Spike is brought to stage but not as we know him

OUTRAGEOUS, unhinged silliness.

That's the prevailing tone of young actor-musician Sholto Morgan's professional debut.

Which is just as it should be, bearing in mind Sholto is lined up to play Spike Milligan in the acclaimed stage caper Adolf Hitler: My Part In His Downfall, which hits Nottingham Theatre Royal next week.

The new show is based on the first four books of Spike's war memoirs.

The adaptation has managed to be faithful to Spike's mesmerically madcap style – the writers claim every word of the show appears in Spike's books.

"It's incredibly vibrant and funny," says Sholto. "There's a lot of song and dance in the show. And it's very, very silly."

The story is narrated by Spike while he plays in a jazz quartet which is supposedly entertaining the troops. During World War Two, Gunner Milligan was famously in ENSA (Entertainments National Service Association). The play's frantic, five-strong cast provide jazzy musical accompaniments to the on-stage action which occurs in fits and starts.

Adolf Hitler even makes a special guest appearance. "Obviously, we haven't cryogenically frozen him," says Sholto. Well, that's a relief.

The Spike theatre-goers will see onstage may not be instantly recognisable. Long before his Goons days, Gunner Milligan was evidently a man many struggled to follow, humour-wise.

"I'm creating the character of Spike when he was 21, so I had to imagine what he was like at that age," says Sholto. "I had to read up on what people were saying about him at that time."

The memories Sholto uncovered included some from a man Milligan charmingly described as a "fat Welsh bloke" – one Gunner Seacombe.

"I found out Spike wasn't the polished performer he became," adds Sholto.

"He was learning the tricks of the trade. His sense of humour was very off-the-wall and, a lot of the time, people didn't get him."

Spike may have been a work in progress but there's little doubt the experiences of the war contributed greatly to the comic end result that thrilled fans down the decades.

Sholto said: "His comedy would have been very different if he hadn't fought in the war. I'm sure Goons characters like Bluebottle and Eccles were hybrids of people he met during the war."

And, of course, Spike's comic style has been much imitated.

"You can see where the comedy of Eddie Izzard and Paul Merton comes from," says Sholto. "You can imagine Spike on Have I Got News For You. He'd be terrific. He deserves the title of the godfather of alternative comedy. The Pythons watched Spike. You can see his legacy in shows like Little Britain and The Fast Show and Harry and Paul."

Sholto himself is a mere 26. Like Spike, Sholto was a trumpet-player – one of the essential skills for the role.

However, his acting work was restricted to student roles. He was doing menial work for the NHS when he heard about the role and wrote to the casting director. He was thrilled when he heard he had landed the job.

"It's been a really good show for me," he says.

ADOLF HITLER: MY PART IN HIS DOWNFALL

WHERE: Nottingham Theatre Royal.

WHEN: From Monday to Saturday, November 28.

TICKETS: £10-£21.50.

BOX OFFICE: 0115 989 5555.