'Dad's Army' due for stage remake

A theatre production of classic television series Dad's Army is in production, it has been revealed.

Three episodes of the original show are being produced for the stage and ex-EastEnder Leslie Grantham is to play Private Walker.

Captain Mainwaring's role, played in the original by the late Arthur Lowe, will be filled by Peter Martin, formerly of The Royle Family and Emmerdale.

Two of the featured episodes will be among those that were wiped from BBC tapes in the 1960s and have not been watched since.

Ed O'Driscoll, who is producing the show, said: "These episodes have not been done by a professional company since they were filmed for the BBC in the 1960s and we are delighted to be able to showcase them for people who were almost certainly only able to read the scripts before.

"They will be able to see them done professionally and in the spirit in which they were intended."

The show's creators, David Croft and Jimmy Perry, have adapted their original scripts for the project. Perry told MediaGuardian: "I am delighted that these missing episodes will be made available to such a wide audience and that the popularity of the show is still strong."

The show will begin a national tour in September and is likely to run until spring next year.