Guy Slater’s play tells the fascinating true story of a young BBC World Service reporter who found himself a key player in the 1988 Burmese student uprising, and how it haunted him for twenty-five years until he returned to the country on the anniversary of the event. It packs a lot into seventy minutes.
Christopher Gunness found himself in the right place at the right time, from a journalistic point of view. He was given special insight and access and was able to report what he saw to the world. He developed a friendship with a local Human Rights lawyer, U Nay Min, code-named Eastern Star, who unbeknown to Gunness was subsequently imprisoned and tortured. He carried home feelings of guilt without knowing the full story, and was banned from the country by the military regime.
Twenty-five years later he is invited back as a guest of honour, no longer a persona non grata, when he tries to reconnect with U Nay Min, and is puzzled by his rejection. He does eventually agree to meet and tells the full tragic story of his life after Christopher had left.
Michael Lumsden and David Yip are both excellent in the lead roles and there’s fine support from Patrick Pearson as Gunness’ Canadian husband and Julie Cheung-Inhin as U Nay Min’s niece and carer. Slater directs the play himself. There’s a small exhibition of photographs of the 1988 events upstairs to accompany it.
It’s a great tribute to Gunness that he supports the play on what is now the thirtieth anniversary. I was very glad I caught it during a short run at Tara.
Gareth's Culture and Travel Blog 
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