It's definitely not for everyone (as witnessed by how badly the play bombed on Broadway, closing after less than a month, even with the lovely Norbert Leo Butz in the leading role) but for those with an open mind and a willingness to go with the flow, ENRON is unlike anything in modern theatre. Mixing classical tragedy with savage comedy, the play follows a group of flawed men and women in a narrative of greed and loss which reviews the tumultuous 1990s and casts new light on the financial turmoil in which the world currently finds itself. Having unraveled the complexities of the case, the play doesn’t really leave the reader/viewer with anything other than “those guys are crooks” or “capitalism is all a fraud,” and both are gross oversimplifications. In contrast to David Mamet's unlikeable character who seem to thrive on their negativity, Prebble sees hers as playing out a farce. I mean, this is the issue with reading a play in general, and I'm sure that seeing this staged with some really great actors would make this a more engaging experience.

Lucy Prebble's powerful, pertinent new play Enron shines a startling light on the sudden collapse of the US energy and communications giant. And, if nothing else, it's a valuable piece of theatre for revealing the inner machinations of an industry that the average Joe knows little about. A darkly exhilarating portrait of hypertrophied capitalism and a society that allows faith-based fiscal systems to ravage the body economic…a sharp-witted and rollicking business thriller to dazzle the eye and tickle the brain…Prebble’s characters are deliciously vital and self-aware. I read this in an English Seminar Junior year and loved how it bridged the gap between my two majors — the play doesn’t allow for too many intricacies of the scandal, but it is an excellent high-level into one of crazier fallouts in our lifetime. The characters were risky but not enough to be questionable, and Skillings development (or lack there of) was the best part of the play.The only difference between me and the people judging me is they weren't smart enough to do what we did'. the collapse of US energy giant Enron brilliantly reconfigured by Lucy Prebble as classical tragedy' 'Prebble's great skill lies in her ability to take us through complex concepts with ease, without bemusing or, worse, patronising us. The most entertaining parts is when Skilling gets fat on twinkies and when there is a fight between the Traders and Fastow.

In The New York Times review of the Broadway production, Ben Brantley wrote, contrary to some other critics, "even with a well-drilled cast that includes bright Broadway headliners like Norbert Leo Butz and Marin Mazzie, the realization sets in early that this British-born exploration of smoke-and-mirror financial practices isn’t much more than smoke and mirrors itself. This one doesn’t seem as entirely resistant to cliché as my favourite Prebble play, The Effect – the scenes in the third act featuring the prostitute and the woman who’s lost her savings seeming oddly on-the-nose – but judging a theatrical production by its script is like judging an album by reading the lyrics booklet, so it may play differently in person. Scene seven with the security officer where Skilling started acting delusional after losing his power was enjoyable to read, mainly because I really disliked the character.Directed by Rupert Goold with associate Sophie Hunter, the scenic and costume design was by Anthony Ward, lighting by Mark Henderson, music and sound by Adam Cork, video and projection by Jon Driscoll and movement by Scott Ambler. And AFTER reading this play, I'm not sure to what extent I know the Enron scandal, but I certainly know more at the end than when I started. At once a case study and an allegory, the play charts the notorious rise and fall of Enron and its founding partners Ken Lay and Jeffrey Skilling, who became 'the most vilified figure from the financial scandal of the century. Amanda Drew as his rival, Tim Pigott-Smith as Enron's avuncular founder, and Tom Goodman-Hill as the greed-driven Fastow, haunted by the scaly raptors which symbolise the shadow-companies, are also first-rate. The world premiere production of Lucy Prebble’s celebrated new play ENRON sold out its entire run at the Minerva Theatre Chichester and sold all 21,800 tickets before opening its six-week run at the Royal Court.