SINGAPORE — It’s the first production I caught at the “People”-themed fest and, already, the people are under scrutiny!

Nine Years Theatre dishes out yet another crisp and clear production, and as with last year’s Twelve Angry Men, the messy, complicated aspects of human nature go on trial in Ibsen’s An Enemy Of The People.

How far can idealism go? How far *should* it go? For every wide-eyed hero type who succeeds, there’s a blinkered crusader who falls and falls hard.

Here’s the story of Thomas Stockmann, a chipper town doctor who discovers there’s something in the water that makes people sick. He’s all set to reveal his findings and save the day — except that he runs into his brother, the mayor, who’d rather they deal with it… differently.

Shades of Erin Brockovich here (sorry, Ibsenites, couldn’t resist!) but more pointedly, some uncanny similarities close to home: It takes place in a small town that, by virtue of its geographic location, has struck gold in the form of healthy spring water — which could be a potential ticket to the big time and transform the whole place into an awesome resort town and bring in lots of, erm, tourists.

Right? Right? I’ll leave it at that.

The Doctor, enthusiastically waving his Science, stands in the way with his expose, which, unfortunately will cost the government lots of money, not to mention lose face.

Here is Idealism face to face with its enemies: Corruption, Pragmatism, Bureaucracy, Status Quo, etc, all seeking to undermine its stubborn, pesky presence.

It’s not just abstraction, though, as Ibsen’s characters are solid archetypes in society: Stockmann, his equally idealistic daughter-teacher, the liberal editor of a liberal newspaper, the moderate publisher, Stockmann’s pompous brother-mayor, a nameless, faceless crowd.

The latter figure in the play’s tragic peak, a public gathering that sees Stockmann’s fall from grace. It’s a pointed attack on the numbers version of democracy, where majority rules, even if they’re obviously being taken for a ride.

But it’s the story of Stockmann that captivates. For much of the play, it’s pretty black and white, until right near the end where the greys become more pronounced and Stockmann’s motives are questioned (even as he continues to maintain his position that, damn it, there are things worth fighting for even you’ve been labeled an enemy of the people and your family’s in danger!).

It’s a play to make the idealist in you wince and squirm — the twisting and turning, complex relations that revolve around this single resolute boulder, you can’t decide whether to cheer him on or be embarrassed. (The entire ensemble does well, but it’s a real treat to see Rei Poh as the embattled doctor — although maybe he could do with a wee bit of mad glint in his eyes. Or a twitch or tick. I’d certainly have one, banging my head against the proverbial wall.) Compromise is a dirty word for some, but history has moved forward thanks to a lot of compromises. Then again, we’ve got stubborn people to thank, too.

Despite the complex issues and characters, Nelson Chia’s systematic, precise direction gives the play a lucid sheen. In the name of, ahem, transparency, the actors bring in the props themselves, they hang out in the sidelines waiting for their scenes in full view of the audience, they describe the scenes prior to acting in them, revealing artifice. Tellingly, while Poh and Jean Toh each took on a single role as the doctor and his daughter, respectively, everyone else (Hang Qian Chou, Neo Hai Bin and Mia Chee) kept switching (or stepping out of) character(s). In this very approach, Chia nails the shifting, fluid nature of politics even as the noble/foolhardy (take your pick) stands singular.

An Enemy Of The People is sold out. For more details on the festival, visit www.singaporefringe.com