Don’t panic! Dad’s Army performance is a winner

Dad's Army, Cardiff Open Air Theatre

IF SWEATING through a summer heatwave, watching Wimbledon on the telly and celebrating the prospect of football coming home aren’t making you feel quite British enough - then the latest open-air theatre production in Cardiff certainly will. Because in the sun-soaked confines of Sophia Gardens last Friday, above the distant roar of the T20 cricket fans and the raucous cries of urban gulls, Captain Mainwaring was putting the Walmington-on-Sea home guard through their undisciplined paces.

And as the wartime announcements and air raid sirens died away and the haphazard home guard marched onto the stage, the audience began laughing before even a line was said. Because the physical performances were down to a T.

The Cardiff Open Air Theatre Festival gets better each year. This time the bar next to the stage has been extended to allow for lots of seating under canvas and in the sunshine; and the Grazing Shed were there again selling their ‘super tidy burgers’ and hollering out “prime Welsh beef” at passersby.

And to get us into the wartime spirit, duo Gentlemen Prefer Blondes performed while spirited theatre-goers tucked into wine and waved union jacks. Without giving any of the gags away, it’s safe to say this Dad’s Army makes the most of some of the TV series’ most memorable moments.

And the cast were spot on. They marched on stage led by Gregory Owens’ authentically spluttering Captain Mainwaring and trailed by Michael Morgan’s droll Sergeant Wilson.

How Hefin Robinson didn’t corpse while pulling Private Pike’s gormless facial expressions is a miracle.

For me, the physicality of Dad’s Army is as funny as the gags and the whole cast were a treat.

Sometimes the audio was a little on the quiet side, and just like the Home Guard the lines were at times a bit haphazard, but the audience were clearly loving it too much to give a fig about that. And neither did I. As they say, keep calm and carry on.

■ Kathryn Williams