Enron, The Athenaeum, 14 November 2025

A modern play about business? Set around the turn of the millennium? In America? Is this really going to work as a school play? The resounding answer is: YES! I must admit, I approached this production of Lucy Prebble’s award-winning play 2009 play with a certain amount of trepidation. Would the cast be able to sustain interest in an American business scandal – which happened long before any of them were born – over two and a half hours? I need not have worried as Warminster School once more rose to the occasion. From the opening monologue of the lawyer (Felicity Hutchison), it was clear that the cast had a confidence and maturity far beyond their years.

Leading the cast was Alfie Crinion as the manipulative Jeffrey Skelling. From his brash attitude in the opening scenes, including the seduction and then discarding of Claudia Roe, his business rival, Alfie was magnificent. He kept the audience’s attention throughout the entire production. He was hardly off the stage and made light work of his extensive dialogue. His collapse in the second act, shaking and seemingly losing weight, was astounding. I’m not sure I’ve seen a more effective performance in a school play. However, Lucie Hawley as Claudia was a match for him, both in business and as a performer. Watching her, you forgot she is still a pupil, such was her strength of character. Similarly, Joseph Williams as the Chief Financial Officer, Andy Fastow, and Leon Marshall as Ken Lay, the Chairman of Enron both showed immense maturity in their performances.

However, this was not just a play about these central characters. Throughout, the wider cast brought the financial shenanigans and ultimate collapse to life. The ‘raptors’ who surrounded the company, feeding on its debts, were menacing. The Enron board, represented by three blind mice, showed how willing they were to turn a blind eye as long as they were making money. They were not the only ones ignoring what was going on. Georgina Johns and Salmon Jirachananont as the Lehman Brothers investment bank and Oscar Gardner (and his ventriloquist doll!) as Arthur Andersen, the accountants, all brought a satirical slant to the play, emphasising the way business is solely focused on financial gain.

In addition, the wider cast must be commended on their use of movement to highlight key moments including the chaos of the trading floor, with voices overlapping and repeated movements highlighting their robotic responses to what was expected of them. The use of illuminated light sabres which ‘went out’ as profits slumped but then doubled as TV screens was terrific.

The staging was very effective, with the trading figures scrolling across the stage and news broadcasts bringing us up to speed with what was happening in the wider world. Emily Harris and Laura Karai should be immensely proud of their cast and deserve great praise for taking such as risk with a difficult text. Unlike Enron’s risk-taking, this really paid off. It was a magnificent production and everyone involved should be delighted with their success.

Jeremy Robertson