THE issue of hostages in the Middle East has a special resonance for contemporary audiences as disturbing images such as the death of Ken Bigley are beamed into our lounges from Iraq.

In the 1980s the hostage-taking capital was Beirut and, although there were 11 Westerners held, the most celebrated were church envoy Terry Waite, journalist John McCarthy and Irish lecturer Brian Keenan.

Their ordeal inspired the play Someone Who'll Watch Over Me by Frank McGuinness, which is on stage at the Playhouse in Cheltenham next week.

The characters are an English lecturer, an Irish journalist and an American doctor and the play follows their attempts to deal with the uncertainties and fears of captivity. Audiences can expect to be deeply moved by their plight but the blend of characters also offers surprising scope for humour.

Simon Young makes his debut as a director for Boardwalkers Theatre Company and also plays the role of Edward the Irishman. With him in captivity are Playhouse stalwart Peter Osborne as the Englishman and Ben Perkins as the American, making his debut in a straight play after his success last year as Sky in the Playhouse Company's Guys and Dolls.

The play runs from Wednesday until Saturday. Box office 01242 522852.