Schoolchildren and churchgoers are being given a unique perspective on the plight of asylum seekers.

Sharman Callum and Damon Wakelin in Top Cat Theatre Company's production of 'Exile'

Secondary school pupils from across the south have been watching a video of a new play by Portsmouth-based Top Cat Theatre Company as part of a project for Refugee Week. The play is also touring church venues in July.

The half-hour play, entitled 'Exile', was devised with the help of asylum seekers and includes some in the cast. It's a rare chance for people to experience this issue from a different perspective.

Neil Pugmire's play helps the audience to imagine what it feels like to be torn from family, friends and career by supposing a parallel universe in which Britain is run by a repressive regime. It follows one Guildford bank manager as he is forced to seek asylum in a foreign country.

The play was videoed as part of a project for Refugee Week run by the South of England Refugee and Asylum Seeker Consortium, which is based in Southampton. It was supported by five education authorities - Hampshire, Southampton, Portsmouth, Milton Keynes and Reading. Copies of the video were sent to comprehensives in those areas - and others in the south - to help schoolchildren understand the issue better.

The project also included a competition for primary and secondary school children, who were asked to produce pieces of writing and artwork on the theme of 'Journeys'. The winning entries were made into a book, and a presentation was made to the winners at St Mary's Stadium in Southampton on June 16.

The play is now on tour in Hampshire, visiting St Jude's Church, Southsea, on July 15; St Faith's church hall, Havant, on July 22; and St John the Baptist Church, Shedfield, near Bishop's Waltham, on July 23.

All performances are at 7.30pm. Admission is free, and there will be post-show discussions on the issue with members of Portsmouth Area Refugee Support.

Author Neil Pugmire said: "We often hear from the perspective of people who are worried about asylum seekers coming into their country. We rarely hear how it feels to be the person forced to leave their home country to flee abroad. Imagining the situation in reverse is one way of understanding what many asylum seekers have gone through."

The play was premiered last October as part of a one-act play festival run by Havant-based Bench Theatre Company. It has now been updated to reflect recent events.

Top Cat Theatre Company was formed in 1995 and includes Christians from churches across Portsmouth. It aims to perform drama that examines issues of faith and tackles themes of social justice. Previous productions have included CS Lewis's classic text The Screwtape Letters; a modern-day adaptation of John Bunyan's Pilgrim's Progress; and the family Christmas show Scrub That Manger! More details are available on www.topcattheatre.com