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TV: The Ipcress File: Tom Hollander and Joe Cole unite in a thrilling new cold war spy adaptation

Joe Cole in The Ipcress File

Pictures: ©ITV/ALTITUDE FILM
Joe Cole in The Ipcress File Pictures: ©ITV/ALTITUDE FILM

As ITV's new six-part spy drama The Ipcress File hits our screens, Danielle de Wolfe discovers more from the show's cast and crew.

What happens when a "hyper intelligent" working class British conscript becomes a hustler, dealing in West Berlin's finest black market goods? The answer, you'll be unsurprised to hear, is that he eventually gets caught.

It's the very foundation upon which The Ipcress File is built - a brand new ITV spy drama that immerses itself in Cold War politics, all while embracing the freedoms (and restrictions) of Britain during the swinging sixties. Adapted from the Len Deighton novel of the same name, the series features a host of familiar names, including Peaky Blinders star Joe Cole, The Night Manager's Tom Hollander, Bohemian Rhapsody actress Lucy Boynton, and Top Boy's Ashley Thomas.

A contemporary revision that stands alongside Bafta Award winner Sidney J Furie's 1965 film starring Sir Michael Caine, the forthcoming incarnation is packed full of intelligent one-liners and plenty of raillery. Complete with a "wink" to Sir Michael's signature spectacles according to series director and McMafia creator James Watkins, the team is completed by the writing prowess of Bafta Award-winning Trainspotting screenwriter John Hodge.

"It does a certain amount of work for you when you can hide behind a good pair of spectacles," reflects Cole, 33, explaining how he "tried on every pair in the shop" before stumbling upon Harry's distinctive look. "Where Harry is dealing with all these unscrupulous individuals and having all these tricky conversations and interactions, the glasses are a great thing to sort of hide behind."

Initially pressing play on Sir Michael's original performance, the actor says it wasn't long before he found himself pressing pause on the film. Recalling an instance where he found himself "trying to do a Michael Caine impersonation without actually realising it", the actor swiftly decided that some doors should remain firmly locked.

A series described by Hollander as "witty, economical and authentic to the period", the Bafta Award-winning actor goes on to note the way in which Hodge's "exceptionally good writing" underpins every episode of the six-part series.

"You've just got a fun bouncy castle to jump around on if you've got a taut witty script," says Hollander, 54. "John and James were very up for developing the character in collaboration with the actors. They were very receptive - which doesn't always happen."

It's a tale that sees Cole step into the shoes of court-martialled soldier Harry Palmer. Described by Hodge as "a man that is aware that the whole world is skewed against him", this smart yet cynical character has finessed the art of social-mobility. With Harry unexpectedly recruited as a British spy as an alternative to prison time, he starts work under the watchful eye of intelligence agency chief William Dalby (Hollander). Himself a Japan prison camp survivor, despite their differences, Harry and William have far more in common than each cares to admit.

"Dalby is definitely fun," says Hollander. "He's sort of the headmaster, I suppose. But he's also conflicted, slightly jaded [and] living quite a complicated life".

Describing how William and Harry regularly "attack each other" for being representatives of their opposing classes, Hollander notes the way in which the "class enemies" soon come to realise they're actually "dancing on the same little pinhead".

Named after the case with which Harry cuts his teeth, The Ipcress File delves into a treacherous undercover world following the kidnapping of a British nuclear scientist. A journey that stretches from The Beatles' London to the underbelly of Beirut, it's an adaptation which shines a light on a range of social issues affecting Britain during the mid-1960s.

Noting the relevancy of the battles being fought by the show's lead characters, Watkins explains how the series tackles topics including racism, classism and sexism head on.

"Whether it's Joe's character in terms of Harry Palmer and this kind of class war that he's fighting up against, or you know, Ashley's character, Maddox, fighting the racism of the time, or the glass ceiling against women that Jean Courtney's looking at, all those things resonated in terms of a rip roaring spy thriller," adds Watkins, 48.

Set against a backdrop of sexual liberation, actor Lucy Boynton describes the series as "an interesting commentary on what it's like to be a woman in a male dominated industry". With her character, Jean Courtney, torn between two worlds - the traditional role of 'housewife' juxtaposed by her thrilling world of intelligence - there are key decisions to make.

"The closer they get to the wedding date, the more she realises what is expected [of her] and how much she'd be giving up," says Boynton, 28.

Airing very real social challenges alongside the human desire to challenge stereotypes, The Ipcress File portrays Thomas' character, Maddox, as an individual with a questionable agenda. A CIA agent working alongside Jean to track down the missing scientist, Thomas says part of the fun was to "peel back the layers" of his character.

Reflecting on playing an African American character during the 60s - a period when racial oppression was rife in both the UK and US, Thomas says he wanted to ensure Maddox "wasn't just shoehorned into the series".

"We have this character who obviously is very capable - because he's in a position of power. And in order to do that, he's going to have to be able to be very good, if not better, than some of his counterparts," says Thomas, 37.

Going on to note scripts depicting "powerful African Americans" during that period remain something of a rarity, he says it was key to ensure the on-screen interactions addressed matters of race head-on.

"There was an elephant in the room between himself and Jean," says Thomas. "It was just like 'I'm black. You're a woman. We both experienced oppression. Cool. Let's get on with it. Let's get to business."

The Ipcress File, tonight, STV, 9pm.