A stage play by Ian Gower and Paul Carpenter adapted from the original TV series by Richard Curtis and Paul Mayhew-Archer. About the show Alice Springs Horton (née Tinker) is the verger at the church. Blonde and scatter-brained (Geraldine describes her as having "the intellectual capacity and charisma of a cactus"), Alice is the only main character who does not sit on the parish council, although she did sit in for the Vicar on one occasion (in the TV special " Autumn"). The product of a one-night stand, she often states that her father is dead, or claims not to know who her father really was. In one episode she tells Geraldine her biological father was David Horton; after some confusion, she clarifies that she meant a cousin of councillor David Horton's father (present-day David Horton's first cousin once removed and predecessor on the parish council, who was known as a local philanderer), also called David Horton. Alice also has a sister, Mary, who is older than Alice but is even more dim-witted. Alice's mother is often described as " mad" by Geraldine, and in the last two episodes is said to be in a psychiatric home. Alice is a fan of the Wombles and of the Teletubbies. In episode 12, broadcast on 22 January 1998, when Alice married Hugo Horton, her bridesmaids were dressed as Laa-Laa and Po, and her bridal headband lit up. A rabid fan of Doctor Who, she also unsuccessfully tried to incorporate themes from the sci-fi show into her wedding, including having a wedding gown "with lots of hearts on it...and a different Doctor Who in each one." However, she ended up with a gown decorated with a massive heart with hers and Hugo's names inside. She succeeds in having a Doctor Who wedding during Geraldine's own wedding. When Gerry's friends take over wedding preparations, Alice uses her position as maid of honour to dress herself as the Tenth Doctor and the other bridesmaids as Daleks. The Vicar of Dibley was released in DVD in Region 2 (UK) from 2001. In 2002, a DVD entitled The Best of The Vicar of Dibley was released featuring a 90-minute film of Dawn French talking to the producer, Jon Plowman, with clips from the series. A 2002 documentary narrated by Jo Brand, entitled The Real Vicars of Dibley, was also on the DVD. In 2005, a boxset of the "complete collection" was released. This included all the then aired episodes. The final two episodes and 6-disc "ultimate" box set were released on 26 November 2007.

For more of the latest showbiz and TV news from the Daily Star, make sure you sign up to one of our newsletters here . Sarah, Duchess of York, Richard Ayoade, Orla Brady, Fiona Bruce, Annette Crosbie, Johnny Depp, Ruth Jones, Hilary Kay, Damian Lewis, Maureen Lipman, Jennifer Saunders, Sting and his wife Trudie Styler, Stephen Tompkinson, Dervla Kirwan, and Emma Watson have made guest appearances in short charity specials. a b The saint's name is spelled " Barnabas", but the church is sometimes spelled "Barnabus" on the show. In earlier episodes, the opening credits were followed by a humorous village scene, such as a woman knitting directly from a sheep. [3] The touching tribute would then be read by her comedy partner and close friend Jennifer Saunders because “it would kill her to have to say so many nice things about me”.Based on the much-loved 1990s TV sitcom by Richard Curtis and Paul Mayhew-Archer, the stage version is by Ian Gower and Paul Carpenter (presented by kind permission of Tiger Aspect Productions). Director Tony Parker comments: ‘This hilarious comedy faithfully reproduces religious life in the village of Dibley with its menagerie of unforgettably dippy characters, including “cactus-brained” Alice and Hugo, sex-obsessed farmer Owen Newitt, the “no, no, no, no” man Jim Trott, and the world’s worst cook Letitia Cropley, all under the exasperated eyes of Reverend Geraldine Grainger and Parish Council chairman David Horton.’ The theme music was a setting of Psalm 23 composed by Howard Goodall, and was performed by the choir of Christ Church Cathedral, Oxford, with George Humphreys [8] singing the solo. The conductor was Stephen Darlington. Two versions are used over the opening credits: one with full choir, and one with a solo. Goodall originally wrote it as a serious piece of church choral music. It has been released as a charity single, with proceeds going to Comic Relief. [9] It also appears on Goodall's CD Choral Works, which additionally includes his theme for Mr. Bean, another popular comedy co-created by Richard Curtis. A snippet of The Vicar of Dibley's theme music was used in the Mr. Bean episode " Tee Off, Mr. Bean" and the music from Mr Bean plays during Sean Bean's cameo in The Vicar of Dibley episode "Spring". Although female vicars are no longer considered particularly unusual, the play’s humour has remained fresh, partly thanks to the wonderfully eccentric characters who make up Geraldine’s congregation. Don’t miss this show, which will definitely put you in a festive mood in the run-up to Christmas! On 6 February 2007, Fox announced plans to adapt The Vicar of Dibley into an American sitcom, titled The Minister of Divine. The series starred Kirstie Alley as a former "wild child" who returned to her hometown as its first female minister. [15] The pilot was broadcast on Fox, but the series was not made. [16] The series was created by Richard Curtis and written for actress Dawn French by Curtis and Paul Mayhew-Archer, with contributions from Kit Hesketh-Harvey. The main character was an invention of Richard Curtis, but he and French extensively consulted Joy Carroll, one of the first female Anglican priests, and garnered many character traits and much information. [2] Openings and epilogues [ edit ]

A Pride of Britain Award winner, her best-selling memoir, Glittering a Turd, was published in 2021. Entertainment | Emmy success for Vicar of Dibley". BBC News. 24 November 1998 . Retrieved 27 April 2011.After the closing credits, Geraldine usually tells Alice a joke, to which Alice either overreacts, tries to interpret literally, or understands only after Geraldine explains it. There are a few exceptions to this in various episodes. Thomas, Archie (18 May 2007). "British acad to honor Curtis – Scribe wrote 'Vicar of Dibley, ' 'Girl in the Cafe' ". Variety . Retrieved 21 May 2007. Rebecca Wilson, who played the title role Geraldine Grainger, explained the dedication needed: “It’s very involved and it’s not just a case of coming in for rehearsals. We will meet up with other actors and practise our lines. If I thought about it, I’d estimate it at over 100 hours per show.” I spent a night at rehearsals for their recent production of ‘The Vicar of Dibley’ and I was amazed by the attention to detail. Taking a seat in the auditorium on opening night, you’re unaware of the array of decisions and thought given to positioning props, timing stage exits and entries along with the reactions, positions and timings of the actors themselves. The production has been analysed and streamlined long before the curtain rises.