Dad's Army Radio Show - Green Room Reviews

June 17, 2024

17th – 22nd June 2024

Nine series of Perry and Croft’s classic Dad’s Army were broadcast on BBC1 between 1968-1977, but did you know that there was also a version for radio between 1974-76? The original cast recorded 67 episodes at The Playhouse Theatre and The Paris Studios, London, adapting the scripts from the television show.

In 2017, rehearsals began with David Benson (probably best known for playing Noël Coward in Goodnight Sweetheart) and Jack Lane who has a stellar CV behind him, to recreate a selection of the radio shows as a two-hander, splitting 25 characters between them including favourites Captain Mainwaring, Sgt. Wilson, Pike, Godfrey, Frazer, Jones, Walker, Hodges and Reverend Timothy Farthing. It is hard to imagine any other iteration than the casting we saw last night, as each appeared born to the roles into which they placed themselves.

Wilton’s Music Hall, despite being built in 1859, eighty years before the start of the Second World War, seemed somewhat fitting as a venue for this production. Indeed, Wilton’s was used to provide tea to air raid shelters during the Blitz.

As we take our seats, a selection of wartime era classics fill the air, before a sinister air raid siren interrupts and Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain announces that Britain is at war. This provides an introduction to the Dad’s Army theme tune, which the theatre goers enthusiastically sing along to. It is clear to see that Benson and Lane already have a willing audience!

“Benson and Lane transport us back to the golden age of the BBC with their outstanding performances”

Benson and Lane, with their minimal set of a table and vintage radio, delight us with three half-hour episodes of the show: The Love of Three Oranges, The Miser’s Hoard and The Making of Private Pike. These episodes did not appear in the original radio recordings, and have been adapted for the first time for this production. They deliver a non-stop, fast-paced performance, each of them switching between their characters seamlessly. Their impersonations are spot on, in both voice and mannerism, providing much hilarity, furnishing us with the classic Dad’s Army catchphrases. Lane’s Captain Mainwaring and Benson’s Wilson, in particular, create a perfect double act, whilst Reverend Timothy Farthing was a particular favourite with the entire audience (myself included). The hall roared with laughter throughout the whole 90 minutes, clearly enjoying the trip down memory lane. Benson and Lane transport us back to the golden age of the BBC with their outstanding performances, bringing scripts back to life that must never be forgotten.