It was great to see J B Priestly’s An Inspector calls is still a firm favourite for GCSE English Literature pupils as the audience was buzzing with the sound of students entering the auditorium last night.
Directed by Stephen Daldry, the play, set in 1912 – two years before the First World War – and written in 1945, was first produced in 1992.
Last night’s production showed why it is still so popular.
The curtain lifted to reveal a cobbled street with rain pouring down. Children played in the puddles as the rain fell.
The lighting and set design were really atmospheric and set the scene. A solitary lamp and telephone box could be seen alongside the Birlings’ house through the fog as the rain slowed.
Inspector Goole, played by Liam Brennan, entered the stage complete with mac and hat. The Birlings appeared at the windows of the house set up high, above the children who were running around the cobbled streets, accentuating the divide between upper and lower class.
The Birlings could be seen celebrating the engagement of daughter Sheila Birling, played by Chloe Orrock, and Gerald Croft, played by Simon Cotton. This was the first time the audience caught a glimpse of the characters. The mood is cheerful.
As the inspector interrupts the party, the mood changes. He interrogates each one of those gathered, in turn, about the death of a young woman named Eva Smith who took her own life by drinking disinfectant.
As the walls to the house open, and the inspector continues to question the family, the class divide becomes even clearer as the Birling family are dressed up in their best whilst children play in the dirt outside.
At first Arthur Birling, played by Jeffrey Harmer, dismisses the inspector’s line of questioning, but as the Inspector digs deeper, he finds himself defending his actions during the time Eva was in his employ and asking for higher pay.
The inspector grills every member of the family, and as he does so, he takes off layers of clothing, first his hat and coat, followed by his jacket and later rolls his sleeves up, with the layers being revealed as he gets deeper into the case. Brennan plays a very strong role with clarity and confidence. Indeed, each member of this cast shows every personality with such depth of character.
Sheila Burling, who, through the inspector’s questioning, admits getting Eva fired from her work in a shop. Her mood changes as she faces the realisation that she has played a part in Eva Smith’s death. As it slowly dawns on her that each one of the family has had a part to play in the girl’s downfall, she tries to get them to each take responsibility for their actions.
Sheila then finds out that her fiancee, Gerald Croft, has had an affair with Eva Smith, otherwise known as Daisy Renton. He doesn’t admit it at first, but when he does, he becomes more repentant about the situation as time goes on.
As the Inspector tears into each character to expose them, they come down from the house, bringing them onto the same level.
Sybil Birling, played by Christine Kavanagh, is next to be questioned. She finally admits that she sits on a charity organisation which Eva/Daisy approached for funding and was refused. She admits that she knew Eva was pregnant and it is clear she thinks less of her because she is pregnant and single.
What Sybil didn’t know was that Eva/Daisy was actually pregnant with her son, Eric Birling’s child. Eric, played by George Rowlands, who had been drinking, and struggled to come to terms with the sobering news. It was later revealed that he stole money from his father to give to Eva.
Throughout the narrative, Edna, played by Frances Campbell is constantly in the background, not speaking, but she proves that actions speak louder than words and she again highlights the social divide through her actions. Although not speaking, she is a constant provider of comfort by providing hot drinks, chairs to sit on, even a red carpet for Mrs Birling as she leaves the house.
Towards the end of the play, three telephone calls are made. the first two are clearly Mr Birling’s attempt at avoiding a scandal. First, he rings the Chief Constable who confirms there is no Inspector Goole. He then rings the infirmary who confirm there have been no recent suicides.
Later, the telephone rings to inform the family that a girl has just died and an inspector is on his way to speak to the family.
This sell-out show gives the audience time to reflect on their own social conscience – the themes written at the time are still as relevant today as they were then.
