Forty years on Dad's Army still going down a bomb

THEY claim that the Europa in Belfast is the most bombed hotel in the world. As a result the neighbouring Grand Opera House has taken a few hits too.

So, while the Troubles may have been consigned to the history books with the signing of the Good Friday Agreement a decade ago, as the son of a Dublin-born mother, the sense of irony wasn't lost on me as I settled in the stalls of the afore- mentioned theatre on Monday evening to watch Dad's Army: The Lost Episodes.

The stage play, which brings to life two of the 'lost' scripts of the long running sitcom – the original episodes having been wiped by the BBC sometime in the 1970s – along with two of the series better known episodes, naturally revolves around the very British adventures of the Walmington-on-Sea Home Guard.

Today, of course, Belfast is a very different city to the one I last visited 30 years ago. Then, taking the coach from the ferry at Larne down to Eire's capital involved an Army escort through the more dangerous passages of the journey.

Nevertheless, listening to Bud Flanagan singing, "Who do you think you are kidding Mr Hitler" as the house lights dimmed, I couldn't help wondering how this piece of light entertainment might have gone down when I was last in the Province.

Celebrating the 40th anniversary of Jimmy Perry and David Croft's comedy, The Lost Episodes is not the first time a popular sitcom has transferred to the stage.

Over the years the curtain has risen on stage versions of Are You Being Served?, Hi De Hi and Rab C Nesbitt. Indeed, The Lost Episodes is not even the first theatrical production of Dad's Army – that was in 1975 with many of the original cast.

Which brings me to what must have been the biggest headache for Calibre Productions, the producers of the new stage-play – how do you recast such iconic creations as Cpt Mainwaring, Sgt Wilson and Cpl Jones, not forgetting privates Walker, Frazer, Godfrey and Pike?

Between them, Arthur Lowe, John Le Mesurier, Clive Dunn, James Beck, John Laurie, Arnold Ridley and Ian Lavender made the characters their own, and I admit to arriving at the Opera House with a few reservations. Thankfully, they evaporated within the first few minutes of action. In fact, had I not known that Timothy Kightley was playing the blowhard bank manager, there were times I would have sworn that Arthur Lowe himself was on stage.

Lowe, like the majority of the original stars, has long since barked out his orders on the great parade ground in the sky. Only Dunn, Lavender, Bill Pertwee, who played the despotic ARP warden Hodges and Frank Williams, the Reverend Timothy Farthing, remain with us but they – with the exception of Lavender – could hardly be expected to tour at their age.

Instead, Sally Vaughan, who cast the current production, has found a team of actors who not only bear a resemblance to the originals but have their mannerisms and delivery off pat, including Leslie Grantham.

Yes, who'd have thought that Dirty Den would make such a good Pte Walker, the black-market spiv; or that Brian Jackson, until now best known as The Man from Del Monte in numerous telly adverts could bear such an uncanny resemblance to Pte Godfrey. Edinburgh-trained Kern Falconer, on the other hand, was born to play the wily old undertaker Pte Frazer.

A five-star show, then, to celebrate the 40th anniversary of the much- loved series. Unfortunately, as far as Edinburgh and Scotland is concerned, Dad's Army: The Lost Episodes is missing in action, with no plans to bring the production north of the Border, which is a shame as productions offering good old fashioned family entertainment are few and far between these days.

Fans of Mainwaring and co need not panic, however, as long as they can yomp the 120 miles to Newcastle (although the train would be quicker and cheaper on shoe leather), where the show will run for a week from May 27.

And with that, in the words of Pte Godfrey, please may I be excused . . .