A scene from An Enemy of the People. PHOTO: Shawkat Jamil

Several theatre directors have presented Norwegian master playwright Henrik Johan Ibsen's popular play,An Enemy of the Peoplein their distinctive styles.

The storyline of the play is very simple, but delivers a strong message Dr Thomas Stockmann discovers that the water of the baths where he is employed is polluted. The doctor believes that it is his duty to inform the public about the danger of infection, which is opposed by the town's mayor who is apprehensive about the financial consequences, since the bath is the cornerstone of the town's economy. Subsequently, a conflict arises between the doctor and the citizens.

In presenting the play, Taiwanese director Joscha Chung has blended narration and realism. A storyteller (Wu Shih-Wei) unfolds the story of Ibsen's An Enemy of the People, and he appears repeatedly in between the scenes. The technique is effective as the changes of sequences are smooth.

However a question remains: while the narrator relates the entire story, is it necessary for the director to visualise the whole text of the play including the minor actions? The directorial compositions appear repetitive. As it is a Taiwanese translation, English subtitles were projected at the right corner of the stage during the show. This tended to divert the attention of the audience. It would have been better if the narration had been in English.

Watching the high-tech and polished design, one remembers Shakespeare's well quoted aphorism 'All that glitters is not gold.' In fact the design of the play is ideal for a TV show, not for a three-dimensional stage.

Wu Shih-Wei as narrator, Chiang Kuo-Sheng as Dr. Stockmann, Yu-Chi Lin as Petra performed spontaneously.

Workshop in Heaven staged The Enemy of the People at the National Theatre Stage on May 17 as part of the ongoing theatre festival titled 'Staging Ibsen in Asia.'

At the same time University of Khulna staged Gonoshotru, the Bangla adaptation of the same play at the Experimental Theatre Stage. Ahmed Ahsanuzzaman is the director of the play.