An Enemy of the People review: Unflinching Matt Smith reimagining shines
A huge risk pays off.
Watching Thomas Ostermeier's re-imagining of An Enemy of the People, starring Doctor Who legend Matt Smith, it quickly becomes clear why the first word used to describe it in the advertising is "bold".
The new West End offering, which is based on the Henrik Ibsen classic, sees Smith star as Dr Stockmann, the medical officer (or, erm, doctor) employed by a spa, which is the heart of a small town.
When he discovers a disturbing truth about his employer, he knows he must tell the truth - but it's not quite that simple. Just how far will he go for the truth and how much is he prepared to lose along the way?
Of course, it's a starry casting, but that does nothing to take away from the rest of the spectacular cast, who expertly switch from playful and friendly in their interactions to menacing and betraying.
The chemistry between Smith and Jessica Brown Findlay as the doctor's wife, Katharina Stockmann, is easy, while Paul Hilton steals the show throughout with his hilarious, yet ominous, portrayal of the doctor's brother and mayor of the town, Peter Stockmann.
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While Smith might be the way in for many audience members, he won't be the only reason they'll be thinking about the show for days afterwards. That credit has to go to the risky and surprising choices made throughout.
It's clear how much thought has gone into every single detail. The staging is simple, with transitions that refuse to be hidden with West End magic – instead, they become a creative part of the performance, with Zachary Hart (Billing) clearly relishing in finding the humour in these moments.
Everything that can be done for real is done for real, including a couple of gloriously brutal and messy moments that had audience members gasping. Meanwhile, an actual German Shepherd is used as part of the cast (shout-out to Leyla, who completely stole the show).
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It's during the second act that Smith has his shining moment – a monologue that single-handedly will prompt standing ovations. Of course, there's no doubting Smith's talent, but it never hurts to have a reminder of why he's one of our best actors – and this biting monologue is the perfect reminder.
Immediately afterwards comes the biggest surprise, and the biggest risk from Ostermeier with a sequence that leaves every single audience member with nowhere to hide. It's Priyanga Burford as Aslaksen, who's at the helm during this moment and, let's face it, it's the hardest job of all. She easily navigates a sequence that could (and probably will at some point) go badly wrong with humour, tenacity, and incredibly quick wits.
While that one sequence might pull audience members out of the performance after immersing them in the story, that's no bad thing here. Without spoiling too much, it's an uncomfortable reminder of just how relevant Ibsen's original 1882 work is a century and a half later – and that is absolutely terrifying. It's a gigantic risk and it's something that's likely to divide audiences but, with a simple addition to the show, Ostermeier manages to make his production practice what it preaches and it's an inspired move.
An Enemy of the People is full of contradictions that somehow work – it's incredibly serious and incredibly funny, it's messy and meticulous, with characters that are simultaneously moral and morally corrupt. One thing remains clear throughout – the truth – but how murky your own attitude towards it may become could shock you.
For any audience members unsure on how they feel, the ending will be what secures An Enemy of the People as one for the ages. A small and mesmerising moment between Smith's Stockmann and Findlay's Katharina had every audience member leaving asking themselves and each other the one big question upon which everything hinges: "What would you do?"
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