Enron | Theatre review

by Rosie Kaloki

For those old enough not to remember, the collapse of the Lehmen Brothers in 2008 was not corporate America’s first shake up since the depression.

Enron, the multi-million pound energy company shook the business world to its roots in 2001 when it was found guilty of committing the biggest corporate fraud ever documented.

Director Lucy Prebble (who was responsible for adapting the book of Belle De Jour into ITV’s Secret Diaries of a Call Girl) has brought to life this intriguing story of money, greed and corruption in a way that’s accessible whether you’re familiar or not with the world of finance.

Samuel West stole the show, putting on an incredibly convincing performance as Jeff Skilling, Enron’s president and business genius.

We see Skilling grow from visionary geek to a ruthless, power and money mad individual who eventually brings Enron to its knees and with it gaining a 24-year prison sentence when convicted of nine counts of fraud and conspiracy charges.

American accent

Tom Goodman Hill is Andy Fastow, Enron’s chief financial officer who helped Skilling defraud millions and lose 21,000 people their jobs and pension.

He gives a good performance, but it’s unfortunately slightly marred by his attempts at an American accent.

Tim Pigott-Smith plays Ken Lay, Enron’s chairman, who was also found guilty, and is cast in a very sympathetic light in the play, to the point where it almost appears he had no idea whats going on.

Amanda Drew (better known as Mad May in Eastenders) plays the fictitious character Claudia Roe a shrewd businesswoman who never really agreed with Skilling’s delusional new ideas and faced a constant battle.

The simple yet effective use of a projector screen, documenting some of the ’90s and early ’00s most influential events help put the story in context.

Very much physical theatre, the actors used themselves as well as props to act out scenes and portray moods to good effect.

Humour, songs and music punctuated certain scenes but luckily did not trivialise the play’s serious perspective.

At only 28, Prebble’s own experiences and perceptions of recent world events shape the play.

Her father was a management consultant and she attended a top Surrey girls school, though she has always found it hard to resolve issues of social responsibility and corporate dominance.

Given the nature of the events that followed the Enron bankruptcy, and our recent past, it is clear that big companies have not learned their lesson and so this play makes for very current viewing.

Enron is shown at the Noel Coward Theatre, St Martin’s Lane, London, WC2N 4AY.

Until August 14.