The Bomb - A Partial History

Directed by Nicolas Kent, it is a salient and timely analysis of the hypocrisy of the behaviour of official nuclear weapons states, the current "emerging threats" and the fundamental absurdity of nuclear weapons.

The First Blast comprises five short plays examining the historical build-up of nuclear weapons through the decades.

In Ron Hutchinson's Calculated Risk, we see the imagined prophetic discussions in 1945 between Attlee and Field Marshal Grierson, who comments that they plan to bankrupt the nation on a weapon they'll never use.

Amit Gupta's excellent and thought-provoking Option reveals an Indian nuclear scientist attempting to reconcile Gandhian principles of non-violence with an Indian nuclear weapon.

Such questioning of who is "responsible enough" to be in that particular club is a recurrent theme in both parts and there's an amusing interpretation of the origins of the nuclear arms race in Lee Blessing's Seven Joys as the official nuclear powers meet up in an actual members' club.

The Second Blast brings us to the post-cold war present, where Iran's - thus far non-existent - and Israel's - unconfirmed - nuclear weapon capabilities are debated along with the possible reasons behind including North Korea in the so-called axis of evil.

The role of nuclear weapons as a purely political tool becomes particularly evident as we are asked to imagine that they can be used not only to threaten other states but also as an instrument of oppression by dictatorial regimes.

In Ryan Craig's intriguing and strikingly relevant Talk Talk Fight Fight there are fascinating insights into what life might be like for an Iranian nuclear scientist and some compelling implicit arguments for making the Middle East a WMD-free zone.

But the stand-out is David Greig's The Letter Of Last Resort.

Through the snappy dialogue between a new Prime Minister and her aide the audience is asked to imagine the utter senselessness and irrationality of firstly using and then retaliating against a nuclear weapon.

Historic film footage and verbatim transcripts, excellently edited by Richard Norton-Taylor, are used throughout.

They add weight and relevance to a production which is not just for seasoned anti-nuclear activists.

There is much to be learned, despaired about and even laughed at when it comes to nuclear weapons. These 10 short plays run through the full gamut of emotions in doing precisely that.

Runs until April 1. Box office: (020) 7328-1000.
Anne Schulthess is the youth and community engagement campaigns officer for CND.