WILLIAM Rocke's new play, at Andrews Lane Studio, has aspirations beyond its dramatic reach. Behind the rather heavy title of What's A Promise In A Place Like This lies satirical intent, and we are indeed offered some stern views on the present state of society, business and marriage. They lie like a dusting of preachiness on a low flying comedy, with stereotype characters lodged in an uninspired plot.
P.I. Dexter is an unscrupulous business tycoon who enjoys power and women. He invites three of his male employees to a party in his new, top of the hill home, where he is to reveal which one of them is to get a top appointment. They bring their women, two wives and a mistress, one of whom once had a fling with P.I. which he intends to revive. It is to be the perfect evening for him, combining sex and sadism.
All the women are cynical and frustrated; all the men are scheming bastards. The party is a disaster for them, as it is for P.J.'s depressed wife, but he manipulates them exactly as planned, playing on their greed and ambition. There is a deal of pairing off, goings on in the jacuzzi and passion in the garden. It is crowned with the announcement of who gets the job - quite predictable - and everyone goes home.
The plot is what is sometimes called reminiscent, tugging at the memory of forgotten familiarity, with limited scope for creativity. Again, the characters are best described in cliche, one dimensional constructions designed to be representative. They are well played by Jack Moylett, Alison Mullin, Paul Nolan, Donna Ansley, Phil Clarke, Mary Drechsler, Ben Donegan and Anna Marie who, within the limitations of the dialogue, get a respectable quota of laughs.
Jack Moylett directs competently against a smart set by Derek Burke, and the play is certainly given its due. That alas, tends to lie in an area of diminishing returns.
