Impressionist and comedian Julian Dutton is to play comic legend John Le Mesurier in a new show.

Dutton will be previewing Do You Think That's Wise? around the country and then will take the show to the Edinburgh Fringe Festival in August.

Le Mesurier featured in countless high-profile British films from the 1950s until his death in 1983, but is best known for playing Sergeant Wilson in the BBC One sitcom Dad's Army. The title for Dutton's show is one of Le Mesurier's classic lines from the show. Repeats still notch up huge ratings half a century on.

The stage show will take in the ups and downs of the urbane star's life. His marriage to fellow star Hattie Jacques broke down and he was betrayed by his best friend Tony Hancock - these setbacks shook him, but his reputation as the quintessential English Gentleman never wavered. Dutton's show is both a celebration of and an insight into one of the most popular comic actors of the post-war era. 

Dutton was a co-creator & co-star of BBC1's The Big Impression, BBC R4's The Secret World and BBC2's Pompidou, which starred Matt Lucas.

There is a preview of Do You Think That's Wise? - The Life & Times of John Le Mesurier at the Etcetera Theatre in London on June 2. Buy tickets here.

Watch some rehearsal snippets below.