Public Enemy, a razor-sharp adaptation of Norwegian playwright Henrik Ibsen’s classic, explored the ideals of democracy, majority rule and the media, reflecting issues that remain startlingly relevant today. Staged by W!LD RICE, the play ran at the Victoria Theatre from the 9 April to 25 April 2015. Addressing the hidden social and political truths in Singapore or even globally today, Glen Goei’s genius creation of this production inspired an intrepid company to hold up a mirror to our community to gain a better vision of the world around us. It was a thought-provoking piece that kept the audience hanging on to every word in this skilful production. I had never been interested in politics and yet this play had the power to draw the audience
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Glen Goei brought this out again because he knew Ibsen wrote it as a response to the terrible reviews and public hysteria he received both from the critics as well as to the public since his last play, Ghosts. “The State was not the only bête noire of Henrik Ibsen. Every other institution which, like the State, rests upon a lie, was an iniquity to him. Uncompromising demolisher of all false idols and dynamiter of all social shams and hypocrisy, Ibsen consistently strove to uproot every stone of our social structure.” (Emma 3) From the Ibsen’s time to the modern age, many individuals have expressed views that have earned them widespread scorn and reprobation sometimes for good reason. They were also known as the Public Enemies of their times. Back in 1954, Lim Chin Siong founded the People Action Party alongside Lee Kuan Yew and was an advocate of Singapore’s right to independent self-governance. To muzzle Lim due to his increasing population among the grassroots, the politicians in power branded him a communist who sought to subvert the authorities through violent means. Accused of instigating riots on the ground, he was detained under the Internal Security Act and was consigned to detention without trial for six years. Until the end of his life, Lim denied the allegations that he was a Communist. “The Singapore government has never had any evidence that Lim was part of a communist conspiracy. Nor has any evidence been produced for hundreds of other political detainees who were detained under the PPSO and its successor, the Internal Security Act.” (Ping Tjin 19) That was the predicament of the main character, Thomas Chee in Public Enemy as well. He was swiftly vilified as the ‘enemy of the people’ for his efforts, and had to resolve to shine a spotlight on an important issue the country was
Glen Goei brought this out again because he knew Ibsen wrote it as a response to the terrible reviews and public hysteria he received both from the critics as well as to the public since his last play, Ghosts. “The State was not the only bête noire of Henrik Ibsen. Every other institution which, like the State, rests upon a lie, was an iniquity to him. Uncompromising demolisher of all false idols and dynamiter of all social shams and hypocrisy, Ibsen consistently strove to uproot every stone of our social structure.” (Emma 3) From the Ibsen’s time to the modern age, many individuals have expressed views that have earned them widespread scorn and reprobation sometimes for good reason. They were also known as the Public Enemies of their times. Back in 1954, Lim Chin Siong founded the People Action Party alongside Lee Kuan Yew and was an advocate of Singapore’s right to independent self-governance. To muzzle Lim due to his increasing population among the grassroots, the politicians in power branded him a communist who sought to subvert the authorities through violent means. Accused of instigating riots on the ground, he was detained under the Internal Security Act and was consigned to detention without trial for six years. Until the end of his life, Lim denied the allegations that he was a Communist. “The Singapore government has never had any evidence that Lim was part of a communist conspiracy. Nor has any evidence been produced for hundreds of other political detainees who were detained under the PPSO and its successor, the Internal Security Act.” (Ping Tjin 19) That was the predicament of the main character, Thomas Chee in Public Enemy as well. He was swiftly vilified as the ‘enemy of the people’ for his efforts, and had to resolve to shine a spotlight on an important issue the country was