I have been watching the early 1970s series Colditz on DVD over the last couple of weeks. It's a show that I remember being very excited about as a child (though I must have been 5 or 6 when I saw it, unless I caught it in repeats) and seem to recall that I was keen to get the Action Man red, black and white Nazi sentry box which features in the show. Can that be true though? Did Action Man have Nazi paraphernalia or am I imagining it?
Of course in 1972 this drama was depicting that events that happened 30 odd years before and not I am watching it 40 years later, meaning the TV show Colditz is further in the past than actual Colditz was when Colditz was filmed.
I have always been a bit obsessed with prisoner of war escape dramas - the Great Escape is one of my favourite films - the inventiveness of these remarkable men is almost unbelievable. I wonder if 21st Century Brits were interred in Colditz castle would they have any idea how to get out. Oh dear, I've just invented another reality show. But a fucking brilliant one.
Returning to Colditz (the TV show rather than the castle) is interesting too, because obviously I am now old enough to appreciate the subtleties of the series. It's such an odd situation to be in, diverting war time resources to keeping the enemy imprisoned (though the Nazis diverted war time resources in much more sinister ways) - knowing it's their duty to escape and yours to stop them, but still having a kind of mutual respect for fellow servicemen. The German characters are as interesting as the prisoners, terrified that the Gestapo might take over control of the prison and break the military covenants that they are proudly upholding.
The pace of the drama is slow, but I like that: truth is stranger than fiction and whilst a modern drama might be concerned with filling every second with death-defying escapes, by giving a feel for the claustrophobia and ponderous nature of life in this kind of possible endless imprisonment makes it much more effective.
I've just seen a fantastic episode called "Tweedledum" in which a hospital orderly with knowledge of mental illness decides to fake being mad in order that he will be sent home. And for the whole episode you are left wondering if he is still faking or whether he's really gone over the edge. I have no idea if this is based on a factual event, but as with all the escapes it showed enormous commitment to keep that up for months on end. And it was utterly gripping as a drama.
Michael Bryant is fantastic in this episode (as is Geoffrey Palmer who plays the doctor). Sadly Michael is no longer around to take the compliment, but I bet he'd love the fact that his performance is still affecting people four decades on. Fantastic writing too.
The whole thing blows my mind in so many ways - amazing how these people coped, amazing what plans they came up with and incredible that anyone escaped. I believe the first successful escape attempt (as featured in this episode- spoiler alert -70 years on) involved a Frenchman who was playing leapfrog and acrobatically leapt over the wire with the help of a friend giving him a push up with his hands. What is more remarkable than him achieving that and managing to run to the woods without being shot is that with so little head start he managed to elude the guards and get away. Incredible bravery and madness in a situation that is so dark and ridiculous that it almost becomes high comedy. And if they make a reality show of this then they have to give the guards live bullets. It's the only way to make it real. The stakes are high and the chances of success are minimal - you or I might sit back and wait for the war to be over. But at this early stage, with the Nazis triumphant, that might have seemed like a very distant prospect.
But if you're ever in the situation then I'd advise against the faking mental illness route. Jumping the fence might have a more immediate downside, but at least it's over quickly one way or the other.
Brilliant series, so kudos to all those involved (who are still around to read this) and to all those whose bravery and dignity inspired it (not many of you still going I know).
Here's the confirmed guests for Richard Herring's Edinburgh Fringe Podcast so far. Do book ahead if you want to see any of these people - it's a small venue and some of them are going to sell out
2nd Sarah Kendal - Iszi Lawrence
3rd Lucy Porter - Catie Wilkins
4th Marek Larwood - Doug Segal
5th Andrew O Neil - Juliet Meyers
6th Brendon Burns
7th Susan Calman
8th Mick Foley
9th Nina Conti - Christian Reilly
10th Matthew Kelly
12th Ahir Shah (stand up)
14th - Al Murray - Grainne Maguire
15th Sarah Millican - Lou Sanders
18th Jay Foreman (stand up)
