Review: AN INSPECTOR CALLS, Theatre Royal Glasgow

30 years on from Stephen Daldry’s National Theatre debut, an inspector has called in Glasgow. Thankfully, we are delighted he is here to present this timeless theatrical masterpiece.

A frontrunner of school curricula, An Inspector Calls is a social critique camouflaged as a conventional murder mystery. Inspector Goole visits the Birlings, an upper-class family adorned in fancy clothing, oozing self-absorption and rich white privilege. He informs them a woman named Eva Smith has committed suicide by ingesting disinfectant. Each family member is indirectly responsible for her death and Goole demands they venture beyond their narrow-minded perspectives to accept this responsibility.

Ian MacNeil’s set is extraordinary – we begin outside the Birling house with young street children gazing in as the Birlings celebrate Sheila and Gerald’s engagement. Perfectly complimented by Rick Fisher’s dramatic lighting and Stephen Warbeck’s chilling instrumental score, there is a clear contrast between their luxurious 1912 home and the gloomy, poverty-stricken streets of Brumley.

Their household resembles a dolls house which eventually opens to reveal their ostentatious dining room. Daldry’s consistent breaking of the fourth wall reminds us that, like a game of dolls, everyone in this society must play their part.

Liam Brennan puts a humorous, Scots twist on Goole. His amusing, endearing portrayal is the perfect vehicle guiding the Birlings to confessing the truth. He is cold and aloof, yet warm and likeable.

The Birling family could easily become a group of caricatures, yet each actor portrays them as strong individuals who change considerably as the play progresses. Chloe Orrock’s character arc as Sheila Birling is masterful – she carefully crafts a challenging ascent from self-absorption to self-reflection, realising the impact of her actions and the need for change. Frances Campbell’s Edna rarely speaks, yet says so much through her commanding presence on stage. She is the Birling servant, ignored and listening with us in the background – a perfect representation of the family’s attitudes towards the working class.

This begs the question - what crime is the inspector truly inspecting? Eva Smith’s death, the human psyche, the failure of society? In our era of injustice, social media, industrialism and politics, the messages of J.B. Priestly’s play are more relevant now than ever. In the words of Goole: “We are members of one body. We are responsible for each other.”

A must-see at the Theatre Royal Glasgow this week.

An Inspector Calls is at Glasgow Theatre Royal until 27 May

Photo Credit: Ambassador Theatre Group

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