Brian Friel's latest play, Give Me Your Answer, Do!, will receive its British premiere at north London fringe venue the Hampstead Theatre 30 March. It's the fourth play by Ireland's premier playwright, to be staged at the Hampstead; it follows Translations (later transferred to the National Theatre), Aristocrats and The Communication Cord. Give Me Your Answer, Do! opens 30 March and runs to 9 May 1998.

In a secluded part of Donegal, Ireland, novelist Tom Connolly and his wife Daisy are nervously awaiting the decision of their American house guest as to whether he will purchase Tom's papers for a US college library - a deal which would offer some compensation for Tom's recent literary paralysis. But, as the long summer afternoon unfolds, the problems and uncertainties of friends and family help Tom move towards an unexpected resolution of his own difficulties.

Give Me Your Answer, Do! stars Niall Buggy, Geraldine James, Sorcha Cusack, Margaret Tyzack and John Woodvine. Buggy, who plays Tom, won the Laurence Olivier Best Comedy Actor award for his role in Dead Funny and he appears in Neil Jordan's recently released film The Butcher Boy.

Friel's other plays include Philadelphia, Here I Come! and Dancing at Lughnasa, recently made into a feature film with Meryl Streep and Michael Gambon.

Give Me Your Answer, Do! is directed by Robin Lefevre, the Hampstead's associated director whose other recent productions include Featuring Loretta and According to Hoyle. --By Terri Paddock
What's On Stage, London