Theatre review: Enemy of the People (After Ibsen)
Adelaide indie theatre company Famous Last Words reworks Ibsen’s 1882 play for a local, contemporary context shaped by climate emergencies and political division.
Henrik Ibsen first wrote An Enemy for the People in 1882. Enemy of the People (After Ibsen) is a fresh take on the classic, but its core purpose remains: an interrogation of the conflict between personal integrity and societal norms.
Adapted and directed by James Watson, this production isn’t simply brought into the modern day – with discussions about “fake news” and misinformation as we know them in the 21st century-social-media-age – it is also localised in Adelaide, South Australia.
The 80-minute show works as a direct response to the ongoing climate emergencies that have plagued the state, from the Algal Bloom to the Parkland redevelopments. Further, it asks audiences of Adelaide to have their say, encouraging locals to act as the play’s townspeople and contribute to the debate.
In this reimagining, Dr Thomas Stockmann, (James Starbuck), discovers a public health risk at the coastal town’s new health spa, a facility which is also a massive economic investment and driver in the regional town. In speaking up, he is not only taking on corporate interests, but coming up against his older sister Martha (Kate Owen), who is the local mayor.
The adaptation is frighteningly relevant. It works in references to our media landscape (citing everyone from Rupert Murdoch to Karl Stefanovic), the pandemic’s aftereffects on trust in institutions, and One Nation’s rise in the polls. The adaptation does a fantastic job in establishing characters with depth, and not villainising particular perspectives.
The direction is considerate of the space at Slingsby’s Hall of Possibility, as the actors perform on ground level, with audience members seated around three edges of the stage. This works brilliantly when the characters engage in a town hall debate and invite the audience to participate. The cast do a great job to work with the audience’s answers.
The characters each represent stakeholders in todays economic, political and social landscape. Hannah (Virginia Blackwell) is a local journalist who brings into question the role and integrity of journalism, particularly in the attention economy.
Alice (Bonet Fimeri), is a real estate developer and is a loud reminder of the housing crisis, and the power dynamics which sit behind someone’s right to affordable and safe housing.
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Dr Stockmann’s wife, Kate (Emelia Williams), falls pregnant and raises questions about what kind of world parents of today imagine for their children and future generations. Kate’s brother Morten (Eliza Barnes), brings in the disenfranchised individuals, particularly in regional areas, who feel forgotten and are desperate to feel seen and heard.
The cast collaborate well and form a strong ensemble, and together deliver a sharp, well-paced, dynamic production.
Enemy of the People is uncomfortable, intense and challenging for all the right reasons. It questions if truth alone is enough, or whether it’s really about who’s telling the story. It asks it if we can ever honour our duties to each other, ourselves, our environment and our economy, all at once.
Enemy of the People continues at the Hall of Possibility, Parkside, until September 26
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