Final preparations are underway as a Chester-based theatre company are set to stage a play based on the real-life ordeal of hostages in the middle east during the 1990s.
Following on from its productions of "Deathtrap" and "The Birthday Party" at Chester Little Theatre, local theatre company Against The Grain is set to stage playwright Frank McGuinness' thought-provoking and darkly comic award-winning play "Someone Who'll Watch Over Me" at The Live Rooms in Chester from Monday 7th August - Thursday 10th August at 7.30pm.
The play sees three actors, Mark Newman, Stuart Evans and Simon Phillips who first worked together over 20 years ago, re-united on stage. The trio first appeared together in a production of John Godber's smash hit "Bouncers" back in 2001 and have worked together on numerous productions ever since including most recently The Weir at The Live Rooms and Deathtrap at Chester Little Theatre, both for Against The Grain.
Set in Lebanon during the hostage crisis of the 1990s, the play 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 sheer 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. First staged in 1992 at the Hampstead Theatre in London, Someone Who'll Watch Over Me 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."
Full details of "Someone Who'll Watch Over Me" can be found at:
...where tickets can be booked online.
Pictured - The cast of Someone Who'll Watch Over Me - (l-r) Stuart Evans, Simon Phillips and Mark Newman.
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