A TRIAL – after The Enemy of the People

The production opens several contemporary debates, such as: the nature of truth today, the relationship between moral imperatives and economics, how people’s lives are affected by public judgment, and how fascism can use democratic principles to destroy democracy.

By bringing these discussions into a fictional courtroom where the audience serves as the jury, Ibsen’s work is revisited through evidence, testimonies, and the intimate and familial relationships of the characters on stage.

“Truth is over. That’s what scares me the most. It’s over. There are no more facts—only versions. And when truth loses its value, then this entire room—and everything it represents—becomes a performance.”

Moving between reality and fiction, between himself and his character Thomas Stockmann, Wagner Moura begins, before the audience, what will become his final defense. This shifting boundary between reality and fiction, actor and character, and the construction of a living dramaturgy—partly created with the participation of the audience—runs throughout the play.
The three actors—Wagner Moura, Julia Bernat, and Danilo Grangheia—work in complete harmony with the theatrical research of Christiane Jatahy, where the fine line between acting and performance is constantly blurred. It becomes impossible to tell when they are improvising and when they are acting.

Audience Participation
Each night, eleven people who register before the show are randomly selected to serve as the jury. In addition to asking questions during the performance, they are the ones who will decide at the end whether Thomas Stockmann is—or is not—an Enemy of the People from today’s perspective.

A project by Christiane Jatahy and Wagner Moura
Concept and Direction Christiane Jatahy
Text Christiane Jatahy, Lucas Paraizo, and Wagner Moura
Cast Wagner Moura, Danilo Grangheia, and Julia Bernat
Production Cie Vertice – Axis Productions

Co-production Centro Cultural de Belém (Lisbon, Portugal), Holland Festival (Amsterdam), Festival d’Avignon (France), and Edinburgh International Festival (Scotland)
Supported by Center for the Art of Performance – UCLA (Los Angeles, USA)

World Premiere October 2, 2025 – Espaço Trapiche, Salvador, Bahia
With the support of Banco do Brasil