An Inspector Calls (Playhouse Theatre)

I remember watching this play when I was 15 years old, watching it as part of my GCSE literature class. Before watching the play, I read it and I loved it, I'm a sucker for a crime/ mystery murder and I thoroughly enjoyed it.

The set in itself intrigued me as it was a small house on a stage set in 1912 (just before the first world war takes place), which I had never seen done before, so unique, and I thought how clever it was to set the stage this way. It made it as though the audience were the outsiders, getting perspective on the family living in the house, at the same time strangely it also made it more intimate as the cast were in such a small setting, I loved that! The house had two floors also so the house spun round to see the interior of the decadent house and the cast that were in it on both floors. I found this a great tool as even if there was a character speaking at one point and the focus was on them, the audience was able to see the reactions of the other characters, which was important, especially as the story unravelled to see the slow collapse of the family and their subtle guilt of what had occurred, even if they were not admitting fault to the situation.

Seeing the storyline come to life from book to stage is amazing to see. The suicide of a girl who goes by the name of Eva Smith (a lower class worker who worked for Birling & co and was fired), who at first no one knows who she is, links all the family to her somehow and highlights the ignorance and snobby closed off society of the upper class to lower and how one persons actions can contribute to the woman's unfortunate death. However, this also highlights the fact that the family start to blame each other with lack of compassion and lack of responsibility for Eva's death, cleverly shown by the character of Inspector Goole (convenient name).

Goole's speech at the end is one which is most remembered in the play and the scene set in gloom with the spotlight on Goole, the Birling family silent, I thought was a great way to set that speech scene at the end to really get the audience thinking about the message; after there is just silence as Goole leaves the Birling residence.

Overall, this play is cleverly acted out with comedic scenes of foreshadowing and a definite eerie tone, add that to the costume, props and lighting of the set - I thoroughly enjoyed this play and is definitely one to watch.