Ibsen proves his popularity 100 years after his death as yet another of his plays is staged in the UK. 'An enemy of the people' will run between 20-29 April at the Wokingham Theatre.
14/03/2006 :: 'An enemy of the people', directed by Nigel Lawson-Dick, tells the story of Tomas Stockmann, the father of a family and a doctor at a spa in a small Norwegian town. After a lengthy period of analysis he has discovered that the water of the spa that he himself had founded is polluted, and of danger to the health of all its visitors. The spa is of great importance to the fame and prosperity of the town, but he is convinced that it must be closed until the fault is corrected. To begin with he is praised for his discovery, but when it becomes clear that the improvements will cost the town a great deal, both the press and the inhabitants turn against him.
One of his most important opponents is his brother, who is mayor and chief of police, Peter Stockmann. From several quarters the doctor is asked to moderate his absolute demand that the spa be closed, but he calls a public meeting in order to present his case. It has now become the general opinion that the majority is always wrong and the minority always right. The people present at the meeting brand him as an enemy of the people and a threat to the town, and he is forced to leave the meeting. The whole affair has dramatic consequences for his family and himself – his patients desert him, he is dismissed from the spa, his daughter Petra loses her job as a teacher and the family lose their home. His first reaction, in rage and disappointment, is to plan to go abroad with his family, but when people start to break his windows and he receives sinister threats and offers, he realises how little independence of mind there is in the town. He decides to stay there and devote himself to the task of bringing up citizens with a freer spirit.
The Wokingham Theatre Having has now got a permanent building which has enabled it to expand its activities, and stage eight productions a year. It has also formed a youth group, hosted touring companies and staged a number of special celebrity evenings.
An Enemy of the People
20 - 29 April
Wokingham Theatre
Cantley Park
Twyford Road
Wokingham
Berkshire RG40 5TU
Tickets: £7, £6.50 for parties of 10+
Box office: 0118-978-5363