A heart-wenching comedy about life's disappointments and unanswered questions is staged at Bingley Arts Centre this month.

Brian Friel's play Give Me Your Answer Do fulfils a long-held ambition for director Peter Stansfield.

He regards the Irishman as a world-class playwright and has wanted to direct one of his 20-plus plays for many years.

Over those years Peter has built up his own reputation, working as both an actor and director for Bradford's Priestley Centre and Bingley Little Theatre.

Derek Fowlds, from TV series Heartbeat and Yes Minister, starred in the first play directed by Peter during National Service in Malta.

Give Me Your Answer Do was first performed in 1997 and like many other Friel works has received international acclaim.

It is set in the remote County Donegal home of impoverished Irish novelist Tom Connolly and his alcoholic wife.

The writer's money worries will be over if a visitor, an agent for an American university library, buys his manuscripts.

They are visited by an American agent considering buying the writer's manuscripts for his university library.

Also in the house are Connolly's successful novelist friend, his arthritic mother-in-law and his wife's father, a habitual petty thief.

There is also the shadow of Connolly's absent daughter, a mentally-ill woman who has lived in an institution for many years.

Recriminations, evasions and painful revelations unfold during Friel's story of professional rivalry, private despair, marital unhappiness and sacrifice.

Bingley Little Theatre presents Give Me Your Answer Do from Monday to Saturday at 7.30pm. Book tickets at Keighley Information Centre in the town hall or phone 01274 752000.