LOS ANGELES -- Previews begin Wednesday, July 15, for Trevor Nunn's staging of Henrik Ibsen's An Enemy of the People starring Ian McKellen, at the Ahmanson Theatre.

The Royal National Theatre production, in its exclusive U.S. engagement, tells the story of Dr. Tomas Stockmann, played by McKellen, a doctor in a Norwegian coastal town who discovers that the local baths are dangerously contaminated. An indictment of politicians and the gullibility of the public, the play depicts Stockmann's attempt to expose the scandal.

In this new version by Christopher Hampton, An Enemy of the People has been reshaped as a contemporary debate about the value of the individual.

Co-starring in Enemy will be Robert Aldous, Sally-Ann Burnett, Andrew Burt, Naomi Capron, Charlotte Cornwell, Jim Creighton, Pip Donaghy, Chris Gillespie, Michael Haughey, Paul Higgins, Ray Llewellyn, Murray McArthur, Guy Manning, Seymour Matthews, Michael Mawby, Stephen Moore, Ralph Nossek, Isabel Pollen, Ben Porter, Patrick Romer, Alisdair Simpson, Glynn Sweet, Michael Welch and Alan White.

The show opened at the Royal Theatre in London. An Enemy of the People previews run at 8 PM Wednesday July 15, through Friday, July 17; 2 PM and 8 PM July 18 and 19, with tickets ranging from $15 to $42. The regular run is July 22 through September 6. Regular performances are 8 PM Tuesday through Saturday; 2 PM Saturday and Sunday. Tickets for the regular run are from $15 to $52.50.

Additional performances will be 7:30 PM July 26, Aug. 2, 9 and 16; and 2 PM Aug. 20, 27 and Sept. 3.

For information, call (213) 628-2772. For group sales, call (213) 972 7231.

-- By Michael Farkash
Southern California Correspondent