Feeble, sophomoric and paper-thin: Matt Smith is nothing if not exciting, but he's wasted on this one-À±¡¿¼çÌò¤Ë¤¹¤ë adaptation of An Enemy Of The People, Îá¾õs PATRICK MARMION
An Enemy Of The People (Duke of York¡Çs Theatre, London)
Ƚ·è: More likely to make us ¼ûÍס¦Í׵᤹¤ë our money »Ù±ç¤¹¤ë than it is to send us µÞ¤°ing to the ¥Ð¥ê¥±¡¼¥És.
The last time I saw?Matt Smith live on ¹Ô¤¦¡¿³«ºÅ¤¹¤ë¡¿Ãʳ¬, he chased É餫¤¹¡¿·âÄƤ¹¤ë a ºÇ¹â¤Î-sized moth that had dared to ¿¯Î¬¤¹¤ë his space Ãæ±û¤Î ¶ÈÀÓ¡¿À®²Ì at the ²¦¼¼¤Î Ë¡ÄºÛȽ½ê Theatre in Chelsea.
The former Doctor Who, who also played Prince Philip in the ±É´§¤òÍ¿¤¨¤ë, is therefore nothing if not an exciting and ͽ¬¤Ç¤¤Ê¤¤ showman.
I¡Çm sorry to Êó¹ð¡Ê¤¹¤ë¡Ë¡¿²±Â¬, however, that this does not so much ŬÍѤ¹¤ë to his Ǯ˾¤·¤Æ ¿´ÇÛ¤¹¤ëd return to live theatre. He is wasted on a piece of sophomoric, paper-thin agit-»Ù¤¨¡Ê¤ë¡Ë that¡Çs more likely to make us ¼ûÍס¦Í׵᤹¤ë our money »Ù±ç¤¹¤ë than it is to send us µÞ¤°ing to the ¥Ð¥ê¥±¡¼¥És.
The actor with the famously vulpine features is taking the lead Ìò³ä of Doctor Stockmann in a feeble modern day updating of Henrik Ibsen¡Çs ¹Âç¤Ê¡¿Â¿¿ô¤Î¡¿½ÅÍ×¤Ê 19th-century µ¯ÁÊ¡¤¹ðȯ of institutional ±ø¿¦ in a Norwegian spa town where the water has been ±øÀ÷¤¹¤ëd.
![Matt Smith is wasted on a piece of sophomoric, paper-thin agit-prop that¡Çs more likely to make us demand our money back than it is to send us rushing to the barricades.](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2024/02/21/15/81536285-13109293-image-a-67_1708529234172.jpg)
Matt Smith is wasted on a piece of sophomoric, paper-thin agit-»Ù¤¨¡Ê¤ë¡Ë that¡Çs more likely to make us ¼ûÍס¦Í׵᤹¤ë our money »Ù±ç¤¹¤ë than it is to send us µÞ¤°ing to the ¥Ð¥ê¥±¡¼¥És.
![The actor is taking the lead role of Doctor Stockmann in a feeble modern day updating of Henrik Ibsen¡Çs great 19th-century indictment of institutional corruption](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2024/02/21/15/81524197-13109293-While_Smith_s_edgy_take_on_central_character_Stockmann_as_a_jean-a-54_1708528725397.jpg)
The actor is taking the lead Ìò³ä of Doctor Stockmann in a feeble modern day updating of Henrik Ibsen¡Çs ¹Âç¤Ê¡¿Â¿¿ô¤Î¡¿½ÅÍ×¤Ê 19th-century µ¯ÁÊ¡¤¹ðȯ of institutional ±ø¿¦
Directed by German avant-gardist Thomas Ostermeier, it is »Ï¤á¤ë¡¤·è¤á¤ë ¤ÎÃæ¤Ç a group of the town¡Çs middle class, ¡Æwokey cokey ¼«Í³¼çµÁ¤Îs¡Ç who have identified civilisation as ¡Æclinically dead¡Ç.
Such snarling ÀëÅÁ is better ¤Õ¤µ¤ï¤·¤¤ to a student union than the West End, and with most remaining tickets Äê²Á¤Ä¤¤Î at ¡ò100-¡ò200, the real ºñ¼è¤¹¤ë is on Smith¡Çs legions of faithful young fans.
The first thing that ·Þ¤¨¤ë¡¿´¿·Þ¤¹¤ës them in the theatre is a ˸¤²¤ë¡¿Ë¡ÄÊÛ¸î»Î¶È selling Veuve Clicquot ¥·¥ã¥ó¥Ú¥ó¼ò. Yet that hasn¡Çt stopped the ²õ¤ì¤ä¤¹¤¤ pretence that the show is a °®¤ê¤³¤Ö¤· shaken at fat cats and vested Íø±×¡¿¶½Ì£s.
After the interval - when the blackboard »Ï¤á¤ë¡¤·è¤á¤ë, painted with É÷»ÉÌ¡²è hieroglyphics, has been spattered in white paint during an ersatz ÄÄÎ󤹤롤ȯ´ø¤¹¤ë of È¿¹³ - the À¸»º¡¿»ºÊª turns into a political ¹³µÄ¤¹¤ë ²ñ¹ç. Smith steps up with a class-war diatribe, in which he É۹𤹤ës ¡Æsociety deserves its ÀäÌÇ¡Ç.
As becomes ÌÀ¤é¤«¤Ê from the Question Time style ´ØÍ¿ of the audience (yes, there is voluntary audience »²²Ã), feelings of powerlessness and despair at the ̤Íè are real ´Ø¿´s for many young people.
But all they get here is flimsy moral µçÃÏs, as Smith¡Çs doctor comes into ¾×ÆÍ with his brother the »ÔĹ (Paul Hilton), defender of the fictional town¡Çs ·ÐºÑŪ¤Ê Íø±×¡¿¶½Ì£s.
Said town is, moreover, in the »ÙÇÛ¤¹¤ë of a serious ±ÖÉ¡¿Î®¹ÔÀ¤Î of nepotism. Not only has the brother °ÂÁ´¤Ê¡¦Êݾڤ¹¤ëd Doctor Stockmann¡Çs ¿¦¶È, Smith¡Çs wife (Jessica Brown Findlay) is the daughter of a gruff Yorkshire industrialist (Nigel Lindsay) who makes a handful of ³°¸«s with an inexplicable Alsatian dog.
And no ¤¤¤Ã¤½¤¦¾¯¤Ê¤¯ cliquishly, Smith and his Mrs are part of a David Bowie and Oasis cover-¶Ø»ß¡Ê¤¹¤ë¡Ëd who rehearse in his home with the editor and ¼çÍ×¤Ê writer of the Ãϸµ¤Î paper.
![He is wasted on a piece of sophomoric, paper-thin agit-prop that¡Çs more likely to make us demand our money back than it is to send us rushing to the barricades](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2024/02/21/15/81524195-13109293-If_public_opinion_serves_to_alienate_Matt_Smith_in_An_Enemy_Of_T-a-55_1708528789826.jpg)
He is wasted on a piece of sophomoric, paper-thin agit-»Ù¤¨¡Ê¤ë¡Ë that¡Çs more likely to make us ¼ûÍס¦Í׵᤹¤ë our money »Ù±ç¤¹¤ë than it is to send us µÞ¤°ing to the ¥Ð¥ê¥±¡¼¥És
![(L to R) cast members Zachary Hart, Paul Hilton, Matt Smith, Jessica Brown Findlay, Nigel Lindsay, Priyanga Burford and Shubham Saraf](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2024/02/21/15/81510257-13109293-_L_to_R_cast_members_Zachary_Hart_Paul_Hilton_Matt_Smith_Jessica-a-56_1708528881230.jpg)
(L to R) cast members Zachary Hart, Paul Hilton, Matt Smith, Jessica Brown Findlay, Nigel Lindsay, Priyanga Burford and Shubham Saraf
![Directed by German avant-gardist Thomas Ostermeier, it is set among a group of the town¡Çs middle class, ¡Æwokey cokey liberals¡Ç who have identified civilisation as ¡Æclinically dead¡Ç](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2024/02/21/15/81536273-13109293-image-a-68_1708529292259.jpg)
Directed by German avant-gardist Thomas Ostermeier, it is »Ï¤á¤ë¡¤·è¤á¤ë ¤ÎÃæ¤Ç a group of the town¡Çs middle class, ¡Æwokey cokey ¼«Í³¼çµÁ¤Îs¡Ç who have identified civilisation as ¡Æclinically dead¡Ç
Nor is there any ¼Â¸³¡Ê¤¹¤ë¡Ë of Smith¡Çs »ö¼Â¾å¤Î¡¿ÂåÍý. Placidly sitting through a public character °Å»¦ by his brother when things go bad, he loafs about the ¹Ô¤¦¡¿³«ºÅ¤¹¤ë¡¿Ãʳ¬ in designer ¥¸¡¼¥ó¥ºs and sweat shirt, muttering about his unimpeachable ÀµÄ¾¤µ and getting spattered with paint balls when the town turns against him.
Ëܿͼ«¿È¤Ç, I didn¡Çt turn against him, because I couldn¡Çt get behind him in the first place.
There are audible sniggers from Whovians when one character tells him he¡Çs a brilliant doctor, and although that may have been true when he was up against the Daleks, here he¡Çs just roadkill for the play¡Çs evil »ñËܼçµÁ¼Ô cronies.
![Smith¡Çs Doctor Thomas Stockmann comes into conflict with his brother the Mayor (Paul Hilton), defender of the fictional town¡Çs economic interests](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2024/02/21/15/81510255-13109293-Smith_takes_a_starring_role_in_An_Enemy_Of_The_People_Norwegian_-m-58_1708528898075.jpg)
Smith¡Çs Doctor Thomas Stockmann comes into ¾×ÆÍ with his brother the »ÔĹ (Paul Hilton), defender of the fictional town¡Çs ·ÐºÑŪ¤Ê Íø±×¡¿¶½Ì£s