A PLAY based on a Seventh Century Persian poem is being performed for the first time in the UK.

Layla Majnun is a love story that has often been compared to Romeo and Juliet, although it was written by the poet Nizami almost a millennium before the bard penned his tragedy.

The story of two young lovers whose passionate romance leads to madness, obsession and disaster has inspired numerous Bollywood movies as well as Eric Clapton's hit Layla.

This production is a collaboration between The Midlands Arts Centre (mac) for Young People in Birmingham and Sampad, an arts company set up in 1990 to develop the South Asian arts.

It will be performed in English with songs featuring Punjabi and Urdu lyrics.

The music has been composed by Kuljit Bhamra, who has just finished a role as on-stage percussionist in West End hit Bombay Dreams.

He is known for his drumming on films such as Bend It Like Beckham, The Guru, A Little Princess and Wings of a Dove.

He appeared in Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom and in 2000 became the first British Asian to play in the House of Commons.

The part of Layla will be played by Birmingham-born Hema Mangoo, who has previously appeared at the Birmingham Rep in Paradise and in The Bear and The Proposal at the Theatre Royal Stratford East as well as starring in A&E for Granada Television.

She will be joined by Amit Arroz in the role of Majnun. As well as theatrical and film credits, Arroz has worked with Bernardo Bertolucci in Ten Minutes Older, a collaboration of 10-minute films by top directors including Spike Lee and Wim Wenders.

Layla Majnun runs at mac's open air Arena until Sunday, July 27. Tickets are £8.75 (concessions £5.75) from the box office on 0121 440 3838.