March 2025
Were You Anyone Before Dad's Army? had a full cast read-through at The Charterhouse, London EC1, on 9th March.
Arnold Ridley - actor, author, playwright
Were You Anyone Before Dad's Army?
Today the actor Arnold Ridley is best remembered as the much-loved Dad’s Army character, Private Godfrey, but the part of Godfrey came towards the end of a long theatrical career and a truly remarkable life.
Having survived the horrors of the First World War and a stuttering start to his theatrical career, he began writing plays, one of which, The Ghost Train, enjoyed immense success. Many more successful West End plays followed alongside an involvement in the movie-making business which resulted in his financial ruin.
Evacuated from France in 1940, he was invalided out of the British Army for a second time, and then began his struggle to find a place in the new theatrical landscape. There followed many anxious years until the miracle of Dad’s Army restored his faith in himself and at last provided him with a modest measure of renewed celebrity and security.
A well-drawn character can easily seem so complete that it’s difficult to distinguish the fictional character from the actor. Were You Anyone Before Dad’s Army? draws back the curtain and provides a touching, life-affirming account of one man’s unwavering courage and resilience: a true hero although he himself would certainly have disclaimed the label!