Dad’s Army

The strength of Dad’s Army resides in the characters created by David Croft and Jimmy Perry. Director Roger Chevalier has selected actors to embody the essence of the original portrayals. Ian McQueen brings considerable experience to the role of Captain Mainwaring. Less pompous but equally oblivious to his failings, McQueen, is a solid presence. Phillip Crouch captures the rambling eccentricity of Lance Corporal Jones to a “T”, sharing most of the laughs with Marcus Johnson in the role of Private Frazer. The dour and pessimistic Frazer is delivered by Johnson in a caricatured yet perfectly intelligible Scottish accent. Mike Casey, Dan Prichard, Christopher Whitfort, and Damien Brock complete the platoon in the spirit of the original. The audience embraced the cast from the moment the platoon entered under the evocative play of search lights.

The stage show consists of three episodes, virtually unchanged, from the television series. Episode One, The Deadly Attachment, is characterised by well-paced comedy and visual humour. Episodes Two and Three (Mum’s Army and The Godiva Affair) move beyond the church hall and involve female ensemble members. Mainwaring’s dalliance with Mrs Grey was the least engaging section. The serious turn of this subplot was a departure from the previous dynamic.

The Godiva Affair offered more visual humour but the second interval and encore made for a long night.

The set was simple but versatile and the overall look was in keeping with the television show. Music, pre-recorded, was a positive addition. Female ensemble members featured as ENSA girls (entertainers for the troops). This facilitated scene changes but also slowed the pace.

The characters were all endearing and the humour still found its mark, despite the age of the show. However, be prepared to go home with an ear worm.

Anne Blythe-Cooper