Dad's Army, Hackney Empire, London

The much-loved TV comedy Dad's Army returns for a brand new stage show playing in London in December.

Lovingly recreated for the stage, the show tells the story of a bungling brigade of Britain's Home Guard as they seek to defend the fictional south coast town of Walmington-on-Sea from the looming threat of a Nazi invasion.

The show is based on two lost episodes of the series from 1969, which were erased by the BBC, and stars former-Eastenders star Leslie Grantham.

Since first airing in 1968, Dad's Army has established itself in the pantheon of great British comedy shows and has spawned the catchphrases "stupid boy!" and "fuzzie-wuzzies" to refer to the Nazis.

The show's Pike character was based on writer Jimmy Perry, who joined the19th Hertfordshire Battalion as a 15-year-old and found himself fending off the attentions of his over-protective mother, who feared he might catch a cold when out in the countryside late at night.

Dad's Army runs from December 13th to 16th at the Hackney Empire.

Address: Hackney Empire, 291 Mare Street. London. E8 1EJ.

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