Dawn French revived her Vicar Of Dibley character Geraldine Granger to pay her respects to a terminally ill friend at their “living funeral”.
A living funeral, also called a pre-funeral, is a funeral held for a living person - typically one who does not have long to live - so that they can celebrate their life with family and loved ones.
Comedienne French, 65, took to Instagram to share pictures of her donning Geraldine’s cassock and dog collar to perform a “eulogy” for CoppaFeel! founder Kris Hallenga, 37, who is living with stage four breast cancer.
Reflecting on the day, French wrote in the accompanying caption: “It was my privilege & joy to Dibley it up at her FUNeral on Sat. She wanted to host the best possible party. She did. It was phenomenal.
She continued: “So much love filling @trurocathedral. It was her own festival celebrating an extraordinary life. What a total babe.”
The original Vicar of Dibley ran on the BBC from 1994 until 2007.
French was last seen as Geraldine in a series of mini lockdown specials in 2020, during which she paid tribute to some of her fellow cast members who had passed away since the hit TV sitcom finished.
Hallenga fully appreciated French’s efforts, saying her eulogy “blew my heart into smithereens” as did the “loving/ funny/ embarrassing speeches”.
The campaigner, from Cornwall, was first diagnosed with incurable secondary breast cancer in 2009 at the age of 23 and given a life expectancy of just two years.
From that moment on, she made a conscious decision to face her illness head-on, determined to seize every opportunity and live her life to the fullest.
Almost 15 years on, Hallenga and her twin sister Maren have taken their charity CoppaFeel! to huge heights including creating checking tools, projecting onto the Houses of Parliament, and showing the first nipple on a billboard.
She first revealed plans to host a “living funeral” last month, saying on social media, writing: “I want to be present at the event where my people have a thing or two to say about me, where I have the opportunity to show how much they mean to me.”
Taking to Instagram after the events, she was clearly over the moon at how it had all gone.
“I am still processing all the feelings, the wonder, the ridiculousness, the MAGNITUDE of Saturday (and my adrenaline hasn’t calmed the f down yet) but suffice to say it was THE BEST DAY OF MY LIFE,” she penned.
“If you’re a little behind, in January I decided I wanted to organise my own living funeral, my FUNeral, and in doing so celebrate a life that I have truly loved, surrounded by people I loved. It was during a psylocibin (magic [mushroom emoji]) journey later in January that my very wild and wonderful ideas were concocted and in March I started to organise the event of my life.
“Where? @trurocathedral. Dress code? YODO (take of that what you will)
“What? A community gospel choir @fcgccornwall, THE Vicar of Dibley, a eulogy that blew my heart into smithereens, loving/ funny/ embarrassing speeches, comfort cats (donated by @ikeauk â¤ï¸) @abandoman, @rae_morris, temporary tats of lady marms, food made by friends, old school TVs playing old family footage, the best MCing by my friend Georgette, a bar stocked by kind people, an ABBA Singalong, a 20 piece orchestra and scratch DJ aka @symphonica_mrswitch (imagine a rave in a cathedral), an aerial performer @swampcircus and a silent disco,” she continued.
“I’ve never felt love like it. I’ve never felt joy like it. I’ve never felt such kinship with mortality. I’ve never felt so alive.
“Living funerals? 10/10 would recommend. Exploring your impermanence? A gateway to appreciation of life Crying and laughing at the same time? Do it. It’s sexy.
“Talking about and writing down your wishes for your funeral? would not only recommend but very much need you to action asap (and my pals @legacyoflives are ready and waiting).
“I have so many thank yous to say but first I am SO GRATEFUL that Rebecca, the CEO of free funeral planning site @legacyoflives had my back and supported my vision.
“I never wanna come down from this high (although sleep would also be [ok emoji]).”
