R.O.I. (Return On Investment) marks playwright Aaron Loeb's UK debut.
Hampstead Theatre has announced the full cast for the world premiere of R.O.I. (Return On Investment). Written by Aaron Loeb and directed by Chelsea Walker the production runs from Friday 6 March to Saturday 11 April, with a press night on Monday 16 March.
Sarah Lam (Paradise, National Theatre; The Apology, Arcola), Lloyd Owen (Good People, Hampstead Theatre; The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power), Letty Thomas (Titus Andronicus, RSC; Strategic Love Play, Soho Theatre) and Millicent Wong (The King of Hell's Palace, Hampstead Theatre; Afterlife, National Theatre) make up the cast in Aaron Loeb's provocative, darkly funny and disturbingly plausible play which questions ethics, ownership and the cost of innovation.
R.O.I. (Return On Investment) marks playwright Aaron Loeb's UK debut. A resident playwright at San Francisco Playhouse and now London-based, Loeb previously worked briefly as a venture capitalist.
Fresh from her feature in Forbes 40 Under 40, venture capitalist May Lee is on the hunt for her first unicorn - the rarest of beasts, in the form of a start-up with a $1bn valuation. It would skyrocket both her career and net worth, guarantee promotion to partner and cement her legacy as one of the best in the business. Enter Willa McGovern, a hungry young entrepreneur with an idea that could be life-changing not only for May, but the entire human race…
With her mentor Paul keen for results and the potential of saving countless lives, May quickly discovers that ambition, ego and cold hard cash can twist even the purest of intentions. As technology hurtles toward making science fiction into reality, the question becomes not whether we can change the world, but what it will cost us when we do.
Director Chelsea Walker, who returns to Hampstead following Visit From An Unknown Woman, This Much I Know and Yous Two said: “R.O.I. (Return On Investment) is a play about our addiction to profit – about human bodies, technology and what it means to truly stand up for what you believe in. Prescient, savagely entertaining and terrifying, Aaron's play takes us inside the quick-talking world of venture capital and asks urgent questions about the world we're living in: what do we do as wealth becomes more concentrated into the hands of fewer and fewer people, and can the search for profit ever create something good? I'm thrilled to be working with such a brilliant company of actors to bring this play to life and we're looking forward to sharing it with you.”
The full creative team comprises director Chelsea Walker, designer Rosie Elnile, lighting designer Alex Fernandes, sound designer Russell Ditchfield, video designer Hayley Egan and movement director Michael Meazza.
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