An Enemy of the People
See Matt Smith in a radical Ibsen revival with An Enemy of the People play tickets
How do you create change when you stand alone? Matt Smith stars in German director Thomas Ostermeier’s blazing reimagining of An Enemy of the People play at the Duke of York’s Theatre, playing a doctor who raises the alarm over contaminated water – but is met with resistance by the local council. This gripping and claustrophobic story is in London for a limited season and is set to be a must-see event after the production wowed audiences in Europe.
Ibsen’s play is the story of Dr. Stockmann, who makes a worrying discovery about the healing waters in his town’s baths. His findings prove pivotal in the town’s future, but those in power – who stand to lose everything if they do the right thing – refuse to accept what he is saying. Soon, the struggle over contaminated water has spread into an all-out battle, with Stockmann ostracised as an enemy of the people.
This radical version of a classic was adapted by Thomas Ostermeier for Berlin’s Schaubühne Theatre in 2012, and transferred to the Barbican Theatre in 2014. Fascinating, iconoclastic and astonishingly relevant, this production brings Ibsen into the 21st century with a bang. It now makes its West End debut in English, starring Matt Smith.
Ostermeier and Smith are an explosive combination; Ostermeier is one of Germany’s most famous contemporary theatre directors, known for his bold takes on classics including Hamlet, Richard III and Hedda Gabler.
Smith is best known for his work in Doctor Who, The Crown and House of the Dragon, and has also received acclaim for stage roles including That Face (2007), American Psycho (2013) and Lungs (2019).
Find out why An Enemy of the People play remains one of the most powerful classics to come out of Europe in the last two centuries and see an astonishing cast and creative team bring it to life in this powerful new production. An Enemy of the People is in London for a strictly limited season from February 2024.
Child friendly?
The An Enemy of the People play age recommendation is 12+.