Enron, Noel Coward Theatre, London

Whilst in London I had a number of choices of plays that I could see, the one that polarised my decision making was Enron.  Enron has been deemed as a huge success and keeps cropping up in various newspapers and magazines as the play to see, with lofty banner headings such as,

“Funny, inventive, exhilarating, entertaining. Not to be missed.” (The Times)

“It’s the gold standard show – that everyone wants to buy into.” (Time Out)

“This perfect gem is right on the money.” (The Observer)

“This will send the west end’s stock rocketing high.” (The Evening Standard)

So, on the face of it a must see event which has excellent reviews.  However, there were a couple of things which I was unhappy with.  The first was the subject matter.  In the current recession ravaged environment did I really want to see a play about the rise and spectacular fall of an American organisation in the 1990’s? My second misgiving was that I had mistakenly thought that the production was primarily a musical and therefore did I want to see a musical about the rise and spectacular fall etc., etc. However, the reviews and the feedback I had got from various sources persuaded me, if not a little reluctantly, to try it. 

Having made my decision and having seen the play, the hype, for once really did live up to its promise.  Lucy Prebble’s writing with the combination of Rupert Goold’s expert direction make this play an era defining experience.  The stagecraft of the production uses dance, music, technology and an ensemble of gifted performers to create the mood and atmosphere of the corporate disaster that was Enron.  The story of Enron is also a microcosmic glimpse into the unregulated running of a company, controlled by greed, which ultimately had a catastrophic effect on thousands of people’s lives. 

The play shows how the Texan energy giant, Enron, moved from a gold standard top 50 company to a bankrupt disaster with debts of $38bn. Chief instigator is Jeffrey Skilling: a charasmatic, ambitious and ultimately disillusioned leader who boldly announces,

 “We’re not just an energy company, we’re a powerhouse for ideas”.

His basic idea is to trade in energy as well as supply it. But, as his dreams expand to include video, internet and even the weather, the gap between stockmarket perception and reality grows ever greater. As profits fail to materialise, Skilling turns to his sidekick, Andy Fastow, to create shadow companies to conceal mounting debts. Once the market loses confidence, Skilling’s schemes are revealed for what they are: a fraudulent fantasy. Twenty one thousand staff in Huston, Texas were given $4,500 severance pay and 30 minutes to clear their desks after Kenneth Lay, the chairman, Skilling, the chief exec and other execs had urged Enron staff to invest their pensions in the stock of the company.  This house of cards was bound to fall and fall it did, dramatically.

The subject matter could therefore be deemed as a little dry but Prebble and Goold provide a combination of clever writing and expert direction to capture the universal themes of greed, avarice, vanity and incompetence. The shows energy and movement is a combination of excellent use of dance and stagecraft which contributes to the feeling of frenetic activity which is evident before the spectacular fall. 

There are a number of clever touches which includes the dubious contributios of the Lehman Brothers and Arthur Andersen accountants who ultimately became victims as a result of their associations.  Apart from a few questionable southern American accents the acting is superb with a particular mention to Samuel West as Skilling, Tim Piggot-Smith as Kenneth Lay, Tom Goodman-Hill as Andy Farlow and Amanda Drew as Claudia Rose.

I cannot really give the play justice, all I can say is it was not a traditional musical, but music and dance were included in the play, it was not boring, it was invigorating and thought provoking and ultimately left me wiser and more informed about the corporate world and man’s potential for greed.  Certainly not a con and well worth the time and money spent.