Don’t panic! Classic BBC sitcom Dad’s Army marches on to the York stage

This year marks the 50th anniversary of one of Britain’s all-time great comedies.

And to mark the half century of Dad’s Army, Pick Me Up Theatre are bringing the show to the stage.

The John Cooper Studio will be transformed into the Walmington-on-Sea Church Hall in a production featuring some of the BBC sitcom’s most memorable moments.

It will be filled with all the favourite characters.

Pompous Captain Mainwaring is played by Mark Hird, whose past Pick Me Up roles include Uncle Fester in The Addams Family, Charles Guiteau in Assassins, Inspector Wormold in Betty Blue Eyes, and Colonel Pickering in My Fair Lady.

His charming “would you mind awfully” second-in-command Sergeant Wilson is played by Rory Mulvihill, who starred as Henry Higgins in Pick Me Up’s My Fair Lady.

‘We’re doomed!’

Mick Liversidge (doddering waiter Alfie in One Man Two Governors) is Lance Corporal “Don’t Panic!” Jones and Adam Sowter (Wicked Witch of the West in The Wizard of Oz and Gilbert in Betty Blue Eyes) is Private “Stupid Boy” Pike.

Bill Laverick (Betty Blue Eyes, The Pitmen Painters) is Private “We’re Doomed” Frazer, Andrew Roberts (Spamalot, Gypsy, My Fair Lady) plays the black market spiv Private Walker, and Harry Revell is mild-mannered old Private Godfrey.

Robert Readman’s strong cast also includes Ian Giles as Chief Warden Hodges, Sandy Nicholson as Mrs Gray, and Neil Foster as the U-Boat Captain and the Vicar.

The show will feature live songs from musical director Sam Johnson and singers Emma Dickinson, Kirsty Hughes, Glynn Mills, Adam Price and Natalie Walker.

Three classic episodes

The stage show features three classic episodes of the TV series written by Jimmy Perry and David Croft:

The Deadly Attachment – where the platoon are ordered to guard the crew of a captured German U-boat in the episode featuring the immortal line “Don’t tell him, Pike!”

Mum’s Army – in which Captain Mainwaring allows women to join the platoon and falls for one of the new recruits.

The Godiva Affair – where the platoon are rehearsing a Morris Dance to perform in a fund-raising carnival parade that will include a ride past by Lady Godiva.

The show also features The Floral Dance – with the platoon rehearsing a traditional Cornish dance along with wardens and some of the ladies of Walmington-on-Sea.

The original Dad’s Army cast performed the hilarious Floral Dance sketch on Christmas Night With The Stars, a special programme shown on Christmas Day 1970, and again at the Royal Variety Performance in 1975 and the Dad’s Army stage show.

No video of the sketch remains, so this is a rare chance to see a unique piece of Dad’s Army history.