Reader Reviews
ENRON (Royal Court - Jerwood Theatre, West End)
Back to Show Details| Score | Comment | Date |
 | Three Blind Mice, Arnold Schwarzenegger, and debt guzzling raptors: now there are three things I never thought I’d put together. These are just some of the images you can expect in Lucy Prebble’s ‘Enron’. Amongst them you will find businessmen yielding light sabres and a Siamese twin version of the Lehman Brothers. Although you wouldn’t immediately associate these images with the financial scandal of American energy company ‘Enron’, this is exactly what the extremely talented Prebble has done. And as the Enron slogan demands, I hear you asking WHY? This is just one of the techniques that Prebble uses to un-complicate the financial jargon and the confusing world of the stock market to tell the story whilst catering to stock market innocents like myself. Expect to laugh at the humour throughout the play and, don’t worry, the baffling business terminologies are explained to the audience. One recurring idea throughout the piece was that money, or greed for money consumes your life. Jeffrey Skilling (Samuel West) suffers both physically and mentally from running this scandal and is visibly worn down. One memorable scene which strengthened the message that greed for money is harmful includes a chorus of business people becoming more and more mechanical as they become obsessed with making money. Computerised numbers are projected over the actors making them appear almost non-human. The music becomes obsessive getting faster and faster and with it so do the actions of the business people. The words gold and aluminum are projected on the stage and the business people go crazy for it. It showed the audience how people can get swept up by the idea of money and greed for money can spiral out of control. The audience also get easily swept up by it all to show just how the whole world got swept up by Enron. The play has an exciting and comic style with recognisable and catchy songs that you will find yourself singing along to. The changes between scenes were quick and efficient so you have no time to stop and think about what’s actually happening. The humour and the serious aspects of the play had more merit individually but worked against each other when put together. The comic element of the play also affected the ending negatively as I felt I should be sympathetic towards the millions of people who lost their life savings but I didn’t. The lighting (Mark Henderson) and the design (Anthony Ward) were carefully thought out and the animated acting brilliantly brought the key members of the scandal back to life. Rupert Goold (director) may have jam packed a lot of ideas into this play and despite the slightly long running time ‘Enron’ is entertaining, informative and fast paced throughout. - Alaina O'Sullivan | 01 Nov 09 |
| Quite interesting play about a very interesting subject, spoiled a little by the people cavorting as lizards (is there a metaphor here?) for far too much and too long. It's OK but mystifying as to why it should be a sell out with people queueing for returns. A BBC doc would have been so much more interesting and informative on the subject matter. - kiburncat | 20 Oct 09 |
| terrific - a great example (unlike his Time and the Conways) where Rupert Goold adds to the text rather than distracting from it. For a second play, it is extraordinary, both in its ability to illuminate a difficult (and dull) subject; and to create emotionally engaging characters. The four leads are excellent - Tim Pigott Smith has never been better - and it provides the most gripping and entertaining play I've seen in ages. Don't miss the transfer! - dgr1 | 20 Oct 09 |
| Everything comes together in this production, tremendous writing, clever directing and excellent acting. It restored my faith in theatre and how nice to see a play that doesn't take the normal, smug, Guardian-reading, public sector position of thinking capitalism is intrinsically evil. - addicted to theatre | 18 Oct 09 |
| This play is over-hyped. To compare it with Caryl Churchill's groundbreaking 'Serious Money' is ridiculous. It is a perfectly acceptable play but with an exceptional performance by Sam West, a superb cast and a typically flashy and inventive production by Rupert Goold. - fred | 05 Oct 09 |
| MY GOD a good play that's not about the tragic death or molestation of a child, and written by a WOMAN! What next? - coral | 03 Oct 09 |
| Lucy Prebble has done a remarkable job in writing a play which makes the potentially mind-numbing financial intricacies of the Enron crash so entertaining. Characteristically Rupert Goold has thrown the kitchen sink at the production, including some updated Brechtian song and dance routines. The first half is an exhilerating ride as Samuel West creates a financial monster from smoke and mirrors. The second half is more straight forward, apart from a light sabre dance. The problem is that, althogh fictionalised, the play is obviously based on real events and the denouement of Senate hearings and verdicts handed down feels slightly mundane after the fireworks (literally at one point) of the first half. Enron is clearly a remarkable achievement but did not quite maintain its' brilliance throughout. Two other slight gripes: a 3-hour play should not start at 3.00 pm and I'm fed up with the Royal Court using playtexts as a programme; this play crys out for supporting articles, which I am sure will be there when it transfers to the West End next year. - David Baxter | 01 Oct 09 |
| There's much to enjoy here, but I do think its over-hyped (mostly gushing reviews, sold out before opening, West End transfer announced on opening.....). Even though the Enron debacle came before the Credit Crunch, the play seems timely. This, plus Rupert Gould's trademark directorial flourishes (getting dangerously close to gimmicks this time) cover up what is in effect an OK play which tells the Enron story well but doesn't really illuminate it. Worth a visit for the inventiveness of the staging and the design and some fine performances, particularly Amanda Drew - though the American accents are not sustained. Maybe it's a pity I saw Inherit The Wind a few days before this - despite the fact it's 55 years old, it had as much relevance but with more depth. - Gareth James | 29 Sep 09 |
