Cate Blanchett sports kooky specs and a low-key suit as she supports Matt Smith at the An Enemy of the People press night

By William On Feb 21, 2024

Cate Blanchett supported Matt Smith on Tuesday during the An Enemy of the People press evening in London’s West End.

The actress, 54, wore crazy glasses and a sloppy suit as she attended the show at The Duke of York Theatre.

The Oscar-winning star wore gray wide-leg trousers with a black and white blouse and a black blazer over it.

Cate completed the look with black and nude chunky sneakers with white soles, a small black and gold handbag and black thick-rimmed glasses.

Matt stars in An Enemy of the People, Thomas Ostermeier’s reinterpretation of Henrik Ibsen’s classic play.

Cate Blanchett supported Matt Smith on Tuesday during the An Enemy of the People press evening in London’s West End

The actress, 54, wore crazy glasses and a sloppy suit as she attended the show at The Duke of York Theatre

The actor, 41, beamed as he left the press night after-party at The National Portrait Gallery after the performance, looking relaxed in a tweed bomber jacket and white T-shirt.

In addition to Matt as Dr. Stockmann are Jessica Brown Findlay as Katharina Stockmann, Priyanga Burford as Aslaksen, Zachary Hart as Billing, Paul Hilton as Peter Stockmann, Nigel Lindsay as Morten Kiil and Shubham Saraf as Hovstad.

Matt’s Doctor Who co-star and companion Jenna Coleman also turned out to support him for the press night.

The actress, 37, showed off her sophisticated sense of style in a long brown belted coat as she attended the event at the Duke of York’s Theatre.

Underneath she wore a beautiful red gingham dress and completed her look with chunky black shoes and tights.

Jenna carried a sleek black Chanel bag over her shoulders and styled her brunette locks in loose waves.

Jenna and Matt appeared together in Doctor Who and have remained good friends ever since.

The actress played the role of Clara Oswald for three seasons, serving as companion to the Eleventh and Twelfth Doctors, Matt and Peter Capaldi, respectively.

Matt Smith, 41, beamed as he left the press night afterparty at the National Portrait Gallery after the performance

The Oscar-winning star wore gray wide-leg trousers with a black and white blouse and a black blazer over it

Matt looked pleased as he left the afterparty in London after the press night

Matt stars in An Enemy of the People, Thomas Ostermeier’s reinterpretation of Henrik Ibsen’s classic play

(L to R) Cast members Shubham Saraf, Zachary Hart, Matt Smith, Jessica Brown Findlay, Priyanga Burford, Paul Hilton and Nigel Lindsay

The cast can be seen on stage

REVIEWS: An enemy of the people

The Telegraph:

Judgement:

Dominic Cavendish writes: ‘The star of Crown and Doctor Who is a natural fit for the role of Dr. Stockmann – but this flawed production could use a digital-age upgrade.

‘It is a role he is naturally suited to, with his high-brow appearance and air of brooding intellectual, even doctoral authority.

‘On paper it’s a play for today, but the concept could use an upgrade to the digital age and a little more power to set the world on fire.’

The guard

Judgement:

Arifa Akbar writes: ‘Rock’n’roll reinterpretation of Ibsen’s timeless corruption drama brings audiences into direct Question Time-style dialogue with Smith’s idealistic revolutionary.

“He’s a doctor, new father and musician who belts out a David Bowie song before launching his protest against the corruption of small businesses in small towns and the sale of polluted spa water for public consumption.”

The stage

Judgement:

The publication writes: ‘Matt Smith is arresting in a dry, overly deliberate reinterpretation of German director Thomas Ostermeier’s Ibsen.’

The Evening Standard

Judgement:

Nick Curtis writes: ‘Kudos to Matt Smith: it’s bold of him to choose this unpalatable, uneven production of Ibsen’s social criticism for his latest return to the stage.

‘The story of a doctor who was destroyed for revealing a public health crisis in the spa waters on which his city depends juxtaposes understated naturalism with crude political slogans and public participation.

“The casually charismatic Smith and a great supporting cast can’t prevent things from falling apart in the second half.”

Financial times

Judgement:

Sarah Hemming writes: ‘The performances are wonderful, especially from Zachary Hart as the funny, dorky Billing and Jessica Brown Findlay as the long-suffering Katharina.

“And Smith is great. His Stockmann roars, rages and despairs, but ends (unlike Ibsen’s original) exhausted, pulling from a bottle of beer and considering a compromise.’

The independent

Judgement:

Alice Saville writes: ‘The ‘Doctor Who’ star makes a bold choice for his return to the stage, but German director Thomas Ostermeier’s reinterpretation of Ibsen’s play about a man fighting to speak out can come across as smug and complacent .’

The times

Judgement:

Clive Davis writes: ‘The sad truth is that Thomas Ostermeier’s sophomoric attempt to drag the Norwegian playwright into the 21st century is so clumsy that it could almost be part of a sinister conservative plot to wipe out left-wing theater once and for all to row.

‘Smith gives a reasonable performance, although he is outdone by the ever-reliable Paul Hilton (not so long ago a memorably vicious Iago at the National) who takes a swipe at Stockmann’s establishment-minded brother.’

A synopsis of the show reads: ‘Doubt spreads faster than disease in Ibsen’s thought-provoking play about truth in a society driven by power and money.

‘If Dr. Stockmann makes an incredible discovery about the healing waters in his local baths, he has the city’s future in his hands, but those who have everything to lose refuse to accept his word.

‘As the battle moves beyond polluted water, barriers are broken in this contemporary production as Ostermeier shows us why this eternal class will be relevant forever.

Celebrated director Thomas Ostermeier’s production of An Enemy of the People makes its West End debut and will play for a strictly limited run at the Duke of York’s Theater from February 6, 2024.

In a recent interview, Matt revealed how his role as Prince Philip in The Crown helped him secure the position.

He told The Telegraph: ‘I was lucky. I’m not sure Thomas had a great knowledge of English actors or their work.’

Matt added: “But he had seen The Crown and he had enjoyed it.”

Admitting that he is a big fan of the German director, he continued: “He’s quite impressive. I always thought that if he ever worked in London, I would check in and see it, because that’s the kind of theater I want to be involved with: the stuff that tries to push things to the edge… everywhere.”

Jenna Coleman looked chic as she supported her Doctor Who co-star Matt Smith at the opening night of his new play

Matt was wearing dirty clothes towards the end of the show