An Inspector - Wyndham’s Theatre
A mysterious figure looms over the Birling family in J B Priestley’s
powerful and compelling play “An Inspector Calls”, which continues to
perform at the Wyndham’s Theatre during 2010.
An acclaimed piece of work, “An Inspector Calls” was penned between 1944
and 1945 and first seen by audiences in Moscow shortly after, before a
London premiere at the New Theatre in 1946, with Alec Guinness in a lead
role. It was hailed as a deep play that tackles social responsibility
and challenges conventions, allowing it to stand the test of time and
continue to find new homes on stages around the world, whilst movie
adaptations also surfaced in 1954 and 1982.
This run of the current production started life at the Novello Theatre
in 2009 before transferring to the Wyndham’s Theatre in December. It is
part of an ongoing production that began life at the Aldwych Theatre in
1992 under Stephen Daldry. It now continues into the New Year, with more
theatregoers able to witness a challenging work.
Priestley’s plays continue to be looked upon with admirations years
after they were originally set to paper. Amongst his work is the
acclaimed “Time and the Conways”, which is often cited as one of his
‘time plays’, dealing with this issue like many of his works are famous
for doing so. But whilst temporal space was a defining part for many of
his plays, “An Inspector Calls” is different – instead calling upon
social responsibility as its theme.
“An Inspector Calls” tells the story of the Birling family as they
gather to enjoy a dinner party in their home. The plan for the family is
to have a fun, but peaceful evening but these plans are scuppered with
the arrival of Inspector Goole, a determined policeman, who informs them
of the suicide of a girl they all had a hand in exploiting. The family
is stunned, but Goole is hell bent on getting to the bottom of these
mysterious circumstances as quickly as he can.
Audiences are invited to question the events onscreen and since the
show’s premiere in the 1940s, there have been great debates regarding
the existence of Inspector Goole, adding an extra depth of mystery to an
already-captivating show.
The show features a cast that includes Nicolas Woodeson as Goole
opposite Sandra Duncan, Marianne Oldham, David Roper, Diana Payne Myers,
Timothy Watson and Robin Whiting. Together they bring iconic characters
to life on the stage and take audiences on a journey that makes them
think.
“An Inspector Calls” continues its acclaimed run at the Wyndham’s
Theatre in London, drawing in more and more punters, where it is
currently taking bookings until Saturday 20th March 2010.