Laughs as well as tears at Kenilworth theatre in play inspired by hostage crisis

Someone Who’ll Watch Over Me focuses on an American doctor, an Irish journalist and an English academic, who have little to unite them beyond being chained to a wall and locked up together in a windowless cell somewhere in Lebanon.

Whilst the work is fictional, it was inspired by the experiences of Brian Kennan and John McCarthy who were held captive by associates of Hezbollah in Lebanon in the 1980s. Frank McGuinness's play encourages the audience to laugh with them, cry with them and share their friendship as we see human suffering in the most extreme circumstances and witness what it takes to survive. Each of the men goes through a moment of crisis but there’s plenty of humour and witty dialogue as they battle to ensure their captors hear them laugh, not cry.

The play focuses on language, nationality, fears, prejudices, human nature and the ability of the human spirit to survive, and even to thrive, beyond the four walls of imprisonment. It stars Andrew Callum, Samuel Wall and Mark Plastow.

Someone Who’ll Watch Over Me runs each evening at the Talisman Theatre until Saturday November 9 at 7.30pm. Visit www.talismantheatre.co.uk or call 0333 666 3366 to book.