An Enemy of the People

PROMOTIONAL | ISSUE NINE | WHAKAKATA / HUMOUR

Tashi Donnelly in conversation with Grace Augustine | @tashi_rd | Editor

Dr. Thomas Stockmann is the medical officer of his small-town’s new eco-spa. An upstanding member of their close-knit community, when Thomas discovers the town’s water has been contaminated, he raises the alarm. But his truth comes at a price, when those in power - including his own brother - try not only to discredit him, but to crush him.

Flyleaf Theatre Company presents An Enemy of the People by Henrik Ibsen, newly adapted by Aaron Richardson. This modern reimagining relocates the story from nineteenth-century Norway to present-day Aotearoa, placing Ibsen’s drama inside our country’s burgeoning water crisis.

Featuring an incredible ensemble cast, this electric production of Ibsen’s masterwork will have you riveted until its final, devastating conclusion.

Ahead of the show's Auckland season, I caught up with director Grace Augustine to chat about reimagining Ibsen's classic for present-day Aotearoa, why its themes feel more urgent than ever, and why students should experience it live. 

This adaptation moves Ibsen's story from nineteenth-century Norway to present-day Aotearoa. Why was now the right time to tell this story here, and what do you think Kiwi audiences will recognise in it?  

Now feels like a particularly important moment to stage this play because we are in an election year. We wanted to create political theatre that invites audiences to engage critically and deeply with the systems that govern our lives. We are also profoundly concerned about the increasing levels of nitrate contamination in our freshwater, and this production is, in part, an act of advocacy for the kaitiaki of this taonga and for the health and wellbeing of our communities.

I think Kiwi audiences will recognise themselves in Katherine: a mother trying to do the right thing and live with integrity, while constantly confronting the economic pressures of an increasingly expensive world. Her struggle between principle and survival is one many New Zealanders will find painfully familiar.

For students who haven't been to live theatre in a while—or ever—what kind of experience can they expect from An Enemy of the People?  

A powerful and intense 90-minute experience filled with urgent political and philosophical debate, fractured relationships, and sharp reflections on leadership in Aotearoa today. Allow yourself to be drawn into the atmosphere and taken on an emotional roller-coaster ride. Save the critical thinking for later, when you’ve had time to consider all sides. 

Without giving too much away, what's a moment in the production that you think will surprise audiences who assume a 140-year-old play might feel outdated?

There’s a sequence in the show featuring Double Browns, a shoey, and an original Chumbawamba-inspired piece of music, created by our genius composer Laika Rountree. 

If audiences leave the theatre debating one question on the walk home, what do you hope it is?

I want them to consider how far they would go in the pursuit of truth and goodness.

If you'd like to catch the show, Flyleaf Theatre Company will be hosting a Choose What You Pay performance on Thursday 13 August at 7:30 pm. With tickets available on a sliding scale from $15, audiences can choose a price that works for them while supporting independent theatre.