A NEW play focused on the life and career of Arnold Ridley, the actor who played the doddery, conscientious objector Pte Godfrey in hit 70s BBC television comedy Dad's Army, will be making its premiere on the Isle of Wight next week.

Award winning Island-based professional company, Theatre Reviva!, will be performing Were You Anyone Before Dad's Army? at Newport's Quay Arts on Friday, August 2, with further performances over the weekend of August 3-4.

Directed by Graham Pountney, Were You Anyone Before Dad's Army? was penned by Nic Ridley, about his father, who was also an author and playwright. 

Were You Anyone Before Dad’s Army? is described by Graham as a "charming, delightful, enlightening and uplifting story of a man, who met both success and catastrophe with courage, resilience, dignity and good humour".

While Arnold found huge fame later in life playing a Home Guard soldier in Dad's Army, adored by millions, his promising career was destroyed by the sacrifice he made in the First World War, then he endured horrific hand-to-hand combat in the trenches at the Somme in 1916.

The new production seeks to acclaim the life of a remarkable man, who, severely wounded in both wars, saw his post-war career falter due to blackouts he suffered after being hit on the back of the head with a Nazi rifle butt.

An eventual recipient of the OBE, Arnold struggled to make ends meet, until Dad’s Army creator, David Croft, saved him from the scrapheap in 1968 and propelled him to stardom.

“People should go and see this because it is an encouraging story of humble beginnings, immense and unexpected success, financial ruin and warm celebrity at the end,” says Graham.

“This is the missing history of Pte Godfrey, the actor Arnold Ridley and a life-affirming story of a self-effacing hero.

"This play speaks sincerely and amusingly to the hearts and minds of theatregoers of all ages — anyone who has been touched by love and loss."

The play features Mansel David in the role of Arnold Ridley.

Not-for-profit Theatre Reviva! received the Outstanding Theatre Award at the Brighton Fringe Festival last year.

Tickets from boxoffice@quayarts.org