WILL women ever understand men? Does anyone care if the Government is assassinated? Is anybody listening?

Find out in Christopher Hampton's comedy The Philanthropist, first performed at the Royal Court in 1970 and now to be revived by York Settlement Players next week.

"It was his first play post graduation, when he became resident dramatist at the Royal Court, and it's set 'in the near future' but it now could be the near future or near past," says director Paul Toy.

"It's certainly modern but we don't want to tie it down to any decade. Inevitably some things have changed since the Seventies but the alarming thing is how contemporary some of his foresights are.

"Here we are in the era of people rushing into the House of Commons to protest and throwing purple dye at the Prime Minister, and in this play we have the assassination of the entire Cabinet."

Aside from extinguishing the Cabinet, The Philanthropist is a study of that interminable conundrum: the male and female relationship.

"There's a lot of talk and analysis," says Paul. "It's an oblique social commentary, a black comedy where no character is particularly sympathetic and you don't go rooting for anyone. I think the audience will get detached amusement from the characters rather than empathising with them."

If you are not familiar with The Philanthropist, then Paul certainly is. "I acted in the previous Settlement production of the play 20 years ago, so I know it from then and I've always liked it. I was 17 at the time, so the only role I could play was the young character," he says.

"I think it ought to be better known. It's an interesting play as a projection of the future, and like his adaptation of Les Liaisons Dangereuses, it depicts this very leisurely society that has time to talk. They're very intelligent but rather cruel people, enjoying themselves at other people's expense. They don't come out of it well."

The Philanthropist, York Settlement Players, Friargate Theatre, York, June 29 to July 2, 7.30pm. Tickets: £7.50, concessions £6; ring 0845 961 3000.

Updated: 09:50 Friday, June 24, 2005