An Inspector Calls at Alexandra Palace Theatre
An unknown presence knows more than the other characters, pulling the strings in interviews and drawing the audience into a vortex of hypotheses and confusion. This is how the eponymous protagonist of JB Priestley’s masterpiece An Inspector Calls asserts himself in this drawing-room drama. Tension and societal inequality form the backbone of the nearly two-hour play in this National Theatre production.
Inspector Goole (Tim Treloar) emerges from the shadows of Brumley to knock on the Birling family’s door. The upper-middle-class household is nearing the end of a celebratory evening for the engagement of Sheila Birling (Leona Allen) to Gerald Croft (Tom Chapman). Earlier that day, a young woman committed suicide. The inspector is determined to investigate – but was it truly suicide? And is his inquiry confined to the fatal incident?
The evocative old theatre hall provides the perfect backdrop for the story, set in 1912, offering a sharp critique of the class distinctions that would persist into the early 20th century. The music peaks in a dramatic crescendo at key moments, resonating just long enough to draw one deeper into the scene before quickly fading away. The set design, from the realistic rain effect to the mechanics of the manor, serves as an atmospheric support to the unfolding drama.
The performance of each and every main character is compelling: their exchanges are abrupt yet potent; rapid yet interspersed with numerous pauses; repetitive yet logically progressive in their chain of thoughts. Treloar plays a cogent inspector, becoming more animated as the plot unravels. Mrs Birling, portrayed by Jackie Morrison, has a demeanour that is incredibly irritating – highlighting the absurdity of her contempt for those unlike her peers. George Rowlands allows his Eric Birling to fully evolve from his first appearance to the charged finale, influenced by the revelations of the others on stage.
In addition to various elements that conjure a mysterious and, at the same time, symbolic atmosphere, director Stephen Daldry adds the almost ominous presence of extras, including the maidservant, constantly in the background while the family argues and talks. Their emblematic sight is perhaps one of the less seamless aspects of the show.
A dramatically staged thriller, An Inspector Calls finds a fitting home at Alexandra Palace Theatre. And indeed, it is a production that deserves its tour, gripping audiences across the country.
Cristiana Ferrauti
Photos: Mark Douet
An Inspector Calls is at Alexandra Palace Theatre from 30th August until 21st September 2024. For further information or to book visit the theatre’s website here.
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