When An Inspector Calls: A Review

Greeted as the play of our generation, An inspector calls directed by Stephen Daldry (Oscar winner director of The Reader), won more awards than any other. The play written by J. B. Priestley, was first performed in the Soviet Union in 1945 an in 1946 in the UK. The rebirth of the play was in 1992, when Daldry took it into his hands. Moreover it won 9 awards, including the Tony, Oliver and Drama desk award in multiple categories. Starting from the West End the play travelled internationally and had 6 national tours. All together this production of An Inspector Calls is the longest running revival of a play in history, seen by over 3 million theatregoers worldwide. But why is it so celebrated? 

First, because of the plot, which addresses the moral feelings of the audience. On a spooky, rainy night an inspector stand outside in the rain and watches the prosperous Birling family, who are celebrating an engagement. Their idyllic celebration is disturbed by inspector Goole, who is investigating in a murder. Or not murder, rather a suicide… or murder. A young girl committed suicide at that evening, and through the provocative and arrogant questions of Mr. Goole, we learn how every member of the family pushed that poor girl further and further into despair, up to the point where she could not see any other way of escaping from her burdens, than taking her own life. The revelation shake the bases of their life, the morals, they used to live by and at the same time challenges the conscious of the audience.  

The part that left a deep print in me, while watching the play, was the monologue of the inspector, which addressed directly the audience, and through that all human beings. He emphasized that in a society we are responsible for not just ourselves but for the other members as well. With every action, every decision made, we are affecting someone’s life, this way we shouldn’t care just about ourselves, but we should pay attention to everyone in our community, regardless of gender, race or class. Through the whole play the audience is involved, sometimes the characters are making confessions to us, like we were the judges, sometimes we are addressed as part of their community. The whole play is quite short, without a break, but leaves a deep impression, and even some questions to think about. Light, sound, sometimes music and set are staged so prudently and tactfully that all make a stunning impression on the audience. I personally managed to forget where I was, which century is it, whether I am a boy or a girls, whether I am sitting or standing…everything. Nothing else existed. Though it was not a full house (which is a shame, regardless that it was Thursday) I could sense that everyone’s attention was on the edge. I wanted to record the whole play in my memory, in order to replay it every now and again, to be able to notice all the hints and enjoy the complexity of the play. It was universal and personal experience at the same time, and I strongly recommend it to everyone.