Thomas Ostermeier
Playwright Thomas ostermeier regales melainne chiew on the truth-seeking scandal that is An Enemy of the People, and its convictionshaking, sympathy-shifting construct
unlike a proven fact, the ambiguity of truth stretches and shapes according to your reasoning, perspective and experiences. In fact, deliberates German theatre director Thomas Ostermeier, the most challenging task is being truthful to ourselves. As he explains, “We tend to cling on to delusions about ourselves and it can be frightening to face the truth.”
Hence, in Ostermeier’s adaptation of Norweigian playwright Henrik Ibsen’s An Enemy of the People, Dr Stockmann’s determination to expose his town’s contaminated drinking water becomes complicated when the people refuse to give up the tourism that depends on it. Showing at the Esplanade Theatre on May 11 and 12 as part of this year’s Singapore International Festival of Arts ( SIFA), it marks Ostermeier’s debut on a Southeast Asian stage. Since it was first performed in Berlin in 2012, the production has travelled to Buenos Aires, Copenhagen, Istanbul, Seoul and Melbourne.
In this depiction, Ostermeier showcases his famous gritty realism with nostalgic rock tunes, a hipster wardrobe and an interactive scene. It even comes with a warning for audiences in the first three rows: You might get splashed with water-soluble paint. In this climatic scene, the play breaches the proverbial fourth wall, lifting the hypothetical veil that conceals the truth.
“The actors encourage a very direct audience participation in this part,” says Ostermeier. “[ Having played] the show all over the world, it is intriguing to experience different reactions. Our personal attitude towards democracy, for example, is questioned. This part often triggers an open-hearted, passionate discussion among the audience, revealing the problems and issues of the respective place.”
He adds, “It is astonishing how clearly a 19th-century play about a provincial phenomenon highlights crucial political and social issues of today. We sharpened Ibsen’s original text by inserting a passage from The Coming Insurrection, a French radical leftist, anarchist tract published in 2007 by The Invisible Committee, an anonymous group of authors.”
Ostermeier insists he does not know any more than the audience, however. “For me, it is much more thrilling to share my questions and uncertainties than to proclaim messages. I am not naive enough to believe that theatre can change the world, but theatre can encourage us to change our perspectives, strengthen our empathy and help us to overcome the distinction of ‘them’ and ‘us’.” You are showing in southeast asia for the first time. what do You hope to bring to the local theatre culture?
I am not very familiar with Singapore’s theatre culture but I look forward to the encounters and the exchange of ideas during SIFA. I am curious about the reaction of the Singaporean audience.
what’s the most overlooked theme in An Enemy of the PEOPLE?
How the power of economical thinking is threatening democracy and the ecological survival of our planet. Another interesting feature of the play is how it can shift our sympathy for the characters. Of course, Dr Stockmann, who reveals the scandal of the poisoned water and fights for the truth, attracts our benevolence. But when he becomes obsessed more and more by anarchist, post-democratic ideas, especially in his passionate speech, he starts to lose our undivided support. So the play makes us question our beliefs. describe Your version of the play.
We tried to use Ibsen’s text from 1882 to deal with very contemporary questions. Is our concept of representative democracy still working? How can the majority be a powerful category when the media influences and misleads people so easily? How can we defend ourselves when economic pressure constantly starts to undermine public interests? what do You consider the essence of a good play?
For me, a play should reflect contemporary social issues without simplification. It provides challenging parts for the actors, and is joyful and entertaining. Theatre is one of the last social spaces where we can reflect on the essence of our humanity. In this collective experience beyond any pressure of efficiency, we share our fears and hopes. Plays are still relevant in our world. what else are You working on? We are doing a stage adaptation of History of Violence by Edouard Louis. This is a very personal, autobiographical story of homosexual rape, and the victim’s struggle to keep the sovereignty over the narrative. back to An Enemy of the PEOPLE. why should we watch it?
You would miss an exciting evening otherwise!