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Outline of Play
Sixty years ago, men from all walks of life, who had never seen active service in the recent world conflict, handed in their weapons and uniforms. They went back to their normal way of life, happy to have made some contribution in the defence of their country. These were the Home Guard, volunteers too young or too old for active service in the forces – the often unsung heroes of the Second World War. Their place in history was often overlooked, and their efforts usually unnoticed.
But then, over twenty years later, one of their number started to put pen to paper – and the result was a television series that was to immortalise the Home Guard forever – not just in Britain, but throughout the world! Jimmy Perry had been a teenager when he joined his local platoon, and his idea for a comedy series met with the instant approval of BBC producer David Croft. The rest, as they say, is history…
The success of what was to become known as “Dad’s Army” was a combination of inspired casting, and some wonderful scripts. Croft had begun his war service as an Air-Raid Warden, and he and Perry applied much of their own experiences, and those of their peers, to the scripts. Theirs was an affectionate and warm-hearted view of life in the Home Guard, and the sensitive portrayal by a distinguished cast produced a classic of its kind, combining hilarity with a nostalgic charm that keeps it unique in the annals of television comedy.
The show ran for nine years, and still gets repeat showings all over the world. It made the transition to radio, featured in the Royal Variety Performance, and then became a stage show for the first time in 1975. The “nostalgic music and laughter show” ran at the Shaftesbury Theatre in London for 5 months before taking a nation-wide tour for a further seven. The show featured some short sketches with the platoon, but the emphasis was on music, and forties nostalgia.
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