Review: Dad’s Army Marches On, Theatre Royal

Jun 16 2010 by David Whetstone, The Journal

FOUR episodes of the famous BBC sitcom make up this latest stage homage marking the 70th anniversary of the Home Guard.

Mum’s Army sees the ladies of Walmington-on-Sea called up for active service and henpecked Capt Mainwaring getting a tantalising sniff of romance.

In Branded, the gentle Private Godfrey reveals his status as a conscientious objector in the Great War. These two, before the interval, highlight the poignant aspect of Dad’s Army which was part of its TV success but tended to play second fiddle to the madcap misadventures.

Mainwaring is/was a small town Churchillian figure, mocked for his vanity but heroic nonetheless. You don’t doubt he would have died for his country, though probably fruitlessly.

In this role, Timothy Kightley has Arthur Lowe to a tee.

Whereas all the cast, with Leslie Grantham as Private Walker, are all recognisable as their mostly late lamented TV counterparts, Kightley’s Mainwaring is every- thing you want in a tribute show – as near as dammit the real thing.

That said, this stage manifestation of Dad’s Army marches on very slowly. Maybe it’s the nature of the chosen episodes or maybe the fact that, just possibly, the enterprise has run its course, but on Monday night the spark between cast and a fairly sparse audience was slow to ignite.

When it did, it was after the interval with Young and Beautiful, in which the Home Guard veterans strive to avoid being pensioned off into loathed Warden Hodges’ ARP outfit.

The evening concludes with The 2½ Feathers, in which the cast zoom back in time to shed light on a shady episode in Corporal Jones’s military past.

In all, it is a show with plenty to reward dedicated Dad’s Army fans. But it also has the look of one that has just about reached its sell by date.

Dad’s Army Marches On is at Newcastle Theatre Royal until Saturday.