Conceived for the small screen, that hilarious comedy series Dad's Army is this week being seen on the wide stage at Oxford's New Theatre. Here, one suspects, is a stage rather wider than those being encountered by the company elsewhere on its tour. How else to explain the tiny set surrounded by a great deal of fresh air?

That the actors may be used to playing in much smaller venues was also indicated on the opening night in the volume at which they spoke. So quiet were some of them that it was a real strain to hear what they were saying. People were complaining in the interval that they were missing lines altogether.

Happily, this did not apply to those delivered by Leslie Grantham - still best remembered as EastEnders's Dirty Den. Here he was using his wide-boy image to good effect in impersonating the late James Beck's wonderful creation as Private Walker. He, of course, is the sharp-suited black marketeer who is able to maintain healthy supplies of alcohol, tobacco and other useful commodities for his colleagues in the Warmington-on-Sea platoon of the Home Guard.

He moved centre-stage in one of the four episodes of the long-running series that made up the two-hour show. Regular viewers might remember it - the one where a worrying end to his trade looks to be on the cards because of his drafting into the regular army.

I said 'impersonating Beck', because that is precisely what he did. In all cases here, the actors have been chosen for their physical similarity to the stars of the TV series. They also try hard - usually successfully - to sound like them too.

Timothy Kightley, for one, does exceptionally well as the pompous platoon commander Captain Mainwaring, perhaps Jimmy Perry and David Croft's greatest comedy creation.

He justly earned a round of applause after delivering the series's most famous line in response to a German prisoner's demand that the most junior member of the platoon should give his name - "Don't tell him, Pike".

Speaking of Pike (Thomas Richardson), we had rather a long wait for another of Mainwaring's trademark lines in respect of his conduct. But when it came "You stupid boy!" raised a well-deserved cheer from the audience. David Warwick's Sgt Wilson, Richard Tate's Cpl Jones and Brian Jackson's fussy Private Godfrey were also much enjoyed.

But at the end of the evening one rather wondered what it had all been about. Mightn't it have been better to stay at home with a pile of DVDs?