Wagner Moura has taken centre stage at the Edinburgh International Festival in a contemporary adaptation of Henrik Ibsen's 1882 play An Enemy of the People, with director Christiane Jatahy transforming the classic into an interactive courtroom drama.
The production follows Thomas Stockmann, a man determined to expose contaminated water in his town despite mounting opposition. Rather than presenting the story as a conventional play, Jatahy frames it as a public trial in which the audience is invited to judge Stockmann's actions.
Early in the performance, Moura steps out of character to address the audience directly before returning to the role, blurring the line between actor and character throughout the production.
A 12-member jury selected from the audience sits on stage for much of the performance before leaving to deliberate a verdict, further breaking the traditional boundaries between performers and spectators.
Jatahy, who conceived the production and co-wrote it with Moura and Lucas Paraizo, relocates the story to contemporary Brazil, where Stockmann's campaign to expose polluted water threatens the local economy and tourism industry.
The production combines live theatre with documentary-style filmmaking, incorporating video sequences that expand the family drama surrounding Stockmann. His daughter Petra presents evidence and cross-examines witnesses, while his brother Peter emerges as his strongest opponent.
The adaptation also explores the personal cost of Stockmann's campaign through filmed appearances by members of his family, including his late wife, whose death is partly linked to the strain created by his activism.
The production has been praised for reimagining Ibsen's work through modern theatrical techniques while drawing parallels with contemporary debates surrounding environmental contamination.
Despite its innovative staging, the central moral conflict is presented as relatively straightforward, with the argument against exposing contaminated water carrying less weight than the public health risks at the heart of the story.
Moura's performance remains the production's driving force, delivering both the emotional intensity of Stockmann and the detached perspective of a narrator examining his own character. Combined with strong performances from the supporting cast, the family conflicts ultimately provide the production's most compelling moments.
