Tackling a hot topic head on, this one-woman play takes a hard-hitting look at the issue of immigration from the perspective of an asylum seeker.

Set in England in the late Nineties, and based on true events, a desperate journalist has been forced to flee her own country in fear, after suffering the horrific consequences of speaking out against a corrupt regime.

She arrives at Heathrow hoping to find refuge in the UK. Instead, she is interrogated, abused and humiliated, witness to the brutality of the State and the casual disregard for an individual's human rights.

The young woman's experience is played out by acclaimed actress Sarah Niles.

Playing 48 characters in 90 minutes, she reveals, through poetic language, the real horror behind the headlines of rape, torture and murder, providing a rare insight into the human experience of this internationally relevant issue.

"The stage is a powerful platform for exploring important and challenging issues," says director Kully Thiarai.

"You can talk about big stuff in a creative and very immediate way which moves people and makes things happen. Good art can do that.

"The quest for entertainment per se can kill the theatre. I have always been more interested in this kind of political theatre.

"We are dealing with a very complex subject and there are no easy answers but I hope the play provokes people to ask questions...What is our responsibility as a nation? What individual choices can we make to make a difference?"

This production of The Bogus Woman, written by Kay Adshead, was first performed at the Leicester Haymarket Theatre as part of a series of events called Real Passion. It was performed again during Refugee Week and went down so well there was a real desire for it to continue. Kully and her team decided to call in a producer and take it on tour to Australia and America.

"The response has been amazing. We performed during the Adelaide Fringe Festival and got five-star reviews across the board. Sarah won best artist award for the whole of the Fringe.

"On stage, it's just a bench, a bag and her," says Kully. "Her grasp of the craft of storytelling is exceptional. It amazes me how one actor can engage an audience like she does.

"The Bogus Woman is quite gruelling. It's very emotional. It can make you angry, it can make you cry, it can make you feel joy at human resilience. And it's a story in its own right.

"One hopes it's a strong piece of theatre regardless of the issues."

Starts 7.30pm (Sat mat 2.30pm). Tickets cost £9. Call 01273 709709.