Fast moving comedy about capitalism

Hampstead Theatre

In Aaron Loeb‘s new play, directed by Chelsea Walker, two venture capitalists (Lloyd Owen and Millicent Wong) meet a scientist (Letty Thomas) with abhorrent views but who has the means to eradicate cancer and more. They see the opportunity to do good or make a lot of money. Disappointingly, not many of the professional critics turned out for it. Those that did enjoyed the exploration of moral dilemmas but some found a few too many issues being covered.

[Links to full reviews are included but a number are behind paywalls and therefore may not be accessible]

4 stars ★★★★

Gary Naylor at The Arts Desk summed up: ‘Loeb’s play sparkles when these moral dilemmas are front and centre, the nexus between capitalism and science continually poked and probed, the profit motive necessary but, er, cancerous. They’re stirred into a heady mix of raw racism and doomsday geopolitics with the carapace of ethical boundaries proving to be of little effect against the tsunami of money rolling in and the sweet tang of White Supremacism spicing up the action.’

‘I was thoroughly entertained and provoked throughout every fast-talking, big-thinking moment’ said The Standard‘s Nick Curtis. He continued: ‘There’s something thrilling about the way global subjects and vast moral dilemmas can be addressed by four actors in a small room.’

Dave Fargnoli of The Stage was hooked: ‘Challenging, thought-provoking and sometimes gasp-inducingly close to the bone, this relentlessly twisty slice of speculative fiction…digs into some profoundly prescient ethical dilemmas.’

3 stars ★★★

The Guardian’s Arifa Akbar found: ‘Aaron Loeb is a businessman as well as playwright and it shows: his play zings with quickfire patter between May and Paul, a certain Mamet-esque sparring reminiscent of Glengarry Glen Ross. Its aim to show us what might happen when a big scientific breakthrough is funnelled through the machinery of venture capitalism is ambitious but a little too hectic.’ She expanded: ‘It’s all rather hard to digest in around 100 minutes. There are more than a headful of ideas, while the personal stories are too brief to pull at your emotions.’

For Cindy Marcolina at BroadwayWorld: ‘Working around an ethical discourse is fun if it’s matched with a solid story, but the narrative lacks the appropriate pull to properly propel the philosophical side forward.’

The Times’ Clive Davis found it ‘rattles along at such a manic pace. Events unfold over several years, yet the effect is like watching an entire TV mini-series on fast-forward.’ He noted: ‘In cold print it all sounds slightly dotty…another character (here played by Sarah Lam) makes a last-minute entrance, yanking the script in another direction. Walker’s breezy direction just about keeps us hanging on, and Hayley Egan’s video design adds depth. A sombre Duke Ellington piano miniature, Melancholia, bookends the action, but the piece often has the aura of a screwball comedy.’

Critics’ average rating 3.5★

R.O.I. (Return On Investment) can be seen at Hampstead Theatre until 11 April 2026. Buy tickets directly from hampsteadtheatre.com

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