Public Enemy

Synopsis

When Dr. Stockmann discovers that the waters of a new public spa are toxic, he expects gratitude and glory. But his revelation makes him the most hated man in town. How far will a man go to stand up for the truth?

Our Review:

Michael Coveney - 14 May 2013

The art of saying the unpopular truth is always attractive, and in Ibsen's An Enemy of the People, which David Harrower has rewritten for ace director Richard Jones as Public Enemy (from a literal translation by Charlotte Barslund), medical officer Dr Thomas Stockmann undermines the tourist industry in his small Norwegian spa town by insisting that the water is contaminated.

This sets off a chain reaction of tentative support then rejection by his own brother, the Mayor (a splendidly greasy portrayal by Darrell D'Silva), the newspaper editor Hovstad (Bryan Dick), the turncoat, slug-like printer Aslaksen (the very sight of Niall Ashdown makes you want to have a cold shower; well done, him!) and his own father-in-law, Morten Kiil, whom David Sibley presents as an ageing Davy Crockett frontiersm...

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Latest User Review

VN - 14 May 2013:

Beguiling central performances in a tale that cleverly sets the audience thinking of their personal involvement, and builds up to a powerful finale. As usual, this radical revision of a classic will divide opinions, but we found it a memorable evening!...

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