Marc Wootton in Archduke [Helen Murray]

ON 28 June 1914, Gavrilo Princip, a Bosnian Serb, assassinated Archduke Franz Ferdinand and his consort Sophie in Sarajevo, precipitating the First World War.

American playwright Rajiv Joseph takes that historical event as his starting point, and imagines the days leading up to the act and the naivety of the men behind it.

First staged in New York last year, the European premiere of Archduke opens with Gavrilo (Stanley Morgan) arriving at a deserted warehouse, coughing up blood and expecting to find someone who’ll give him “meaning in life”.

Instead, he meets Nedeljko (Chris Walley), another consumptive of 19, sent by the same doctor and hoping for a job.

Their exchanges recall Beckettian slapstick, clowning and nihilistic absurdity– neither knows who they are waiting for or why they are there.

They are joined by Trifko (Abraham Popoola), a fellow “lunger” who affects authority but is as hapless as the other two. Together they travel to Zemun, where Serbian army captain Dragutin “Apis” Dimitrijevic (Marc Wootton) and his cook Sladjana (Janice Connolly) present them with a feast.

Dragutin manipulates them towards martyrdom, exploiting their illness and poverty, promising them food, a night on a train and fame.

Joseph’s satire accentuates the would-be killers’ vulnerability and reminds us how quickly nationalist fervour can tip into deadly violence.

It’s cleverly staged by Lynsey Turner on Es Devlin’s stunning set, which seamlessly evokes a warehouse, chapel and train carriage.

Amusing and well acted, this fictionalised history is a touch too slight to carry its weighty subject.

until July 25
royalcourttheatre.com/