Up until last night I felt that I had a gaping hole in my viewing history having never seen (or even read) An Inspector Calls. A play that is still being studied now and discussed in classrooms seems like a glaring omission so I was delighted to be able to put it right.

If, like me, you have never seen An Inspector Calls it tells of the Birling family and the part they came to play in a young woman’s suicide, gradually revealed as an Inspector, namely Inspector Goole calls upon them one evening.

It is easy to see why J.B.Priestley’s play has become essential viewing. The dialogue is sharp and clever and the tension builds at a pace that has the audience fully invested in the entirety of the show. Themes are crystal clear. In focus is that of the class structure but we also touch on gender politics and just what it means to be an upstanding member of society. The themes provide a fascinating commentary of not only what the UK was like then but also reveals many parallels of the UK today, causing the audience to question just how much has changed.

This production is the National Theatre’s production which has returned for the tour and Stephen Daldry has directed it beautifully. Working with Ian McNeil as designer the opening moments of the show as the curtain parts takes your breath away. The set soon unfolds and enhances J.B.Priestly’s original vision that the set shouldn’t stray too far into naturalism but balances it perfectly that it is not so far removed that it becomes hard to relate to. My only quibble was that I struggled to understand the presence of the young boy and the children who opened the show, whilst innocence and generational differences are key themes in the show this is spelt out in the text and I was unsure what this added to it, except for my confusion.

The main cast of 7 all play their parts with precision. Tim Treloar’s Inspector Goole is mesmerising to watch and you easily believe how the Birling family so readily spill their guts to him with his imposing yet calm demeanour. Jackie Morrison as Mrs Birling and Jeffrey Harmer as Mr Birling are a wonderful pairing as the older generation of the family. With their steadfast belief in their superiority they perfectly depict this couple. Leona Allen as the young newly engaged Sheila Birling is initially depicted as a young woman more interested in clothes than morals but Allen’s masterfully steers her realisation as to what her priorities should be.

The costumes were also well designed and subtle changes took place as the show progressed, Sheila’s once brilliant white dress became sullied by the rain and Inspector Goole gradually removed layers of his attire as he stripped back more and more layers of the Birling’s families involvement.

It is easy to see why An Inspector Calls has become a must see piece of British Theatre and Daldry’s production fuses the original text with a take that feels both fresh yet in homage to the original production.

An Inspector Calls is on at New Wimbledon until 31st May. You can find out more about the show in their website here.

If you like this review you might also like my review of Radiant Boy, 2:22 A Ghost Story and Witness for the Prosecution.