BDTG REVIEW OF The Vicar of Dibley
Charlemont Dramatic Society ‘The Vicar of Dibley’ based on the tv series by Richard Curtis & Paul Mayhew-Archer
The Vicar of Dibley has had tv 20 episodes, spanning two series between 1994 and 1998, and ten specials between 1996 and 2007. In addition there has been six short charity specials.
In their final production for the year, CADS delivered three special episodes of The Vicar of Dibley: Autumn; Christmas Lunch Special and Winter, each episode consisting of several short scenes..
The challenge of performing a television script as a play is the inherent number of scene changes. The easy way to solve this would be to go for a minimalist set but CADS presented a very well designed and detailed set (by Craig Hill) showing the vicarage stage left and the parish hall stage right. Congratulations must go to the backstage crew who were kept very busy throughout, efficiently moving props on and off and changing the set.
During ‘Autumn’ Hugo and Alice have returned from their honeymoon, and Alice announces that she is pregnant. Meanwhile, David's brother Simon and Geraldine start seeing each other. However, when he tells her that he's got a girlfriend back in Liverpool, she is so devastated that she refuses to attend any services and offers her resignation.
In ‘The Christmas Lunch Special’ Geraldine needs to produce a sermon for the festive season that is more interesting than last year's. After a long struggle for ideas she successfully writes one in time for the Christmas church service using a Spice Girls biography book given to her by Alice as a Christmas present. The vicar is also invited to attend four Christmas lunches, the first she happily accepts and reluctantly accepts the next three as she does not want to disappoint or offend.
In the final episode, which followed the interval, Geraldine planned to stage a Nativity play with David playing Herod - showing his kinder side. Owen wanted to be the King – (cue his Elvis Presley impression) and Alice and Hugo were Joseph and Mary. However during the play Alice goes into labour and gives birth to a baby girl later named Geraldine after the vicar.
Overall, the cast were strong, and looked to be enjoying themselves. Dawn Dodwell taking on one of the hardest tasks of the night as Geraldine Grainger delivering her lines with a dry humour, quickly making the role her own. There was an admirable performance from Amy Whistance as Alice Tinker, the charming, lovable and somewhat scatterbrained verger. She had every little mannerism off pat right down to the way she moved. You could see her brain working as she tried to understand the vicar’s jokes, making the audience laugh with her, rather than at her.
Other cast members played their parts very well – Jack Grainger as the stuttering Jim Trott, was good, as was Ryan Corry as Owen Newitt, a rather coarse and down to earth farmer. Richard Mayes, as David Horton, the Chairman of the Church Council meetings, played his part well, with a strong performance from Chad Dent as his son Hugo. Richard Corrado was the ponderous Frank Pickle, obsessed with procedures and detail and Simon Jerrison the two timing Simon Horton. There was also great support from the other five members of the cast.
Directed by Tammy Steventon, the pace suffered slightly due to the many blackouts between the scenes. Lighting and sound worked well and cues were on time, and, props and costume were excellent. Overall, this was an enjoyable evening of theatre with plenty of laughs to be had from the appreciative audience.
The Vicar of Dibley has had tv 20 episodes, spanning two series between 1994 and 1998, and ten specials between 1996 and 2007. In addition there has been six short charity specials.
In their final production for the year, CADS delivered three special episodes of The Vicar of Dibley: Autumn; Christmas Lunch Special and Winter, each episode consisting of several short scenes..
The challenge of performing a television script as a play is the inherent number of scene changes. The easy way to solve this would be to go for a minimalist set but CADS presented a very well designed and detailed set (by Craig Hill) showing the vicarage stage left and the parish hall stage right. Congratulations must go to the backstage crew who were kept very busy throughout, efficiently moving props on and off and changing the set.
During ‘Autumn’ Hugo and Alice have returned from their honeymoon, and Alice announces that she is pregnant. Meanwhile, David's brother Simon and Geraldine start seeing each other. However, when he tells her that he's got a girlfriend back in Liverpool, she is so devastated that she refuses to attend any services and offers her resignation.
In ‘The Christmas Lunch Special’ Geraldine needs to produce a sermon for the festive season that is more interesting than last year's. After a long struggle for ideas she successfully writes one in time for the Christmas church service using a Spice Girls biography book given to her by Alice as a Christmas present. The vicar is also invited to attend four Christmas lunches, the first she happily accepts and reluctantly accepts the next three as she does not want to disappoint or offend.
In the final episode, which followed the interval, Geraldine planned to stage a Nativity play with David playing Herod - showing his kinder side. Owen wanted to be the King – (cue his Elvis Presley impression) and Alice and Hugo were Joseph and Mary. However during the play Alice goes into labour and gives birth to a baby girl later named Geraldine after the vicar.
Overall, the cast were strong, and looked to be enjoying themselves. Dawn Dodwell taking on one of the hardest tasks of the night as Geraldine Grainger delivering her lines with a dry humour, quickly making the role her own. There was an admirable performance from Amy Whistance as Alice Tinker, the charming, lovable and somewhat scatterbrained verger. She had every little mannerism off pat right down to the way she moved. You could see her brain working as she tried to understand the vicar’s jokes, making the audience laugh with her, rather than at her.
Other cast members played their parts very well – Jack Grainger as the stuttering Jim Trott, was good, as was Ryan Corry as Owen Newitt, a rather coarse and down to earth farmer. Richard Mayes, as David Horton, the Chairman of the Church Council meetings, played his part well, with a strong performance from Chad Dent as his son Hugo. Richard Corrado was the ponderous Frank Pickle, obsessed with procedures and detail and Simon Jerrison the two timing Simon Horton. There was also great support from the other five members of the cast.
Directed by Tammy Steventon, the pace suffered slightly due to the many blackouts between the scenes. Lighting and sound worked well and cues were on time, and, props and costume were excellent. Overall, this was an enjoyable evening of theatre with plenty of laughs to be had from the appreciative audience.
BDTG REVIEW OF September in the Rain
Set in the 1950’s the play September in the Rain is based on stories from Godber’s own grandparents, it is a nostalgic wander down the rain-sodden streets and beaches of Blackpool, the mecca of British holidaying since the 1700s.
Yorkshire couple Liz and miner husband Jack, are taking their annual September holiday to Blackpool, only this time with increasing age and deteriorating health they wonder if it will be their last.
There was no doubt as to where the play was set, as the audience entered the theatre to an open stage with a backcloth showing the promenade and Blackpool Tower - which lit up at night. There were two chairs set centre stage with suitcases around them – it was obvious someone was going on holiday
Sylvia Hill and real life husband David brought Liz and Jack to life, taking the audience back through time, sharing memories of their previous trips to Lancashire’s most famous seaside resort.
We first met Liz and Jack as a young couple preparing for their trip to Blackpool in their new Ford Popular car and followed their progress through to old age, when they strolled sedately along the seafront for the last time before taking the Wallace Arnold bus home. Claustrophobically small b & b rooms and eating fish and chips out of newspaper whilst sheltering from the rain are the stuff of which holiday memories are made, and we found ourselves smiling - and occasionally wincing - in recognition. Remembering the golden age of Blackpool holidays - donkey rides, talent contests, the sight of Dads with trousers rolled up and knotted hankies protecting bald spots from sunstroke. ‘September in the Rain’ conjured up this lost world so vividly that we could almost feel the sand in our socks and hear the rain bouncing off our pakamacs.
David Hill gave a great performance as Jack with some fantastic facial expressions, a man of few words - most of them "aye" - and strong emotions. He became wildly jealous when Liz teased him about an attractive young man in the ice-cream queue and, was moved to tears by a performance of his favourite show, The Student Prince. Sylvia Hill was equally impressive, funny and touching as Liz, threatening to leave the taciturn Jack halfway through the holiday and coaxing him into admiring the view from the top of Blackpool Tower. Occasionally the two actors stepped out of character taking on other roles, the most memorable being a lovely little scene as the MC and contestant at a talent show - Sylvia, as the couple's little six year old daughter, giving a delightful rendition of "My Girl's a Yorkshire Girl" and David as the MC.
With direction by David Hill, set design, sound and lighting under the control of Craig and Sara Hill, this was a tour de force from the Hill family who were hoping to raise funds for new lighting equipment.
Creating a roller-coaster of emotions, by the end of the evening we had shared part of Liz and Jack’s life and seen them grow old. We had shared their memories, laughed a lot and started to care for them. A good nights entertainment thoroughly enjoyed by the audience.
Yorkshire couple Liz and miner husband Jack, are taking their annual September holiday to Blackpool, only this time with increasing age and deteriorating health they wonder if it will be their last.
There was no doubt as to where the play was set, as the audience entered the theatre to an open stage with a backcloth showing the promenade and Blackpool Tower - which lit up at night. There were two chairs set centre stage with suitcases around them – it was obvious someone was going on holiday
Sylvia Hill and real life husband David brought Liz and Jack to life, taking the audience back through time, sharing memories of their previous trips to Lancashire’s most famous seaside resort.
We first met Liz and Jack as a young couple preparing for their trip to Blackpool in their new Ford Popular car and followed their progress through to old age, when they strolled sedately along the seafront for the last time before taking the Wallace Arnold bus home. Claustrophobically small b & b rooms and eating fish and chips out of newspaper whilst sheltering from the rain are the stuff of which holiday memories are made, and we found ourselves smiling - and occasionally wincing - in recognition. Remembering the golden age of Blackpool holidays - donkey rides, talent contests, the sight of Dads with trousers rolled up and knotted hankies protecting bald spots from sunstroke. ‘September in the Rain’ conjured up this lost world so vividly that we could almost feel the sand in our socks and hear the rain bouncing off our pakamacs.
David Hill gave a great performance as Jack with some fantastic facial expressions, a man of few words - most of them "aye" - and strong emotions. He became wildly jealous when Liz teased him about an attractive young man in the ice-cream queue and, was moved to tears by a performance of his favourite show, The Student Prince. Sylvia Hill was equally impressive, funny and touching as Liz, threatening to leave the taciturn Jack halfway through the holiday and coaxing him into admiring the view from the top of Blackpool Tower. Occasionally the two actors stepped out of character taking on other roles, the most memorable being a lovely little scene as the MC and contestant at a talent show - Sylvia, as the couple's little six year old daughter, giving a delightful rendition of "My Girl's a Yorkshire Girl" and David as the MC.
With direction by David Hill, set design, sound and lighting under the control of Craig and Sara Hill, this was a tour de force from the Hill family who were hoping to raise funds for new lighting equipment.
Creating a roller-coaster of emotions, by the end of the evening we had shared part of Liz and Jack’s life and seen them grow old. We had shared their memories, laughed a lot and started to care for them. A good nights entertainment thoroughly enjoyed by the audience.
BDTG Review of Ladies Down Under
Having performed 'Ladies Day' in 2015, where Amanda Whittington's comedy centred on the friendship of four female fish packers from Hull, CADS now present the sequel 'Ladies Down Under', although it also stands as a play in its own right. In it, the four Hull fish-packers are splashing some of the cash won at the races on a trip to Australia, and the script allows for more character and plot development as the girls come to terms with their new-found wealth and deal with the consequences.
The four leads gave a great display of team acting; the well-drawn and acutely-observed characters worked effortlessly with each other, and their reactions and interplay were pleasing.
Dawn Dodwell revelled in the role of Pearl, the mother-figure to the group, providing stability and common sense, she skilfully showed us Pearl's loss of confidence as she came to terms with her illness and faced up to the future.
Shelley was the spendthrift 'good time girl' who could not manage either her money nor her life, and Amy Whistance attacked the role with relish. The change in character between her spats with Pearl and her scenes with Danny the Traveller, were well played showing her more vulnerable character.
Tammy Steventon gave a good performance as Jan, her fear of flying (and just about everything else) was echoed by her fear of commitment to her relationship with Joe the Supervisor, and their cautious courting scene was another highlight.
As Linda, the girl who had most difficulty dealing with the money, Lucy Styles showed us someone apparently naïve and innocent on the surface, but possessing a strong moral code. Her judgements on modern values were surprisingly deep and insightful.
There were some fine performances from the four male members of the cast, which included Ryan Corry and Chad Dent, all playing multiple parts comprising trolley-dollies, drag queens, a surfer, a hippie and a fireman to name a few. Two of the slightly larger parts were played by Richard Mayes as Joe the Fish-Plant Supervisor who'd gone for a year's sabbatical to Oz only to be disillusioned by the experience. Richard showed us Joe's hidden depths as he struggled to express his feelings for Jan. And, as Danny the Traveller, Richard Corrado gave an assured and confident portrayal of an individual who had found inner peace, and who was comfortable with the world. And he also produced a delicious, very authentic-sounding Aussie accent!
To complete the cast Joe Gardiner and Laura Simpson played stage extras.
Costume was very good with lighting and sound helping to place the various locations. With Thirteen scenes in all, setting was obviously a challenge, on the whole the simple black box dressed with chairs and airport props worked well and helped to keep the production moving, however, the audience did have to use their imagination.
Directed by David Hill, it was an entertaining evening obviously enjoyed by an appreciative audience. We look forward to the next production of September in the Rain.
The four leads gave a great display of team acting; the well-drawn and acutely-observed characters worked effortlessly with each other, and their reactions and interplay were pleasing.
Dawn Dodwell revelled in the role of Pearl, the mother-figure to the group, providing stability and common sense, she skilfully showed us Pearl's loss of confidence as she came to terms with her illness and faced up to the future.
Shelley was the spendthrift 'good time girl' who could not manage either her money nor her life, and Amy Whistance attacked the role with relish. The change in character between her spats with Pearl and her scenes with Danny the Traveller, were well played showing her more vulnerable character.
Tammy Steventon gave a good performance as Jan, her fear of flying (and just about everything else) was echoed by her fear of commitment to her relationship with Joe the Supervisor, and their cautious courting scene was another highlight.
As Linda, the girl who had most difficulty dealing with the money, Lucy Styles showed us someone apparently naïve and innocent on the surface, but possessing a strong moral code. Her judgements on modern values were surprisingly deep and insightful.
There were some fine performances from the four male members of the cast, which included Ryan Corry and Chad Dent, all playing multiple parts comprising trolley-dollies, drag queens, a surfer, a hippie and a fireman to name a few. Two of the slightly larger parts were played by Richard Mayes as Joe the Fish-Plant Supervisor who'd gone for a year's sabbatical to Oz only to be disillusioned by the experience. Richard showed us Joe's hidden depths as he struggled to express his feelings for Jan. And, as Danny the Traveller, Richard Corrado gave an assured and confident portrayal of an individual who had found inner peace, and who was comfortable with the world. And he also produced a delicious, very authentic-sounding Aussie accent!
To complete the cast Joe Gardiner and Laura Simpson played stage extras.
Costume was very good with lighting and sound helping to place the various locations. With Thirteen scenes in all, setting was obviously a challenge, on the whole the simple black box dressed with chairs and airport props worked well and helped to keep the production moving, however, the audience did have to use their imagination.
Directed by David Hill, it was an entertaining evening obviously enjoyed by an appreciative audience. We look forward to the next production of September in the Rain.
BDTG Review of celebrity
The CADS ‘Celebrity’ by Paul Mathews
This is a new comedy by Paul Mathews, it’s about Max Kettell an author with writers block, he has a few days to send a 10 page synopsis of the final book in his science fiction trilogy to his agent and good friend, Stefan Box. Max is married to Amber who runs a PA agency for the stars, she is supposedly on maternity leave having given birth to baby Harry, but her boss Rupert, or the ‘stars’ themselves, are constantly calling wanting her to sort out their problems.
Sarah, Max’s level-headed younger sister, helps out with baby-sitting. She and Max were abandoned by their father some 30 years earlier when he walked out on them and their mother never to be heard of again. Having recently been released from a prison sentence, Jerry Taylor (Max and Sarah’s dad) discovers that his son is a famous sci fi writer and devises a way of cashing in on the situation. Meanwhile, Freddy Smith, in charge of security at the flats where the Kettell’s live in Kensington, is running a thriving business advertising and selling signed copies of Max’s books on the side. Darius Parfait has been sent to interview Max and Cherie (one of the ‘stars’) has been photographed in a compromising position by the media and has called upon Amber to rescue her.
The set design and construction team under the management of Craig Hill, did a fantastic job, providing a very credible looking set for the cast to work on. It looked like one would imagine a lounge in a London flat to look like, it was well decorated and totally secure with some good props and furnishings.
The back-stage team worked hard to make the show run smoothly with all scene changes taking the minimum of time. There was not much call for changes in lighting as the scenes all took place during the morning, but the many sound cues were executed with great precision and costumes suited the characters.
Directed by Chad Dent and Tammy Steventon, pacing flagged a little in places but there was a well-balanced cast with some good ensemble work and great engagement with the audience.
All members of the cast are deserving of mention, the four main characters were played by: Amy Whistance, who gave a cracking performance as Amber the harassed new mom trying to juggle time between her family and her business, Max Darknell, who gave with an equally good performance as the husband with writer’s block, there was a lovely natural portrayal from Lucy Styles as Max’s sensible sister Sarah and another excellent performance from Richard Corrado as Stefan Box the agent/publisher.
Joanne Gardiner (with an awful laugh) made a perfect Freddy Smith obsessive about safety in the flats, Sylvia Hill as the infamous Cherie who would do anything for a drink was very funny, Chad Dent played a believable gay interviewer Darius, and, David Hill was very good as the scheming cockney father, Jerry.
The play, about the struggles of fame and family, was very funny in places and was handled well by the company. All characterisations were secure, there was good interaction between members of the cast and the group created an entertaining production for the audience.
We look forward to seeing Charlemont’s next production of Ladies Down Under by Amanda Whittington in April.
This is a new comedy by Paul Mathews, it’s about Max Kettell an author with writers block, he has a few days to send a 10 page synopsis of the final book in his science fiction trilogy to his agent and good friend, Stefan Box. Max is married to Amber who runs a PA agency for the stars, she is supposedly on maternity leave having given birth to baby Harry, but her boss Rupert, or the ‘stars’ themselves, are constantly calling wanting her to sort out their problems.
Sarah, Max’s level-headed younger sister, helps out with baby-sitting. She and Max were abandoned by their father some 30 years earlier when he walked out on them and their mother never to be heard of again. Having recently been released from a prison sentence, Jerry Taylor (Max and Sarah’s dad) discovers that his son is a famous sci fi writer and devises a way of cashing in on the situation. Meanwhile, Freddy Smith, in charge of security at the flats where the Kettell’s live in Kensington, is running a thriving business advertising and selling signed copies of Max’s books on the side. Darius Parfait has been sent to interview Max and Cherie (one of the ‘stars’) has been photographed in a compromising position by the media and has called upon Amber to rescue her.
The set design and construction team under the management of Craig Hill, did a fantastic job, providing a very credible looking set for the cast to work on. It looked like one would imagine a lounge in a London flat to look like, it was well decorated and totally secure with some good props and furnishings.
The back-stage team worked hard to make the show run smoothly with all scene changes taking the minimum of time. There was not much call for changes in lighting as the scenes all took place during the morning, but the many sound cues were executed with great precision and costumes suited the characters.
Directed by Chad Dent and Tammy Steventon, pacing flagged a little in places but there was a well-balanced cast with some good ensemble work and great engagement with the audience.
All members of the cast are deserving of mention, the four main characters were played by: Amy Whistance, who gave a cracking performance as Amber the harassed new mom trying to juggle time between her family and her business, Max Darknell, who gave with an equally good performance as the husband with writer’s block, there was a lovely natural portrayal from Lucy Styles as Max’s sensible sister Sarah and another excellent performance from Richard Corrado as Stefan Box the agent/publisher.
Joanne Gardiner (with an awful laugh) made a perfect Freddy Smith obsessive about safety in the flats, Sylvia Hill as the infamous Cherie who would do anything for a drink was very funny, Chad Dent played a believable gay interviewer Darius, and, David Hill was very good as the scheming cockney father, Jerry.
The play, about the struggles of fame and family, was very funny in places and was handled well by the company. All characterisations were secure, there was good interaction between members of the cast and the group created an entertaining production for the audience.
We look forward to seeing Charlemont’s next production of Ladies Down Under by Amanda Whittington in April.