The cast of the new Dad’s Army Radio Show has lifted the lid on what they really thought of the controversial VE Day special. On May 8, the country celebrated the 80th anniversary of VE Day, with thousands of viewers tuning in for a special concern on the BBC. Alongside a number of musical performances, including Fleur East with Strictly Come Dancing, there were several heartbreaking stories from veterans and war survivors.
However, through tears came joy as viewers praised a special reboot of the 1980s wartime classic sitcom, Dad’s Army. The one-off included a star-studded cast of Kevin Eldon, Iain Glen, Nigel Havers, Sir Derek Jacobi, Larry Lamb, Alex Macqueen, and Daniel Mays.
Now, Edinburgh Fringe stars David Benson and Jack Lane have come together to recreate Jimmy Perry and David Croft’s classic BBC comedy. The stellar double act have brought to life three episodes of the popular sitcom which has been adapted for radio for the very first time.
The dynamic duo embodies the entire 25-person cast through voice alone with the assistance of sound effects, vintage music and all your favourite catchphrases.
As they embark on the second half of their UK tour, the standout actors have opened up about how they felt when watching the divisive TV special in an exclusive interview with Express.co.uk.
David told us how disappointed he was that they weren’t approached for the BBC sketch, explaining: “The only thing that we regret is that we weren’t asked to do the VE Day celebration.
“We could have gone out and easily done them [all the characters] and give them half an hour but they didn’t think of us, so they did something else.”
When pushed about what he thought of the star’s performances, he confessed: “We were on tour at the time. I heard mixed things about it, but I think we would have been very happy to step up and give them a full Dad’s Army show. And I think they would have loved it.”
The performance received mixed reviews from fans online, with some praising the skit on X/Twitter. One user penned: “This Dad’s Army segment is amazing. If you close your eyes you would think it was the original cast. #VEDay80.”
Another agreed: “That Dad’s Army skit was brilliant #VEDay80” as a third gushed: #VEDay80 Dad’s Army is brilliant! Perfectly cast and they should really get them together for a new TV show.”
However, others were less than impressed, with one user posting: “Be better for putting on a 1972 episode of Dad’s Army. Charles isn’t impressed #veday80.” Another complained over the original script: “They should’ve reenacted one of the popular Dad’s Army scenes. That didn’t flow very well. #VEDay80.”
The dynamic duo went on to share their thoughts on the 2016 film, Dad’s Army, which featured Bill Nighy, Toby Jones, Catherine Zeta-Jones, Michael Gambon, Frank Williams, Tom Courtenay, and the late Ian Lavender.
The pair admitted that they weren’t overwhelmed by the film adaptation after it broke some of the main rules from the original TV sitcom. David began: “The screenplay was written by Haynes McCall, who I know, and I thought they did an excellent effort, but it wasn’t quite as authentic as what we’re trying to do.
“Some of the big things they changed, like that the audience saw Mrs Manwearing who appeared as a character which she never does in television. To me, that was not quite right.
“So, I think he brought Dad’s Army to a new audience that probably didn’t know anything about it, and it kept the brand Dad’s Army alive. However, I’m not sure [it quite hit the spot].”
The tour is dedicated to the memory of Ian Lavender, the last surviving member of the original Dad’s Army cast, who died last year. The tour travells up and down the country from May 8 – Juy 9, with tickets available on the dadsarmyradioshow.co.uk.