Fresh from a Chicago residency and back for its third West End run, Sam Mendes’ corporate blockbuster is still as bright and bold as the New York skyline it represents.  

The set, an imposing glass cube which dominates the Gillian Lynne stage, is as fluid as the trio of talented actors that dance, climb and navigate their way inside it. Endlessly spinning, the cube circumnavigates the decades as John Heffernan, Aaron Krohn, and Howard W. Overshown seamlessly transform themselves into significant figures from Lehman’s 164 year old legacy. A swollen stomach and sweat drenched hankie creates the cotton factory owner, a straight back and carefully placed feet embodies the tightrope walker, Solomon Paprinsky.  

This is a story about worth and value, but it isn’t a tale about money and wealth. The brothers who built the business, and the generations that follow, crave immortality. They need confirmation that their sacrifices were worth it. That they made a difference. That they made their home country proud. That they are recognised and seen from the clouds in which they survey. The millions of dollars they make is nice, but they find no comfort in their vast fortune when they are tossing and turning in their beds at night - fearful of the future and of being left behind. Stefano Massini and Ben Power’s excellent production ensures the name Lehman will never be forgotten, though whether brothers Henry, Mayer and Emanuel will be proud of the picture it paints, is something else entirely.