BBC Radio Drama ‘Old School Ties’

by Laura Lai/ Review

Inspired most probably by the beautiful school ties of Maverick and Goose from the movie the ‘Top Gun’, I came across the BBC Radio Drama ‘Old School Ties’ by Sue Eckstein, where the main character, Christopher Nichols – a popular comedian – read in the school gazette that his old colleague and friend, William Hennessey, died.

            The story is that Chris and William were both pupils in a religious – oriented college and, with time, they lost contact. Motivated to know the reason why his colleague and best friend died, Chris returns to the college, as there were no other point to start from, particularly looking for Father Dominic, whom he finally met and learned the reason why his best friend died.

The whole drama seems to me artistically built on oppositions. From the very beginning the listeners follow the story of an alive and a dead character. In his endeavor, Christopher is confronted with the rigidity of the college – father answering his call, who constantly repeats him that ‘I’m afraid we cannot give out personal information about any of our pupil, past or present’, but he finds Father Dominic, who was not exactly the Gregorian – music lover, but a lover of punk and rock. This drama unfolds further marvelously around other oppositions: that of hope against despair, of late or never too late, and it ends with looking forward from the top of the Green Village heal.

This drama story, as well as the friendship story of Maverick and Goose, touched my heart. It reminded me of my student years and of my colleague and best friend, Andrea. Both of us very good quality human beings, with a lot of common sense, respecting each other; it was a honest and fair friendship with nothing selfish, nothing ulterior, and no competitions among each other, but every time very happy for each other’s grades. Years – long we took the bus together, sat next to each other in the class and after class – when time allowed both – we worked together. And we had never ever had the slightest dispute. I remember that day when I left for a student conference and she didn’t, but she was invited to some colleagues of ours. When I returned she said to me ‘you have no idea how jealous they are on you being so beautiful!’ But she was not and she never joined those people ever again.

            Similarly to Chris and William we lost contact as she moved to another country from another continent. It was the time of no mobile phones, no WhatsApp, of incipient internet, but of the writing letters. In drama and in movies there must always be a dramatic moment. But in real life two good quality people, once colleagues and best friends can very well be very much alive and happy!