The play centers on an unnamed main character, a stand-in for Hare, as he conducts a series of interviews to learn about the events leading up to the 2008 financial crisis.

[1][2] According to The British Theatre Guide, the main message of the play is one of "wilful [sic] neglect by those charged with protecting innocent investors [...] In fact, [they] completely failed to accept that they have done anything wrong and that is the real problem.

"[3] Paul Stuart of the World Socialist Web Site writes that "Hare is nevertheless able to point to the deeper-going systemic nature of the economic crisis, and its political implications," and "I was not the only person who came away from the National Theatre with a profound sense that the entire ruling elite is rotten to the core, indifferent to the social suffering they have produced, and should not be allowed any form of control over society’s wealth.

Because he "hates verbatim theatre", he sought to use "the figure of the author" to "break the form up and to use it like music," drawing inspiration from Glenn Gould's album "Solitude Trilogy.

However, they also criticized the play because it lacked a sense of urgency — "I never felt angry that my life was now on the line [...] Instead, we have an account of economic collapse told by the powerful and the articulate.

"[7] The Official London Theatre stated that "whilst this is not a play that you can sit back and simply enjoy without applying a caffeine-fuelled level of concentration, Hare’s questions – which range from the naive to the furious – are ones that we have all wanted to ask.