ROI (Return on Investment) review – hectic venture capitalism drama is a heady brew

2026-03-17 - 15:30

Hampstead theatre, London US businessman-turned-playwright Aaron Loeb combines medical tech concepts with knotty dilemmas and Mamet-esque dialogue An earnest research scientist turns up at a sleek venture capitalist firm to pitch her idea with a set of old-school index cards. Willa (Letty Thomas) is initially dismissed by young gun May (Millicent Wong) until she realises Willa has found a way to predict cancer in the human body. It’s a sort of medicalised version of the “precrime” technology of Philip K Dick’s Minority Report – except this is not a futuristic landscape but modern-day San Francisco. May, the ambitious protege of company boss Paul (Lloyd Owen), sees that she has a rare, high-value startup (known as a “unicorn”) in her hands. But the marriage between Willa’s cutting-edge medical technology and Paul’s profit-driven business brings big dilemmas. At Hampstead theatre, London until 11 April. Continue reading...