Set during a public health crisis, the National Theatre of Scotland’s contemporary production The Enemy is both powerful and timely.
Marking National Theatre of Scotland’s first national tour since the beginning of the pandemic, the theatre company is bringing The Enemy to Eden Court in Inverness from October 27 to October 30.
Henrik Ibsen’s iconic play An Enemy of the People will be given a contemporary Scottish reimagining in this new stage adaptation from the award-winning team of playwright Kieran Hurley and director Finn den Hertog.
Set in a once-proud Scottish industrial town, a massive redevelopment project promises to bring money, jobs, and new prospects to its forgotten population. However, when Kirsten Stockmann discovers a dangerous secret, she knows she must bring the truth to light – no matter the cost.
Provocative production The Enemy is timely and relevant
This provocative new production feels increasingly relevant in 2021 as it’s set during a public health crisis. The Enemy scrutinises corruption and power amidst a changing media landscape and explores what it means to hold power to account in a post-truth political world.
Playwright Kieran Hurley said: “What’s really fascinating to me is how the pandemic has at times mirrored the world of the play, casting its conversation about a society in the grip of a public health crisis in a whole new light.
“What we thought was an adaption focused on quite current themes of fake news, distrust of experts, and the treacherous whirlwind of public opinion in an age of social media has now taken on a whole new contemporary relevance that we could never have predicted in a million years.
“It’s been genuinely surreal and testament I suppose to the enduring relevance of Ibsen’s original. It’s been a long uncertain wait but maybe, in all of this, the play has somehow found its moment.”
Thrilled to be returning to live audiences
The production was in rehearsal when the pandemic halted its original tour in spring 2020. Members of the original cast have now been reunited following the show’s delayed premiere.
Jackie Wylie, artistic director of National Theatre of Scotland, said: “We are more than thrilled to be returning to live audiences and communities across Scotland this autumn with an exciting new adaption of Ibsen’s The Enemy.
“It seems entirely fitting that our first post-lockdown tour is the show that was in rehearsal when Covid-19 closed Scottish theatres for over 18 months.
“I am both joyful and relieved that the company is back on the road taking theatre across Scotland, connecting with theatres and audiences again and sharing the unique experience of live performance that we have missed for so long.”
Strong female characters
In this radical reworking of the classic drama, the roles of Dr Stockman and his brother are played by women. The Stockmann sisters are played by Hannah Donaldson and Gabriel Quigley and are joined by a leading Scottish ensemble of actors – Billy Mack, Neil McKinven, Taqi Nazeer and Eléna Redmond.
Featuring an original soundtrack from award-winning composer Kathryn Joseph and startling live video, The Enemy is a uniquely contemporary and Scottish take on Ibsen’s timeless work.
This is also the first time a version of Ibsen’s classic play has been staged in Scotland for more than 40 years.
Click here if you wish to purchase tickets for The Enemy in Eden Court.
