Caryl Churchill's 15-minute Triumph opens at the Almeida

Caryl Churchill has opened a new play at 88. It lasts just over 15 minutes.

Triumph had its world premiere at the Almeida Theatre in London. It runs 16 to 23 October, a one-week run announced by the theatre in September.

The story centres on Iris, a press secretary who falls for a reporter, as first outlined by London Theatre. Kate O'Flynn plays Iris. Matthew Beard plays Marcus. Sargon Yelda plays Rufus, the minder.

James Macdonald directs the production, according to production details reported by WhatsOnStage. Miriam Buether designed the set, a red-hued room. Churchill, born in 1938, was 88 at the premiere.

The Almeida describes the piece as a "grim joke about where we are today" in its launch announcement Almeida Theatre. The script looks back to ancient Rome for its language of power. Descriptions of the tyrant use words by the Roman historian Suetonius about emperors from Julius Caesar to Domitian.

O'Flynn was last seen on screen in Widow's Bay. Her return to the stage in a new Churchill play was announced on 24 September.

What makes this stand out is the scale. A 15-minute running time is unusually short for a main-stage premiere. Churchill has often written short plays alongside full-length work, and the Almeida has a history of staging them.

The run is brief. Eight days, three actors, one room. For audiences, that means a short visit and a quick turnaround on the Almeida stage.