In theatre, just as in supermarkets, products have a shelf life. The sell-by date for this George Bush second-term, Iraq’n’oil debate was well before Obama’s inauguration.

In a chic Manhattan apartment, a group of friends have gathered for a very New York-style “intervention” for alcoholic politician Charlie. As said friends list as their jobs PR guru for big oil, environmental activist, campaigning journalist and non-executive director of an oil company, Charlie’s champagne lifestyle soon becomes the least of their, not to mention our, problems.

Director Sam Walters and his hard-working cast do their best to extricate David Lewis’s lumpen and punishingly over-extended scenario from the ever-spreading oil slick. This is, however, tough work, given that the characters are mouthpieces positioned at various points on the green spectrum, rather than anything resembling human beings.

Unwisely Lewis begins to resort to farce, the result of which is that people without their trousers on are still worrying about the ethics of the multi-nationals.

Jonathan Guy Lewis has some fun as Alan, the PR man who spins for a job and now can’t help spinning for pleasure, although his supposed attraction to save-the-whales Grace has “dramatic expediency” stamped all over it.

Nothing, though, can detract from the fact that we’ve heard all these arguments before, many times and more succinctly.
Until 21 March (020 8940 3633).
www.orangetreetheatre.co.uk