Damascus - The Tricycle Theatre Until March 7

THE scene is a hotel lobby in the Middle-Eastern capital of Syria. The smell, which the main character so aptly loses at key points of the play, is one of the desert - of jasmine, of old traditions, and of unrequited love. Welcome to Damascus.

Narrated by Elena, a transsexual, Christian (Orthodox) Marxist Ukrainian hotel lobby pianist, Damascus is all about the cultural misunderstandings that arise when a product of a proud civilisation, such as the Western one (lead character Paul), meets a product of an equally proud and old Middle-Eastern civilisation (civil servant Muna and her co-nationals).

The differences that exist between the two and their ultimate inability to establish a connection, due to chronic misunderstandings that are too entrenched to be changed, form the great tragedy of this extraordinarily compassionate play.

Pianist Elena is a witness to events from her position at the piano in the hotel lobby where the action takes place. Her wry comments pepper the action throughout, without interfering with it. She is a passive observer, who merely watches and listens as the story unfolds.

The action starts with Paul, the rather innocent Scottish book salesman, who tries to sell his company's educational books to Syrian officials to be used in schools.

Except it's St Valentine's Day and he would much rather be back home with his wife and, to make matters worse, the Syrians, in the form of Muna, the alluring official who he is negotiating with, and Wasim, her superior and former teacher, are causing him what he deems at first as unnecessary problems to do with the subject matter of his books and its incompatibility and unsuitability for local palates.

It doesn't help that Muna is an attractive woman to whom he finds himself, despite his married status, increasingly drawn; nor that the points that she makes about the Syrian way of life and what she perceives as his - however innocent - prejudiced approach to it become, as the play goes on, irrefutable.

Furthermore, he has to deal with a rather persistent Zakaria, the hotel porter, who has dreams of leaving the life that makes him feel "dead inside" in Damascus and succeeding in Hollywood, but alas, none of the street-worldliness to go with it.

Zakaria initially thinks by charming an American, French or even Scottish girl, he can escape the city and end up in the West but the appalling behaviour of the holidaying Western girls he meets soon shocks him, and he concedes the only way out seems to rest on a tome of

questionable value that he himself has written, and that he wants Paul to "take to Hollywood" with him when he returns.

Both the acting and the play itself were expectedly truly excellent. Paul Higgins was wonderfully expressive and believable as the hapless and eponymous Paul while Nathalie Armin was touching as Muna; Khalid Laith was truly superb as Zakaria and Alex Elliott cut a fine figure as the experienced but somewhat cynical Wasim.

Dolya Gavanski as Elena impressed with flawless piano playing in a variety of styles, as the script demanded, and sublime acting.

The production was also of the highest standard. The inclusion of a widescreen TV installed at the back of the set that showed footage of world events concerning Syria and the Middle East, was a brilliant idea and added superb contextual atmosphere.

Plaudits must go to writer David Greig as his work is full of extraordinary understanding and compassion for his fellow human beings in all their apparent diversity, and in their ultimate similarities. Congratulations, Mr Greig, we were truly moved.

* Damascus finishes its run at The Tricycle Theate, Kilburn High Road, Kilburn, on Saturday March 7. Call the box office on 0207 328 1000 for show times and tickets.