The Situation Room – review

Shoreditch Town Hall, London

"I must study politics and war that my children have the liberty to study mathematics and philosophy," said the president of the United States at the end of the 18th century, John Adams. But what if the son and daughters of other people are victims of their policies and wars? The question arises in this imperfect but intriguing show, created by Oscar Mike young innovative company that divides the public and puts us in the skin those who make decisions on opposite sides during the crisis of the Cold War.

The scenario is that the United States and the USSR were fighting for control of a small country, rich in oil, which became politically unstable, and the show plays cleverly on the parallel between video games and military strategy. As tensions rise, the stakes rise as well. Depending on which side we are, we are guided by both the American Benjamin R Stokely (Simon Carroll-Jones) and Russian Andrey Sergeyevich Budka (Robert Macpherson), convincing both as loyal servants of their respective governments and we must make critical decisions on tactics to try to thwart the opposition. Should we bomb a village to save a city? Is violence or corruption of the best tactic to get away with it?

The room is good in the ethical problems of intelligence activities. There is a lot of information to digest, and the public to keep their wits about them. But the interactive element not only washed, because options are always binary. It's fun, but it feels no emotion, like a game and there is no possibility for the parties to discuss with each other, which would add an important layer that altruism and selfishness collide .

The market potential is considerable, and if the company could find a way to combine the account of a real choice for the public, it could be very exciting. In its current form, however, and the public is sold short.

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