Season 62 Play 8 – Dad’s Army by Jimmy Perry and David Croft
Directed by
Cast
Sargeant Wilson – David Poole
Lance Corporal Jones – Phil Jordan
Private Frazer – David Helliwell
Private Walker – Howard Clements
Private Godfrey – Peter Berry
Private Pike – Neil Lloyd
Chief Warden Hodges – Ian Atkinson
Colonel – Jeff Peacock
Mr Yateman(Verger) – Mark Brown
U-Boat Captain – David Elliott
Mrs Fox – Helen Clarke
Mrs Pike – Laura Judge
Mrs Gray – Jill Whitehouse
Private Sponge/Porter – Dennis J. Tetley
Miss Ironside – Martine Illingworth
Mr Gordon – Stephen Mason
Serviceman – Tom Bean
Edith Parish – Paula Randall
Private Hancock – Charlie Jagger
Mrs Hart – Gilly Rogers
Buffet Attendant – Claire Gregson
Vicar – Graeme Holbrough
Ivy Samways – Rebecca Main
Waitress – Faye Hardy
U-boat Sailors – Sebastian Lloyd, Daniel Randall, Charlie Western, Jacob Simpson
Contestants – Amy Wozencroft, Tanya Gillow
Mrs Prosser – Martine Illingworth
Synopsis
The classic BBC TV comedy series of the Home Guard comes to the stage in these three hilarious episodes: The Deadly Attachment,The Godiva Affair and Mum’s Army and also “The Floral Dance” which appeared at the Royal Command Variety Performance. All the well-loved characters are here including: ‘stupid boy’ Pike, ‘Don’t panic, don’t panic’ Jonesey, ‘Doomed, we’re all doomed!’ Fraser, ‘May I be excused, sir?’ Godfrey and all under the command of the redoubtable Captain Mainwaring and his effacing deputy Sergeant Wilson.
Directors Notes
It’s a real pleasure to be involved in such a super comedy based upon the long running and well loved television series, Dad’s Army.
Originally intended to be called The Fighting Tigers, but later renamed Dad’s Army, the series was based partly on co-writer and creator Jimmy Perry’s real life experiences in the Local Defence Volunteers (later known as the Home Guard). Perry was only 17 years old when he joined his local platoon and with a mother who did not like him being out at night in the cold he bore more than a passing resemblance to the character Frank Pike!
Perry wrote the first script and gave it to his friend David Croft who was so impressed he sent it to the BBC. The setting was the fictional small town of Walmington-on-Sea, on the south coast of England. The year was 1940 and Britain was standing alone against an enemy preparing for invasion, just a few miles away across the English Channel.
After initial concerns that the series would make fun of the efforts of the Home Guard the first of 80 episodes started in 1968 and ran until 1977. With regular television audiences of 18 million, Dad’s Army provided a comedy that ranged from subtle to slapstick and developed well loved characters that made the series one of the most popular of its time, and one that is still being repeated today.
The well known theme tune was also written by Jimmy Perry and recorded especially for the series and sung by popular war time entertainer Bud Flanagan.
Our three “episodes” this evening are some of the best remembered as each one puts the characters in situations where comedy is always to the fore but we are also reminded of the dangers of that time. The final act, The Floral Dance, was performed by the Dad’s Army team in a Royal Command Variety Performance.
It is quite fitting that exactly 70 years later we re-create the actions of a group of men we can laugh with, but we should always remember that they and many more Home Guard Platoons were ready and willing to face up to the enemy and safeguard our country.
Thank you to all who have appeared in and helped with this production and hope that you, the audience, enjoy the evening and that we will see you again next season.
