ONE OF THE triggers of WW1, during which too many people were killed, was the assassination of Archduke Ferdinand at Sarajevo (Bosnia) in 1914. The planning of this murder is the subject of a play, “Archduke” by Rajiv Joseph. It is currently showing at the Royal Court Theatre in London’s Sloane Square. Because of its subject matter and my interest in the Balkans, I was looking forward to watching this play.

The playwright has tried to turn the historic event into a comedy. I might not have minded that, had it been written better. However, the humour was thin, and the play’s plot even slenderer. Given this poor treatment, I did not feel that Rajiv Joseph had treated the serious subject well. I have no objection to light-heartedness, but “Archduke” was not even that – it was a weak attempt to get the audience tittering, which it did but rather embarrassingly in my opinion.

Usually, the plays we have watched at the Royal Court – be they serious or humorous – are of a high quality. Sadly, “Archduke” neither met my expectations nor was as superb as most other productions I have seen at that theatre.