Henrik Ibsen

An Enemy of the People

Schaübühne am Lehniner Platz, Berlin

Main stage

Dr. Stockmann: CHRISTOPH GAWENDA
Member of City Council: INGO HÜLSMANN
Mrs. Stockmann: EVA MECKBACH
Hovstad: ANDREAS SCHRÖDERS
Aslaksen: DAVID RULAND
Billing: MORITZ GOTTWALD
Morten Kiil: THOMAS BADING
Directed by THOMAS OSTERMEIER
Stage design: JAN PAPPELBAUM
Costume design: NINA WETZEL
Music: MALTE BECKENBACH, DANIEL FREITAG
Dramaturgy: FLORIAN BORCHMEYER
Light design: ERICH SCHNEIDER
Wall paintings: KATHARINA ZIEMKE


Date of the opening: november 26, 2014

2h 30' without intermission
 
Dr. Stockmann discovers that the source of drinking and spa water is riddled with pathogenic micro-organisms, caused by industrial effluence. Stockmann wants to publish the findings in the newspaper and demands that the city council re-route the water pipes. Influential citizens and local journalists promise their support. However, his brother Peter, the mayor, raises some serious concerns: The economic prosperity of the spa town will be threatened. Suddenly the support for Stockman from the town's policymakers begins to wane. They spread seeds of doubt about his plans and try to cover up the fact of the contaminated water. But Stockmann insists on transparency and intends to go public on the matter. For him the affair has long since ceased to be about the polluted health spa, his target is society as a whole. Ibsen's drama wavers on a fine line between honesty and fanaticism. What is the potential for transparency in a commercialised society?