Dad's Army

ALISON CROOSE

Angles Theatre, Wisbech

Don't panic, Captain Mainwaring. Your platoon put on a jolly good show.

All the fun of the classic television comedy series written by Jimmy Perry and David Croft has been rekindled by Wisbech Players.

Four episodes - The Deadly Attachment, Mum's Army, The Godiva Affair and The Floral Dance - have been made available to amateur theatre groups.

The need for many scene and costume changes presents a serious challenge for a stage production and the opening night lacked pace and momentum. But wise casting resulted in excellent portrayals of the key characters - Capt Mainwaring (John May), Sgt Wilson (Dave Bailey), L/Cpl Jones (Mark Fearnley), Ptes Fraser, Walker, Godfrey and Pike (Karl Brittin, Jonathan Sloane, Ron Thurston and Chris Clifton).

With a good set and appropriate second world war recordings of words and music to set the scene, director Barbara Mews ensured the performance captured the atmosphere of the well-intentioned but blundering Home Guard and enabled the humour to be appreciated anew.

A large contingent of supporting characters, especially Valerie Standen as Mrs Gray, added to the enjoyment and the four storylines culminated in a suitably enthusiastic and comic rendering of the Floral Dance.