Someone Who'll Watch Over Me (Greater Manchester Fringe Festival)

Set in the dimly lit caverns beneath the turbulent streets of the Middle East, an Englishman, an Irishman, and an American are being held hostage by armed guards. Having journeyed to Lebanon in search of answers, an experience, a promise, they are greeted by ultimate hostility as broken spirits struggle to maintain the sentiments of civility.

Someone Who’ll Watch Over Me is a gruelling insight into the daily crisis endured by hostages. Currently marking its 20th anniversary year, award-winning Irish playwright Frank McGuinness’s powerful drama is homage to the suffering of the Beirut captives, tempered with a distinctly fascinated exploration of the political discord between McGuinness’s native Ireland and neighbouring Great Britain.

The play relies on the strength of the three main performances. Patriotic American Adam (Alastair Gillies) plays the metaphorical mediator, delivering platitudes of reassurance amidst the eventual demise of his own sanity. In the wake of his departure, the relationship between Edward (Richard Patterson) and Michael (Karl Seth) enters a world of escapism in an effort to suppress dark despair and suffering through humour, wit and tender recollections. "They’ve got my ass over a barrel and I ain’t wearing Jockey Shorts!"

All three actors are outstanding and their change of pace to maintain audience engagement is commendable. Grieving monologues are punctuated with an imaginary drinking game, a reliving of the 1977 Wimbledon ladies singles final, and a fantasy around the world flight aboard Chitty Chitty Bang Bang. The set is appropriately sparse and props are minimal so as not to distract from the emotional content of the piece.

YerMaun 8 and Rising Moon Productions, under the tutelage of director Colin Connor, have succeeded in producing a timely piece of dramatic theatre, albeit with a hulking runtime that will leave you feeling physically and emotionally drained.

Political intentions aside, Someone Who’ll Watch Over Me — sung out by Ella Fitzgerald — is the meditative story of the fight for survival in the face of human adversity, where only the strength of your comrades will ensure your fate.

Someone Who’ll Watch Over Me is at Joshua Brooks until 11 July.