The Promise

Overview

A coming-of-age story of three orphans and their lives over 18 years in one apartment, Alexei Arbuzov's The Promise has been rarely performed outside of Russia since it premiered in 1967. This new version by Nick Dear (based on Ariadne Nicolaeff's translation) is brought to life by 24-year-old director Simon Stone and a fine cast of young actors.

Lika (Alison Bell), Marat (Ewen Leslie) and Leonidik (Chris Ryan) are survivors of the devastatingly brutal Siege of Leningrad where a million or more were killed by starvation, cold or bombing. While the play has moments concerning notions of political ideology and the individual's responsibility to society, the focus remains very much on the personal inter-relationships in their complicated lifelong love triangle.

The years go by and they remember the months they spent together as teenagers during the horrific siege increasingly favourably, as they face the realisation that their past mutual dreams have been betrayed. But it's not as bleak as it sounds; the witty dialogue and various character eccentricities ensure a lightness runs through even the darkest moments of this emotionally contained tale.