Dads Army - Trimley Saints Players - Trimley St Martin Memorial Hall Wed 30th -Sat 3rd MayI always think it is rather dangerous to try and recreate a popular TV series as you have to get the characters exactly right.

Dads Army - Trimley Saints Players - Trimley St Martin Memorial Hall Wed 30th -Sat 3rd May

I always think it is rather dangerous to try and recreate a popular TV series as you have to get the characters exactly right.

But from the opening scene it was a relief to realise that the Saints had achieved just that.

Based on two of the episodes from the series that ran for nine years, the material was maybe a little thin - I can remember much funnier episodes - and the uneasy transformation from screen to stage meant rather long scene changes.

However, every one in this very talented cast worked hard to recreate the well loved characters and

Ruth Miller's direction brought out every bit of humour there was to find.

Dudley Knights was a suitably pompous Mainwaring and Tony Rodwell excellent as his sidekick Wilson. Paul Pascall used all Corporal Jones mannerisms to the full, David Cook had an incredible accent as Frazer and Robert Hutchins was a lovely doddery Godfrey.

Working well on the small stage, and ably supported by the rest of the cast, the pace was kept up in spite of the scene changes, which were helped along by period music.

There were some very funny set pieces, all the well loved phrases were said, and the finale recreating the end credits of the series was very well executed.

This was a very entertaining evening, thoroughly enjoyed by a near capacity audience, that brought back to life characters that have become institutions. Well done Saints!

Susan Hawkes