An Inspector Calls

J B Priestley's "An Inspector Calls" is quite a classic and provides a moral tale with several clever twists and turns in the plot. The Well-to-do Birling family are celebrating the engagement of their daughter to the son of the equally top-notch Croft family. All seems set for a fine future when a mysterious inspector comes calling and slowly reveals how the behaviour of each has, over a number of years, led to the downfall and eventual suicide of a young woman. But all is not as it seems and the twists last until the very last minute of this famous play.

The staging of this production, which dates back to the 1990's is unapologeticaly modern but the costuming and delivery are clearly not. The play was first produced in 1945 and that has influenced the production, with a wartime radio and air-raid siren setting the scene, but the play is actually set in 1912 and the forward references fail to hit home. The performances veer towards melodrama and come over very much all on the same level; loud.

In the end, for me, the production as a whole just seemed to lack cohesion, consistent interpretation and focus.