Sherman Theatre is to present presents Brad Birch’s new reimagining of Henrik Ibsen’s An Enemy of the People this May. The Joe Murphy directed A Hero of the People brings together well-known Welsh talent from the worlds of stage and screen.
Oliver Ryan from ITV’s The Pembrokeshire Murders will play Mick Powell, while Sherman Theatre Associate Artist Suzanne Packer stars as Mick’s sister Dr Rhiannon Powell. Suzanne is well known to audiences from her time on BBC One’s Casualty and has also made recent appearances in Welsh dramas Bang and Keeping Faith. She is a regular broadcaster on BBC Radio Wales, and co-author of Still Breathing: 100 Black Voices on Racism.
Mared Jarman from Boom Cymru will play Mick’s daughter Hannah Powell-Morris, and Catrin Stewart (who played Doctor Who favourite Jenny Flint) joins the cast as journalist Elin Tate.
Pal Aron, familiar to audiences as Jag in Stella, Adam in Casualty and The Master in Behind the Beautiful Forevers by David Hare (National Theatre) will play Patrick.
In this new reimagining of Ibsen’s An Enemy of the People, Brad Birch asks: hero or enemy, who can tell the difference?
MP Mick Powell is optimistic about his plan to introduce fracking to his town and the benefits it will bring. Everything is going to be fine, better than fine, in fact there’s nothing that can’t be achieved if everyone just believes a little. The naysayers just need to pipe down.
But there’s a problem. His sister, Dr Rhiannon Powell, has discovered that the project appears to be polluting the town’s water supply. Mick sold the town a story about the future, but what will happen when reality looks to tear that story apart? What will the cost be for himself, his family and his town? Is he in too deep?
A Hero For The People is directed by Sherman Theatre Artistic Director Joe Murphy. “I am absolutely thrilled to be announcing such an exciting cast and to be working with a brilliant creative team for A Hero of the People,” says Joe.
“This talented team will bring something unique to this gripping play. Brad Birch is writing a taut, moving and thought-provoking script that I think will fire up both the hearts and minds of our audiences. It has been so inspiring to watch him tackle this play head on and bring it crashing in to 21st Century Wales.”
Brad Birch adds: “I’m delighted to be reunited with Joe Murphy for this show back home at the brilliant Sherman Theatre. The world feels strange and fragile and unpredictable at the moment and we are using this retelling of one of our great modern myths to try and make sense of it.”
- A Hero For The People will be presented from 13 – 28 May 2022. For ticket details visit the Sherman Theatre’s website