CityLife

Dick Barton - Special Agent

Dick Barton – Special Agent
Altrincham Garrick
February 8, 2010

CHILDREN in the 1940s loved their nightly wireless soap, Dick Barton - Special Agent. Now, as pensioners, they see their pre-James Bond figure again in the form of Adam Whittle - though this version contains more adult innuendo than the original.

The stirring sound of the Devil’s Gallop used to raise the adrenalin of those post-war kids before the action even began. And the one thing that sets Dick Barton apart is the action. We see plenty of it in Phil Willmott’s musical stage version.

The baddie is Nick Sample’s Baron Scarheart who sets out to exterminate his enemy Dick Barton as slowly as possible in order to inflict the most suffering. Naturally, Dick escapes.

During the two hour show our gentleman hero and patriot discovers a plot to poison the British tea supply and immediately rides to the rescue.

The action swaps from London to Berlin and a gorgeous German spy, Marta Heartburn (Laura Chandler) who plans to ensnare Dick in her evil web. Laura steals the show in the role of this sultry temptress assisted by gorgeous costumes from the Garrick Wardrobe.

Tongue-in-cheek

The plot is enlivened by characters such as Dick’s loyal helpers, the cockney Snowy, played by the versatile Adam Whittle and his Scottish mate Jock (I like your accent, Sean Gonet).

Of course, it’s all very tongue in cheek, stiff upper lip British; none more so than the plummy-voiced announcer (Barry Spencer) who, to everyone’s amusement, sometimes returns to his studio with his army overcoat half on as he switches from playing Colonel Gardener.

It’s not just these two who tackle double leading roles brilliantly. The beautiful Laura Chandler plays both the seductive Marta Heartburn and Daphne Fritters. Dick Barton and Jock aren’t the only ones to be won over by her charms. The men in the audience are, too.

The music is full of irony. As well as Gilbert and Sullivan take-offs, we have a song about the Barton family performed by Dick himself to “Rule Britannia”.

The saddest day for Dick Barton fans was when it was replaced by The Archers on January 1, 1951.  It broke the heart of a generation for 59 years until the Garrick came to the rescue.

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