One of the most infamous scandals in financial history is taking centre stage at Leicester’s landmark Curve theatre, as re-told by De Montfort University (DMU) students.
Working with a professional director and crew on an energetic new production of Lucy Prebble’s Enron, Drama and Performing Arts students will explore what happened when one of the world’s most successful businesses turned out to be built on corruption.
Fusing movement and music, they will tell the dramatic story of Texas energy giant Enron, which left thousands of employees jobless and shook Wall Street to its core when it collapsed in 2001.
For final-year Drama student Ellie Page, this is her fifth collaboration with Curve. Thanks to DMU’s ongoing partnership with the theatre, she performed in The Crucible as part of her degree last year.
As a member of Curve Young Company she was in Macbeth and was an extra in the star-studded cast of White Christmas. She was also part of the 100-strong cast of a community production of Fiddler on the Roof, a rare opportunity combining her acting and musical talents.
“I feel like I’ve literally been living at Curve for the past year and it’s been such a privilege,” said the 22-year old from Milton Keynes.
“This show feels like the end of an era, as I graduate in July. It’s quite sad when I think about it. I’m going to miss the opportunities I get through DMU, but I’m lucky to have built such a strong relationship with Curve and the people I’ve met are great contacts to have made.”
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Ellie will be playing a character representing the accounting firm responsible for auditing Enron, giving her an unusual opportunity to try her hand at ventriloquism.
She said: “As part of an ensemble cast I get to try out different characters, which is lots of fun. One of my biggest roles is Arthur Andersen, who has a ventriloquist puppet called Little Arthur.
“I’ve always been interested in puppetry but have never found the right avenue to get started, so the chance to be a puppeteer on stage is really, really cool and another skill to have under my belt.”
Working on co-productions such as Enron has recently become part of an optional DMU module that counts towards students’ grades, but Ellie doesn’t need the extra incentive to do well.
“When you perform at Curve, no matter how big or small your role is, you’re always treated like a professional. It’s a great environment to be immersed in and it’s all the incentive I need,” she said.
“Working at Curve has been hugely beneficial for me. I would tell anyone to get involved – you don’t know everything about the industry, so learn as much as you can and make the most of your time.
“It’s not always easy, but it’s fun and rewarding. I know it will continue to give me opportunities after I graduate and it’s the greatest gift I could have asked for.”
Tickets are now on sale for Enron, which is showing at Curve from Wednesday 15 until Saturday 18 May.
Posted on Wednesday 8 May 2019