and beautifully handled by Hill.

A Vicar of Dibley Christmas: The Second Coming  may not be quite as funny as last year’s production, but is a delight from start to finish and left the audience wanting more and the best laugh this reviewer has had this year!

Barry Hill OAM