Spike Milligan’s war memoirs have been adapted for the stage.Laura Davis meets the man behind the show

Power’s greatest challenge was deciding which of the barmy anecdotes and touching recollections to leave out.

“He reports a lot of dialogue and a lot of scenes are written out in the book,” he says.

“Most of my job was more about selecting material and sculpting it into a play rather than writing fresh material.

“It’s very difficult, but the only thing you can do is choose the moments that serve the bit of the story you’re trying to tell.

“And we’ve tried to get as many jokes in there as possible.”

Always at the back of Power’s mind while creating the play were the die-hard Milligan fans and friends.

“There’s a real challenge in adapting anything that’s written in the first person because you have to find a way to get into the head of the character in the way you do when you read the books,” he says.

“His secretary is still alive and Tim spoke to her a lot. She has come to see the show and was very approving.

“You have the sense of wanting to not disappoint the people who knew him.”

SPIKE MILLIGAN’S Adolf Hitler: My Part in his Downfall is at the Liverpool Playhouse, November 9-14.