Review: R.O.I. (Return on Investment), Hampstead Theatre

How lucrative is medicine as a business opportunity? When an academic innovator claims she can develop a cure for all cancer, two venture capitalists begin to see dollar signs. That is the premise of Hampstead Theatre’s world premiere of R.O.I. (Return On Investment).

We’re in the office of The Montrose Fund at the heart of Silicon Valley when Willa McGovern (Letty Thomas) arrives to pitch her company, PreCure, to May Lee (Millicent Wong), claiming it will diagnose and cure diseases people didn’t even realise they had. May warms to Willa’s ambition, intoxicated by the possibility that she might bankroll a medical revolution. The managing partner of the firm, Paul Montrose (Lloyd Owen), gets on board with the idea too. But after various revelations that significantly weaken the firm’s power over the company, Willa – despite holding troubling personal world views – becomes almost untouchable.

There are undoubtedly questions about the morality of gene therapy at the play’s core. Does the use of genetic science for good outweigh the potential problems of control and the possible discrimination against those found to have genetic diseases? Aaron Loeb’s text does well to unpack some of the complexities of the world of finance, though it occasionally tips into exposition. Still, humour runs charmingly throughout the piece, mainly from Paul’s irreverent digressions about Steve Jobs’ toes or his exploits with a VR headset.

Thomas’ Willa is unostentatiously fierce. She exerts a steely authority that allows her to flip every power dynamic on its head. Even under the scrutiny of a Congressional hearing, she remains several steps ahead of those attempting to undermine her. Wong brings assurance and intelligence to May, and her chemistry with Owen as her boss and mentor – or as he calls her, his “work daughter” – is believable. Owen leans into Paul’s familiar Silicon Valley archetype with gratifying ease, from his half-hearted yoga to his Nutribullet smoothie. They’re all desperate to be the best, but only one can win.

Spanning several years in a recognisably near-future present, the ever-evolving medical tech is a bit like something out of Black Mirror. But Loeb avoids taking these ideas to extreme dystopia, which inherently makes it more believable and also more terrifying. While intermittent uses of video projection – from a Facetime call to magazine photoshoots – feel more flashy than essential, Rosie Elnile’s shrewdly designed set is impressively precise, with furniture neatly tucking in and out of the wall to transport the action to various locations. Special praise to the attention to detail, including a US power outlet that actually works when Paul’s blender is plugged in.

R.O.I. is a worryingly bleak insight into the intersection of medicine and commerce. Strong performances propel the at times complex language of the play’s world. Though the fraught momentum couldn’t quite be maintained for the entirety of the ninety-minute runtime, Sarah Lam as The Woman brings the play to a painful conclusion – one that encourages you to think about the stakes of private investment into human health.

Written by Aaron Loeb
Directed by Chelsea Walker
Design by Rosie Elnile
Lighting Design by Alex Fernandes
Composer & Sound Design by Russell Ditchfield
Video Design by Hayley Egan
Movement Director: Michela Meazza

R.O.I. (Return on Investment) plays at Hampstead Theatre until Saturday 11 April.