Award-winning Brazilian actor Wagner Moura, who gained international acclaim for his portrayal of Pablo Escobar in the first two seasons of Netflix’s hit series Narcos, will be in Athens in the coming days to star in An Enemy of the People, which will be performed on July 26 and 27 at Pireos 260 as part of the Athens Epidaurus Festival.

The 49-year-old actor arrives in Greece following a landmark year in his career. He became the first Brazilian actor to receive an Academy Award nomination and won Best Actor at both the Cannes Film Festival and the Golden Globe Awards for his performance in the political thriller The Secret Agent, directed by fellow Brazilian filmmaker Kleber Mendonça Filho.

The production

The production of An Enemy of the People offers a fresh take on Henrik Ibsen’s classic 1882 social drama, serving as a continuation of the original story.

Ibsen wrote the play while living in Rome during a period of major political upheaval across Europe, choosing instead to focus on the closed society of a small Norwegian town.

The story follows Dr. Thomas Stockmann, who exposes contamination in the town’s spa waters. The local authorities refuse to address the problem because of the enormous financial cost. Stockmann takes the matter into his own hands and calls on the townspeople to protest, but his speech provokes public outrage and ultimately leads to him being branded “an enemy of the people.”

The new adaptation, directed by internationally acclaimed Brazilian filmmaker and theatre director Christiane Jatahy, with Wagner Moura serving as co-creator, picks up the story where Ibsen left it.

Dr. Stockmann returns seeking a second judgment—not acquittal, but the right to a fair hearing that will examine his actions, decisions and public stance. Did he undermine democracy, or was he unfairly condemned? Stockmann defends himself, while his brother and the town’s mayor, Peter, acts as prosecutor. Other characters present their own versions of events, transforming a family conflict into a broader reflection on society.

Audience decides the verdict

The production’s most distinctive feature is that the audience determines the final outcome.

Twelve audience members who register in advance are selected to serve as jurors during the theatrical trial. They actively participate by asking questions and intervening throughout the performance.

As a result, the final verdict is never predetermined but depends entirely on the perspectives and values of that evening’s jury.

Reflecting director Christiane Jatahy’s background in cinema, the production also incorporates filmed material and testimonies related to the environmental and political realities of contemporary Brazil.

The result is a theatre performance that transforms into a live public trial, revealing a different truth—and a different reflection of society—with every performance.