Performed by UMDS (The University Of Manchester Drama Society) as part of their MIFTAS season (Manchester In-Fringe Theatre Awards Scheme), I watched a confident and competent group of students tackle what was actually a very difficult play.
Titled simply 'Enron', and written by Lucy Prebble, it told the true story of the company of the same name which caused scandal in the late 1990s in America for its unethical business methods, and its eventual court case and unequivocal downfall. It was obvious right from the start that a huge amount of research had gone into the writing of this play, and we were in for a very 'heavy' night at the theatre.
The play was over two hours long (and that didn't include the short interval either) and despite the dramatic nature of the play which made 'Jerry Maguire' feel like a slapstick comedy, it lacked focus and dynamicism.
As the story unfolded, told, in retrospect, we learnt that an aging CEO decides to infuse the failing company with new blood and has to choose between a female who wants to continue the traditions of the company with core values and real assets, and a flash Harvard graduate who sees the future in 'invisible' assets, and as computer tschnology is gaining ground, he wants to bring the company into the 21st century and make 'unseen' billions. Of course it is his greed and manipulative powers upon his employees that are the ruination of the company which sees them go from America's largest corporation to bankrupcy in 24 hours.
The writing however is very thematic and narrative driven, meaning that it becomes very wordy and - yes dare I say it, boring - at times. There is litttle to break the mono-dimensionality of the play; no fast bits, no moments of high tension, and nothing to relieve the tension either, and the dialogue is unecessarily complicated. It is the kind of play that you need to listen to every word carefully in order to keep up, but it would also help enormously if you were familiar with US business terminology and law too. Director Jess Johnstone did a lot of work on character and behaviour, but unfortunately seemed to neglect the overall arc of the play, its running time, and the dynamics within the piece.
The cast was large, utilising an ensemble (or 'chorus') to fill out certain scenes and even surprise with a couple of short a cappella songs at pertinent moments. However there were really only 4 protagonists. The old-timer, a now hands-off CEO who does what he can for the company by playing golf with the right people and making connections whilst his young hot shot Geoff takes the company - on paper at least - from strength to strength, with the willing help of a naive employee who hits upon a very clever idea, and Claudia, the other side of the coin, the dependable and thorough employee who put money and developed in India. Without a cast list I am struggling to give any more names either of character or performer. All four delivered solid performances and had obviously put an awful amount of time and effort into their characteristaions and developments. There was sadly little on-stage chemistry though, and I was struggling with Claudia's projection.
There were a couple of things in the play which did spoil it somewhat and both could easily have been avoided. First were the accents of the cast. We were told right at the start of the play that we were in Houston, Texas, and yet, despite a brave effort from some of the cast, no-one actually managed an authentic-sounding accent. Why not therefore, either employ a dialect coach or simply move the action to an unspecified region of America? The second thing which irritated was the set changes which utilised the back curtain. Every time something was brought in or taken out through the back centre, the area behind was visible. There was a light on, set and costumes visible and even someone sitting on the floor in an area clearly designated as 'backstage'. Again, this could have easily have been avoided with a little thought.
Overall, the play was a very brave effort. The lofty ambitions of the company in this production though were never truly realised. With a shorter and reworked script, and more to keep the dynamics punchier and changing throughout, it could become a very engrossing and interesting script indeed.
Reviewer - Matthew Dougall
on - 13/2/19
I have very kindly been sent a programme and so now I can credit the four protagonists... Jeffrey was Charlie McRoberts, Andy Fastow was Joe LLewllyn, Ken Lay was Neil John and Claudia was Flora Higgins. Once again my commendations to all four of them. ) Matthew D.
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