ALISON CROOSE King's Lynn Arts Centre
ALISON CROOSE
> King's Lynn Arts Centre
Taking a much-loved television series on to the amateur stage is a major challenge but, with excellent casting, King's Lynn Operatic and Dramatic Society ensured Captain Mainwaring and his part-time soldiers still created lots of laughter.
All credit to director Eddie Lyon, who undertook the huge task of adapting Jimmy Croft and David Perry's superb scripts to create a composite show incorporating three episodes plus the hilarious Floral Dance sketch.
His masterstroke was giving the pivotal role of Captain Mainwaring to Richard Abel, entrusting Sergeant Wilson to Dave Lilley and letting John West loose as Lance Corporal Jones.
Add the authentic Scottish accent of Alex Swan (Frazer); Tobie Fysh (Pyke); Ted Willis (Godfrey); and Alistair Quinn (Walker) the line-up was complete.
In Deadly Attachment, the platoon came face-to-face with German sailors, including U-boat captain (Andrew Nattrass), and Mum's Army took the cast to 20. The Godiva Affair, with its many scenes, created a certain loss of momentum, but the overall the evening rekindled the fun of those television classics.
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