Written by J B Priestley

Directed by Stephen Daldry

Designed by Ian MacNeil

Review by Katherine McIntyre

Tickets from £15.00

Question 1: Discuss the best way to fill Glasgow’s Kings Theatre with teenagers on a Tuesday evening. You must consider potential limits on attention span and critical thinking. You may not use IP from the last 30 years, stunt casting, nor reference TikTok: 10 marks

The answer to the above is simple: a dramatically staged and dramatically shortened production of a text often studied in high school, in this case, J.B. Priestley’s An Inspector Calls. Now lapping the UK and Ireland for a second time, after the show’s 30th anniversary tour in 2022, Stephen Daldry’s updated production is designed for a modern audience. By shortening the play from its original three parts down to one (admittedly lengthy) act and leaning heavily on Ian MacNeil’s impressive stage design, Daldry has created a show designed to grip an audience, ensuring that our 21st-century attention spans are sated enough to take in the play’s undoubtedly relevant themes.

Priestley’s play is a damning critique of the upper class, condemning the flippant attitudes of families like the Birlings, who bulldoze their way through life, without regard for the consequences of their actions on those less fortunate than themselves. While the Birlings, accompanied by Gerald Croft (betrothed to young Sheila Birling), sit down to a celebratory meal, the mysterious Inspector Goole arrives to question them about the suicide of a young woman, Eva Smith. The ensuing interrogation unveils the part each family member played in Eva’s eventual suicide, with Goole forcing each to confront the consequences of their snobbery/greed/apathy.

In this production, the set, lighting and sound are as important as any actor in hammering home Priestley’s message. MacNeil’s set feels ripe for an essay question – the Birling residence dominates the stage, raised above the dark, cobbled streets of 1912 Brumley, a traditional manufacturing town. The curtain rises: rainfall and smoke encircle children huddled outside the closed, glowing façade of the house. The planks of the wooden stage are playfully curled up at one end, unfinished, shouting “analyse me!”. The lighting and sound cues can feel overly deliberate – each ominous chord a proverbial slap around the face that says, ‘this bit is important’.

Pointing out the maximalist direction of this production doesn’t detract from its effectiveness. Daldry’s An Inspector Calls is captivating, shocking and thought-provoking, lifting the text off the page in ways that teachers dream of. Sheila’s frustration is obvious and understandable, Arthur’s capitalist arrogance is unbearable, and Edna the maid is conspicuous in her silence, representing the working class throughout. The condensed runtime allows the plot to flow unimpeded, increasing our investment in the story.

Though heavy-handed at times, this production of An Inspector Calls is well worth a trip, school or not. Daldry’s adaptations are important – in increasing the entertainment value of Priestley’s play, modern audiences can enjoy discovering (or re-discovering) the central theme of the play: the importance of kindness and the catastrophic effect of seemingly insignificant actions on others.  

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