Play about ‘great escape’ from German prison camp to be staged at Alexandra Palace

The story of the real-life escape from Stalag Luft III in 1944 is to be told at the London venue used as an internment camp for enemy aliens' during the first world war

The story behind the audacious 1944 escape from the Luftwaffe's Stalag Luft III prison camp is to be retold in a new play at London's Alexandra Palace, which was itself used as an internment camp for German, Austrian and Hungarian enemy aliens" during the first world war.

Tom, Dick and Harry will recount the breakout of 76 allied airmen from the camp at Sagan in Germany (now aga in Poland) which inspired the 1963 film The Great Escape, featuring an all-star cast and a thrilling though fictitious motorbike exploit for Steve McQueen. The play is written by Theresa Heskins, Andrew Pollard and Michael Hugo with Heskins also directing.