The theme of escapism rather than escape often dominates the proceedings, informed by the Commandant’s prevailing ethos of his detention camp. The beginning of Act 2 features an It Ain’t Half Hot Mum-style talent show concert giving the cast the perfect excuse for some dress-up and the show an added musical interlude. The show certainly has a thread of jollity and knockabout which is aimed at keeping the show family-friendly.
There are some less successful moments of high camp slapstick which sit awkwardly with the dark poignant moments. A particular low point are scenes of the camp guard Giesler who we see tackling a deckchair whilst trying to enjoy an enforced holiday in the style of Mr Bean. In contrast, when given the chance to defy the stereotypical comedy Nazi, David Fairs creates a spellbinding moment with his embittered speech at the camp concert about the true cost of war on Germans citizens.
For all its imagination and beautifully-realised set pieces, there’s something of a hole at the heart of this production and it’s not the tunnels Tom, Dick or Harry. The show is a comedy-drama but only in the sense that sometimes it’s a comedy, sometimes it’s a drama but rarely is it both at the same time. It wants to be a rip-roaring tale of adventure and derring-do but then it gets the sense it shouldn’t be too glib over this true story, set in a harrowing historical period.
Fittingly the show finishes by acknowledging the often tragic stories of the other prisoners who didn’t escape. With an emotional recording of a real-life escapee, it is a timely reminder that life at Stalag Luft III wasn’t all fun and games.