UK Theatre Network

The Tart and the Vicar’s Wife

The Tyne Theatre & Opera House, Newcastle

Although the title may conjure up images of a traditional farce, ‘The Tart and The Vicar’s Wife’ is much more than just that. It is also an often harrowing and heart-rending drama.

Glenda and Robert Parry were the typical successful couple – him an affluent executive, her the glamorous ‘trophy wife’ – until Robert emerges unhurt from a potentially fatal car crash and decides to devote his life to God and become a vicar.

Glenda consequently finds herself thrust into a complete role transformation from wealthy executive’s wife to impoverished vicar’s wife, struggling to make ends meet and solving the problems of all who arrive on her doorstep.

When Robert leaves for a four-week course and a millionaire lottery winner turns up in the village to ask for the Reverends help in exorcising his haunted manor, the laughs really come thick and fast.

Linda Armstrong, better known to many as Sister Brigid in the ITV1 drama The Royal, gives an outstanding performance as Glenda. She is well supported by a host of familiar faces including Brookside’s Marcus Hutton, Emmerdale’s Matt Healy and Sarah Jane Buckley from Hollyoaks.

The comic capers increase when Glenda and three of her friends are offered an unorthodox way of solving their financial difficulties – temporarily become high class escorts!

This is the first time that ‘The Tart and the Vicar’s Wife’ has been on tour in almost thirty years, yet its topical ‘credit-crunch’ theme ensures it is not dated at all. Director Ian Dickens has cleverly made a few minor adjustments to the script to make it suitable for a twenty-first century audience, and the result is an hilarious evening’s entertainment.

Steve Burbridge.

Tour Dates

Wolverhampton Grand                       Tues 14^th – Sat 18th July

Blackpool Grand                                 Mon 27^th - Wed 29th July

Swansea Grand                                   Tues 4^th - Sat 8th August

Grand Opera House Buxton               Wed 2nd - Sat 5th Sept

White Rock Theatre Hastings             Tues 8^th - Sat 12th Sept

Lyceum Theatre Crewe                       Mon 21^st - Sat 26th Sept

Gordon Craig Theatre Stevenage       Tues 29th Sept - Sat 3rd Oct

Garrick Theatre, Lichfield                  Tues 6^th - Sat 10th Oct

Theatre Royal Lincoln                        Mon 19^th - Sat 24th Oct

Civic Theatre Darlington                    Tues 17^th - Sat 21st Nov