Review: Dad’s Army Radio Show at The Fire Station
Dad’s Army Radio Show – The Fire Station, Sunderland. 30th October 2024
Invited| Review by Stephen Stokoe
After what seems an absolute lifetime, I was back at The Fire Station in Sunderland. This is a lovely new venue which is getting a well deserved reputation for attracting some of the biggest names in comedy, excellent music event and some wonderful spoken word events. Unlike a lot of venues they also have their own bistro restaurant which serves some delicious food and drinks. The staff are very approachable and friendly and I always enjoy a visit here.
Tonight’s offering was a nostalgic trip down memory lane as three episodes of the immensely popular wartime comedy Dad’s Army were presented but with a twist. All the characters, and I mean ALL the characters are performed by two tireless and superbly talented actors. David Croft and Jimmy Perry’s scripts have been adapted to fit a radio show style of performance that is filled with the most wonderfully timed sound effects and a large audience today absolutely lapped up the antics of Captain Mainwaring, Sergeant Arthur Wilson, Lance Corporal Jack Jones and Private Pike, et al. The lady behind me this evening laughed raucously throughout and echoed the majority as she opined that it was very cleverly done and ‘really took me back.’
I cannot sing the praises more of the two actors this evening and please do not expect me to mention each of the many characters they played because it would take up the whole review but I will tell you that David Benson took the part of Sergeant Wilson and the vicar and Jack Lane that of Captain Mainwaring and Private Frank Pike transferring between them effortlessly even when they were talking to each other.
These two characters really know their onions and delivered a performance that was so slick the could have skated down it on a toboggan. The episodes covered this evening were ‘The Love of Three Oranges’ which was the 1979 Christmas special, ‘The Miser’s Hoard’ which first aired on 23rd October 1977 and finally The Making of Private Pike which aired two weeks before the former on 9th October 1977.
It was a think of complete joy to revisit these episodes once more and it has certainly whet my appetite to watch some of the other classic episodes even though when they first aired and for the entirety of its 7 season run, I was in short pants.
As the blurb for the show states, there are two men, two microphones and 25 different characters. It is two acts of sheer, acting and vocal genius and it really works as an event. Hanging about the actors is the title of the piece with the familiar pointy arrow logo and a model of an old fashioned radio at the centre of the stage. It does not need anything else.
I think I am right in thinking that none of the original actors in Dad’s Army is still with us with Private Pike star, Ian Lavender, taking his final orders on 2nd February 2024 so it was fitting that these two actors dedicated the final episode in his memory. It was a lovely touch greeted with a warming round of applause from the audience.
I hope that I get to see this production again should it tour with all new radio show episodes because I have been thoroughly wowed and entertained this evening. Bravo indeed! It was an absolute pleasure and a job extremely well executed transporting me back to the always comforting Walmington-on-Sea,