A GRIPPING drama based on the real-life ordeal of hostages in the middle east during the 1990s has begun its run at a Chester city centre venue.

Theatre company Against the Grain will stage Frank McGuinness' thought provoking and comic award-winning play Someone Who'll Watch Over Me at the Live Rooms from Monday, August 7 to Thursday, August 10. The production comes off the back of successful performances of Deathtrap and The Birthday Party at Chester Little Theatre.

Set in Lebanon during the hostage crisis of the 1990s, Someone Who'll Watch Over Me features Mark Newman as Irish Journalist Edward Sheridan, Stuart Evans as American Doctor Adam Canning and Simon Phillips as English academic Michael Watters.

Full of unexpected moments of joy and humour, the play draws its inspiration from the experiences of real-life hostages including Brian Kennan who was held hostage in Beirut for four and a half years and Sir Terry Waite who spent almost five years in captivity.

Chester and District Standard: The play is based on the real-life experiences of Brian Kennan and Sir Terry Waite.The play is based on the real-life experiences of Brian Kennan and Sir Terry Waite. (Image: Against The Grain.)

First staged in 1992 at the Hampstead Theatre in London, the play was quickly transferred to the West End later the same year and went on to win several awards following its Broadway run. The production in Chester will be directed for Against The Grain by Marian Newman.

Speaking about the play, Against The Grain co-founder Paul Crofts said: "Someone Who'll Watch Over Me is a beautifully written play about 3 strangers who are being held as hostages in Lebanon in the 1990s. They are unaware of the reasons why they have been taken or whether they will get out of the situation alive.

"The play takes the audience on a real rollercoaster ride of emotions from the absolute despair of the situation the hostages find themselves in to some really unexpected and laugh out loud moments where humour and imagination become important weapons in their battle to survive and crucially, maintain their sanity.

"The playwright, Frank McGuinness, approached Brian Keenan who endured four and a half years as a hostage in Beirut in the late 1980s, before writing the play and told him about his proposed ideas. Brian gave the work his blessing and after watching a production of the play, described it as 'A life-enhancing interaction of human souls' and said of it 'I knew this was to be an uproarious celebration, Frank McGuinness’ play made me choke and laugh and cry and hold myself.'

"We can't wait to stage the play in front of an audience, it's a very special and affecting piece of theatre, definitely one not to be missed."

Performances will take place at The Live Rooms from 7.30pm on August 7, further information can be found at: www.theliverooms.com.