Un Ennemi du people, Ostermeier

This play is introduced as frontal and political even before it starts. When the audience gets in the TNP, it finds itself before a big screen on which a text is projected. This text, taken from L’Insurrection qui vient written by the “Comité invisible”, is indeed very political and controversial and puts us in the right mood for the play.

This text spoken by the Doctor Stockman in the end of the play, even thought it isn’t from Henrik Ibsen, and it is not the only modification of the text. As usually Thomas Ostermeier doesn’t hesitate to change the original text, to make it more up-to-date, and to make it suitable with his greater project of staging. Nevertheless, some germs of revolt were in the original text, and that’s why T. Ostermeier chose to stage this play rather than another.

Here is the story, imagined more than a century ago, but that could have happened yesterday: a doctor, Dr Stockman, discovers that the water of the recent thermal baths is polluted by some factories. He informs his brother, the mayor, who refuses either to sanitize the thermal baths or to close them, because it would cost the city and its dwellers to much, in terms of money. Preoccupied by the inhabitants and people coming on purpose to heal to the thermal baths, Dr Stockman requires a newspaper’s help, which the journalists are eager to offer. But then, this politically involved newspaper steps back on the question, for economical interest again…

Dr Stockman is then shown as an “enemy of the people”. It leads him to doubt about press, politics, nowadays society, using the text we saw in the beginning in public, in a kind of lecture. To be able to attend this lecture, the others characters join the audience. After a speech about the falseness of democracy, the journal editor, confronts the audience and asks who agrees. Warmed up by the emphatic speech of the defender of the right, most of the hands raises. Then, he gives his microphone to whoever wants it, wanting for an explanation.

         Thus T. Ostermeier creates a striking moment in which we are forced to participate, and especially to think and tell about our opinions after having cheered almost automatically. I think the gesture and what it triggers afterwards was more important than the content of the immediate thoughts of the TNP audience that night, who mainly uttered clichés. Some couldn’t rationally explain their agreement, some mentioned the “mediator” scandal, others were ready to put the democracy down immediately. This also shows from the part of the audience a need for participative democracy. Anyway this left us with a bitter taste, made us think the matter over during and after the play, and led to debates after the show.

This was the most remembered moment because we were involved, but one should also remember what came before and after. The scenery was really smart, very evocative without being too naturalistic. No technicians were needed to change the set and the actors managed to bring us to very diverse places only with a few changes. The newspapers office was suggested only with two desks and chairs, during the lecture, we could see a tribune, which was easily turned into a refrigerator to get back to the play and to the Stockman’s living room. The costumes were made to help us identify contemporary social groups (such as a tuxedo for the mayor, converses shoes and yellow skinny jeans for the young rebelish journalist…).

Once again, T. Ostermeier manages to be polemic without providing a clear answer. Indeed he changed Ibsen’s ending to leave the hero doubting. But the political side doesn’t alter the theatrical values with a very rhythmic play animated by talented actors.

Amal Kebaïer