Map of the Heart, Poulner Players, Poulner Church Hall, Ringwood ALTHOUGH I had not previously come across this William Nicholson play, his best-known work, Shadowlands, had almost reduced me to tears - and that also proved to be the case on this occasion.

Cardiac specialist Dr Albert Steadman is undergoing a mid-life crisis that prompts him to leave his marriage and travel to the Sudan on a charity mission run by Dr Mary Hanlon, who has become his mistress.

His kidnap, imprisonment and impending death force him to take stock of his life and evaluate what is really important to him, and his wife and daughter find themselves making their own evaluations.

The characterisations in this superb production, directed by Angela Hunt, really seemed to come from the heart and there were outstanding performances from the main characters - Bernie Langosz (Dr Albert Steadman), Valerie Rossiter (his wife, Ruth), Lauren Hall (his daughter, Sally) and Sally Whyte (Dr Mary Hanlon), while Peter Ansell brought much-needed light relief as Ruth's brother, Bernard Fisher.

There were 26 scene changes yet the action flowed steadily thanks to a good stage management team, fine lighting effects - the prison scene was especially realistic - and a clever set.

Linda Kirkman