Maldon LADS staging 'The Vicar of Dibley' this month

The show is about the first woman vicar assigned to the sleepy fictional village of Dibley in Oxfordshire and was written by Richard Curtis and Paul Mayhew Archer, as well as starring comedian Dawn French.

The play – adapted by Ian Gower and Paul Carpenter – focuses on the vicar’s first reaction to the eccentric residents of Dibley as well as a big wedding.

Actors - Paul Nihill and Moir Gunfield (Image: Submitted)

The writers also created a second play based, again based on TV episodes, called 'A Vicar of Dibley Christmas – The Second Coming', which details the villagers' plan to set up a radio station and put on a nativity play on a real farm.

The LADS show is directed by Cath Hallam and assisted by Mandi Tickner, with the show running from May 7 to May 11 – with an additional day added due to demand.

The show is sold out but there is a waiting list for cancellations.

Curtains go up at 7.30pm and doors close at 7pm.

Acting - Heather Bainbridge (Image: Submitted)

This is not the first time the Maldon area has enjoyed the Vicar of Dibley being brought to the stage.

In 2019, the Maldon Drama Group staged a three-day production of the Vicar of Dibley with more than 550 people coming to see the play.

The TV series originally ran from 1994 to 2000, returning for specials in the 2000s, including Comic Relief Specials as well as most recently a series of three short 'lockdown' episodes, which were released in 2020.

Meanwhile, LADS has two other exciting events in the upcoming weeks, with a £5 per head quiz night on May 25 being held at the Tractor Shed – LADS' venue in Latchingdon.

On June 2 – also at the Tractor Shed - there will be an open day from 2pm to 5pm which is a way to get involved with the upcoming Show Hits production.

To register your interest to the open day, email hannahshowhits23@aol.com