EIF: A Trial — After An Enemy of the People ★★★★

A Trial — After An Enemy of the People is a superb evening of theatre, fairly flawless and never dull. This Brazilian production — the first theatre offering of this year’s Edinburgh International Festival, showcases a riveting performance by one of the world’s greatest actors and runs an intimidating 2.5 hours without an intermission, most of it in Portuguese, yet the audience, so focused on what’s happening on stage, never stirs, a remarkable feat considering that there’s a dramatic problem in the very conceit of the show: the case itself is lopsided from the very start.

And how can it not be? The show moves Ibsen’s play to modern-day Brazil but keeps pretty much everything else the same. Doctor Thomas Stockmann (Wagner Moura) is on trial for exposing the poisonous waters at his struggling town’s successful spa resort, and the townsfolk do not appreciate being economically ruined when the spa has to be shut down.

The stress of the situation has clearly destroyed the Stockmann family. Thomas’s brother Peter (Danilo Grangheia, excellent), the former mayor of the town, is the one leading the crusade against him, and Thomas’s daughter Petra (Julia Bernat, forceful and endearing) heads his defense. Thomas’s wife has passed away before the trial; her heart gave out from the overwhelming, ongoing tension.

Comparisons to the recent Covid pandemic are purposeful; Thomas even reminds the audience that Brazil got hit hard. And anger from those who believe that the restrictions put on people to prevent the spread of the disease were too stringent festers around the globe. Less than two weeks ago, Americans witnessed Dr. Anthony Fauci get grilled mercilessly by a vengeful Republican-led Senate committee furious about how he lead the country’s response to the deadly virus.

Arguably it’s because of that recent hearing that it’s impossible not to side with Thomas, but Ibsen himself stacked the deck on this one. Yes, Stockmann is arrogant, hot-headed, and combative, but he’s unquestionably in the right to decry the spa for the greater good. He’s an idealist in an imperfect world, an expert fighting for the long-term health of his people. If this were one of Ibsen’s more morally cloudy characters — Hedda Gabler, or John Gabriel Borkman — a debate about their actions could be genuinely suspenseful. But tackling Thomas Stockmann in this manner is like telling Nora Helmer “Hey doll, you just need to stay put.”

Nonetheless, it’s to conceiver and director Christiane Jatahy’s great credit, along with co-writers Moura and Lucas Paraizo, that this terrific, clever production succeeds as it does. The tech team is sat onstage with the actors and are often called to interact with the goings on, videos of taped and live interviews with experts and witness are interspersed during the proceedings, and eleven jurors are actually called randomly from the audience and sat on stage hearing both sides before going off to a private room and voting to determine a verdict.

What a treat it must be for them to share a stage with Moura, who only this year has gotten the attention he’s long deserved. Winner of the Golden Globe and an Oscar nominee for his brilliant performance in The Secret Agent, Moura here proves that he’s an actor who can shine on a stage as well as on screen. His performance is an astounding achievement.

A remarkable production that’s anything but a trial ★★★★ 4 stars

Edinburgh International Festival Tickets

Image by Andrew Perry

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