Brazilian actor Wagner Moura made a lasting impression at the 2026 Avignon Festival with his performance in *Un procès – après l'ennemi du peuple* (A Trial – After the Enemy of the People), a production by director Christiane Jatahy inspired by Henrik Ibsen's play *An Enemy of the People*. Presented at the Gymnase du lycée Aubanel, this contemporary adaptation received a long standing ovation, confirming its status as one of the most noteworthy shows of this year's festival.
Having risen to fame with his portrayal of Pablo Escobar in the series Narcos, Wagner Moura continues to enjoy critically acclaimed artistic career. Winner of the Best Actor award at the 2025 Cannes Film Festival and a Golden Globe in 2026 for Kleber Mendonça Filho's The Secret Agent, the actor makes a highly anticipated return to the stage with this production, his first major theatrical project in several years.
A reflection on whistleblowers and the truth
With Christiane Jatahy, Wagner Moura imagines a loose sequel to Ibsen's work published in 1882. He plays Thomas Stockmann, a doctor who discovers the contamination of the waters of a spa resort and tries to alert the population despite political, economic and media pressures.
The play transposes this story into a contemporary world where environmental issues, fake news, family conflicts, the weight of economic interests, and the vulnerability of whistleblowers all intersect. The main character gradually becomes the target of a veritable court of public opinion, in a society where, as the line spoken on stage states, "there are no longer any facts, only versions."
An immersive experience praised by the public
The show blurs the lines between theatre and cinema through the use of cameras, live video, and testimonials broadcast via videoconference. The originality of the production also lies in audience participation: at each performance, a dozen spectators are randomly selected to form a jury tasked with deciding the fate of the main character.
Alongside Wagner Moura, Danilo Grangheia delivers an impressive performance as Mayor Peter Stockmann, while Julia Bernat completes a unanimously acclaimed cast. Following the premiere, the three actors received a long standing ovation, making *A Trial – After the Enemy of the People* one of the major successes of the 2026 Avignon Festival.
