By Victoria Stone-Meadows
The BATS theatre company opened its latest production of the classic British comedy The Vicar of Dibley to an almost full house at the Cranbourne Community Theatre on Friday 21 July.
The production brings three episodes of the television show to the stage, with BATS bringing memorable characters to life with their trademark silly humour.
In true BATS style, it was obvious the cast and crew had a wonderful time putting the show together and their enthusiasm for their craft and dedication to each other really came through in their performances.
Quickly getting through some opening night jitters, the leading cast were engaging to watch and delivered the jokes with a level of absurdity that Dawn French would be proud of.
Paired with many references to the titular character’s ample bosom and just the right amount of physical comedy, BATS has managed to really capture the humour of the TV show.
BATS made great use of the limited stage space at the theatre and were very clever with the way they managed to pack in so many different scenes and locations into the space.
While every member of the cast brought great elements to their characters, there were a few stand-out performances that really brought something special to the stage.
Neil Barnett, who played a wonderfully grumpy and conniving David Horton, was a delight to watch and made a very believable character you will love to hate.
His expert input into the set design and construction must also be noted, as well as his gesticulations on stage that added a humorous edge to this antagonist.
Another outstanding member of the crew was Jess Zintschenko who played Alice Tinker, the bumbling blonde sidekick to the Vicar.
Her over-the-top accent and genuinely funny physical actions on stage really made her character a delight to watch and a particular scene with her ‘kindergarten children’ was a particular success.
It’s difficult to decide on a favourite character or moment from this production as it was clear everyone on stage and in the support crew gave it their all to bring the show together.
One particularly clever aspect of this production was the inclusion of the Cranbourne Chorale as the choir.
The choir was a brilliant way to hold the production together between the episodes while keeping in with the theme of the TV show and providing a musical aspect to the show.
President of the BATS Theatre Company Committee Anette Neilson said she was thrilled with the turnout of the crowd on opening night.
“We were really pleased with how it went and the audience seemed to enjoy it; we have received a lot of really positive feedback and we are really happy with how things are going,” she said.
“We’ve got an amazing crew and performers who are so talented; it’s a great group to work with and the amazing backstage crew that make it all happen.”
The Vicar of Dibley director Susan Bergman said months of hard work by the cast and crew has really paid off and everyone should be very proud of what they had achieved.
“Overall I am very pleased; there were a few hiccups on opening night but they have all been tuned and we are raring to go on the next performances, Sunday starting to get close to being sold-out,” she said.
“It really has been a privilege to get to adapt these three episodes from TV to stage.”
“There has been a lot of creativity behind that and it has been quite rewarding; Anette has been absolutely awesome and it is great to give these talented actors the opportunity to give an iconic and well-known creation a go.”
Opening night of the production was dedicated to the late Mick Morland OAM who was a great supporter of community groups while on council.
Ms Bergman said she was pleased to be able to give back to the community in the name of Mr Morland, who she said was a great man.
“We were honoured that Mick’s wife Kay came along we will be able to put some money towards the Casey Cardinia Foundation in Mick’s name,” she said.
“He was one of those ones that looked after the community as whole.”
The BATS Theatre Company’s production of the Vicar of Dibley will be on again on Saturday 29 July and a matinee performance on Sunday 30 July,
Tickets are still available by calling 0422 096 768 or by visiting www.trybooking.com/274466.
