It is the ultimate battle of truth versus power. 

Two brothers in the midst of a row that will not only tear their family apart - but the whole town in which they live. 

Not only was it a hard hitting, powerful return to the Octagon Theatre for David Thacker, but it was also a fitting tribute to playwright Arthur Miller, whose 100th birthday falls this weekend.  

After passing the baton of artistic director to Elizabeth Newman last season, Mr Thacker has been focussing on a new venture at the University of Bolton running an MA course in theatre.

Set in a spa town of Norway, Dr Thomas Stockmann (Rob Edwards) came across the scoop of the century - the municipal baths that make the towns fortune is actually making people ill. 

But while the local "independent" newspaper initially showed support to publish his findings, his brother - and the town's mayor - Peter Stockmann (David Birrell) will stop at nothing to prevent the ink from drying. 

Birrell plays the deceitful and often sinister mayor to perfection, manipulating and blackmailing not only his brother but also the local newspaper journalists who initially backed the doctor's claims. 

Contrastingly Edwards keeps the audience on his character's side throughout - everyone rooting for him to be finally proved right, while showing his protective side towards his loyal family, including his strong wife Katrine (Barbara Drennan) and his fiery daughter Petra (Anne Wheatley). 

Young actors taking the role of the doctor's sons Ejlif and Morten (played in rotation, tonight by Joe and Tom) and the ALRA North students as the citizens showed every ounce of professionalism as their more experienced peers. 

Set in the round, with simple yet elegant props, the audience was able to feel part of the proceedings throughout. The scene changes were so fluid they were part of the play itself. 

The baying mob following the interval literally put the audience in the thick of it - and was quite a daunting experience as shouts of hatred were thrown at the doctor, who was branded by the town as an Enemy of the People. 

Despite the quite serious side to the play, Colin Connor provided some fantastic light relief as a drunken man, as did John Branwell (Morten Kill) specifically with his pilfering of apples and tobacco. 

The very "measured" publisher Aslaksen (John McArdle), newspaper editor Hovstad (David Nabil Stuart) and self-styled "progressive" journalist Billing (Harry Long), get caught up in the brothers' feud and, like the town, followed the the majority. Only the faithful Captain Horster (Marc Small) stood up for the doctor to the end. 

In many ways the play showed it to be very ahead of its time - with the politics of the people at the top using force and threats of taxes and hysteria to get their way.

And despite the audience willing the doctor and his family to be avenged, the abrupt and sad ending left a very real taste in the mouth and made you think - would you be strong enough to stand up for your convictions?