A playwright is urging people to support Burma following the cyclone which has killed thousands of people there.

Richard Shannon wrote The Lady of Burma, which will be at the Udderbelly, in the Old Steine, Brighton, tomorrow.

The one-woman show tells the true story of Aung San Suu Kyi, Burma's democratically elected leader, who has been under house arrest for 12 years.

Mr Shannon said: "I think the current situation in Burma will add a real edge to the performance.

"I really hope it will encourage people to donate money to the relief effort and to the Burma Campaign.

"I have just received an email from a man who was my guide when I visited Burma.

"He told me people feel they have been abandoned and are desperate for help." Mr Shannon wrote the script after meeting Liana Mau Tan Gould, who plays the leader.

The show premiered in 2006 at The Old Vic Theatre as a one-off fundraiser. But its popularity means it is now on a national tour.

Mr Shannon said: "I spent a year reading everything Aung San had written and interviewing her family and friends and political refugees.

"I also went to Burma and discovered the love people have for Aung San."