Jeremy Strong in review of 'An Enemy of the People' on Broadway: Strangely disappointing

Jeremy Strong was standing at the bartop table, a self-righteous, rebellious pose no stranger to “Caliphate” scion Kendall Roy, whose notoriety helped turn Henrik Ibsen's somewhat strict 1882 morality tale into a hot ticket for Broadway. Strong's character, Dr. Thomas Stockman, was about to claim his title, using a town hall-style meeting to denounce soon-to-be-opened local bathhouses for spewing poisoned water.

Cue climate activists: affiliated with a group known as Extinction RevolutionThey clearly linked the Norwegian drama set in a small town to an urgent global crisis, chanting “The oceans are rising and they will swallow this town” and “There is no theater on a dead planet!” Some of the actors howled back into character as staff hurried to end the interruption. Watch the videos And you'll see that almost no one in the audience, including me, seemed surprised.

That's because Amy Herzog's new version of the text, and this sweeping theatrical presentation by her husband, Sam Gold, were actually meant to blur the distinctions between past and present. (Patrons had just been invited on stage for free shots of Linie Aquavit, during a short intermission that appeared to be a response to Norway.)

The bold themes that Ibsen embodies – the accuracy of truth in the face of mob mentality, the spread of misinformation by the press, the making of money at the expense of nature – need no updating.

But Herzog, who adapted last season's critically acclaimed version of “A Doll's House,” also recasts Ibsen's story in a simplified, contemporary vernacular. In clear, frank dialogue, the action clocks in at just under two hours, eliminating some characters — Thomas is now a widower — and enhancing others, most notably his daughter Petra (an attractive Victoria Pedretti), whose warmth and integrity he enjoys. Bring some heart to the proceedings.

There is only a modest level of emotion in Petra's brief courtship by newspaper editor Hofstad (a tough Caleb Eberhardt), who flips from her father's staunchest ally to his most outspoken enemy, refusing to publish Thomas's study on water pollution once it becomes clear that the news might lead to ruin. City finances.

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But the puzzling lack of fire in the production (despite the beautiful, lantern-rich lighting design by Isabella Bird) is down to the good Doctor himself. Strong carries Thomas's convictions like a limp hand on a briefcase, maintaining his composure even as he makes a fatal discovery and is then battered by the betrayal he attempts to uncover. Famous for it Extreme mathematical representation approachStrong seems alive to every moment onstage but not fully involved in its consequences—even when the latter leaves him curled up on the floor.

The paths of Ibsen's logic run at a modest pace – how could Thomas not immediately understand that fixing the water problem would be expensive? Allowing the audience to jump ahead and watch the characters catch up. Portraying the late appearances of a supposedly brilliant man is a difficult matter, and Strong takes a simple approach. As was the case with his angry speech in which he described his haters as an ignorant and self-satisfied mob. After the fiery cries of the real protesters, Strong's delivery seemed calmer.

The strong pairing with Michael Imperioli, who makes his Broadway debut as Peter, Thomas' brother and the sheriff who leads the charge against him, lends the revival a certain status in cable drama. But the intensity of the star-packed storm cloud of “The White Lotus” spreads across the stage, and the charged brotherhood between the rival siblings is only intermittently believable.

Gould's attention to texture and tactile detail asks the audience to lean into him; The play's early scenes foster an exciting intimacy that is later blown away by civil controversy. From the delicate borders of Petra's wool shawl (costumes by David Zinn) to the Rosemaling patterns painted on the white set (designed by the Dots collective), the production creates a seductive and compelling world within the realm of the senses. But it took a stunning ambush to lift the moral of the story right now.

Enemy of the people, through June 16 at Circle in the Square Theater in New York. 2 hours. anenemyofthepeopleplay.com.