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Someone Who'll Watch Over Me

20, 21, 22, 27, 28, 29 January and 3, 4 and 5 February, at 8.00pm

By Frank McGuinness Presented by the M.A.D.C. Directed By Herman Grech With Stefan Cachia Zammit, Manwel Cauchi and Alan Paris Prices: First night: Lm3.50 Other nights: Lm5 In April 1986, Brian Keenan was abducted on his way to work at the American University of Beirut. The Islamic group Jihad kept him in underground prisons and denied him all contact with the outside world. His jailors, who barely spoke any English, subjected him to constant unpredictable abuse and fettered his wrists and ankles. It was not until he had survived four and a half years of this treatment that he was finally released. Frank McGuinness was inspired by his conversations with Keenan to write Someone Who'll Watch Over Me, a play which is heartrendingly compassionate, tenderly tragic but also uproariously funny. The scenario could so easily have been fodder for a cliché-ridden, crudely manipulative piece: an Irishman, Englishman and American overcome their cross-national tensions to form a close friendship under the appalling strain of captivity. However, McGuinness saves his play from the perils of stereotype with exceptional writing. Skilful yet moving, it seems so simple. The play is expertly understated and colossally emotive themes are purged of all affectation. What remains is an essentially human drama. Find out more about the man, his books and his time as a hostage in Beirut, click here

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