A BELOVED gang of misfits who wormed their way into the hearts of the British public are back and larger than life as ever.

The last time television viewers clapped their eyes on Geraldine Granger was back in 2015 for a 10 minute Comic Relief special.

But now audiences in Bolton can spend a whole evening with the much-loved Vicar as Adlington's St Paul's Players bring life in the unusual Oxfordshire village of Dibley to the stage in a unique production.

It has taken the team three years to get the nod of approval from Vicar of Dibley creator Richard Curtis but their hard work has finally paid off.

The show – which combines four well known stories from the BBC sitcom – will feature an arrival, a rivalry, a wedding and even some Teletubbies!

Laura Roberts will become Dawn French's iconic vicar, alongside her well-known parishioners, including Leanne Romney as nice but dim Alice Tinker, Keiron Garlick as the shy Hugo Horton, Vince Taylor as Frank 'The Most Boring Man in Britain' Pickle, Andrew Turton as Jim 'no, no, no...yes' Trot, Paul Robert as cow-obsessed Owen Newitt and Siobhan Edge as Letitia Cropley with her less-than-delectable cake.

Lostock's Keith Brian will take on the role of Hugo's snotty father, and the man who thinks he owns the village, David Horton.

He said: "We are all really excited about the show because when we normally do a play you can put your own interpretation on the character, but when you are doing something everyone is so familiar with you have to be a s near to the character that people expect as possible.

"I can watch the show now and repeat the lines and know exactly what to expect.

"We have put a lot of work into the characters, I think I have worn the DVDs out, and have got to know them.

"Even Paul has grown a bread because Owen is known for having one."

The show will bring some of the best known moments and plotlines from the show, which ran from 1994 to 1998, to the stage.

Director Jane Harrison wrote the first "tentative letter" to Richard Curtis and eventually secured the licence and go ahead from him and the authors of the stage play Ian Gower and Paul Carpenter.

The licence money will go to the Comic Relief charity and St Paul's obtained the BBC scripts to adapt into a stage play with the support of Ian Gower.

The Vicar of Dibley being brought to the stage takes it source primarily from the first two series of the show with episodes the Arrival, Easter and the Wedding.

Producer Jacqui Brian added: "It’s been so much fun producing this play working alongside Jane and a terrific cast and crew.

"I’m am so looking forward to show week and hope our audiences enjoy this very funny play."

The Vicar of Dibley will run from September 6 to 9 at 7.30pm in Adlington Community Centre in Railway Road, Adlington. For tickets call 01204 407784 or visit ticketsource.co.uk.