By Mike Hoban
‘An Inspector Calls’ – Written by J.B. Priestley; Directed by Stephen Daldry; Set Design by Ian MacNeil; Lighting Design by Rick Fisher; Music Direction by Stephen Warbeck; Sound Design by Sebastian Frost. Presented by ArtsEmerson at the Emerson Cutler Majestic Theatre, 219 Tremont St., Boston through March 24
Perhaps what is most striking about An Inspector Calls, the riveting National Theatre touring production from London now being presented by ArtsEmerson, is how closely its theme and language reflect the current state of affairs between the haves and have nots – despite the fact that the play made its stage debut just after the close of World War II. An Inspector Calls is an Agatha Christie-style drawing room crime drama that – on the surface – investigates the connection between the apparent suicide of a young woman and the Birlings, a wealthy and politically connected family in the fictitious industrial town of Brumley, England, where the family patriarch owns a factory.
But it’s not so much the Birling family that’s under his magnifying glass, it’s the callous cruelty being inflicted by the class of people they represent (those on the winning side of income inequality) on the less fortunate that’s being taken to task. It’s a story that we’re seeing play out not only in the U.S. but in Europe and around the globe, and the lack of empathy or understanding by the moneyed class for the plight of working people still boggles the mind – particularly by those who purport to be people of faith.
The story begins at a dinner party celebrating the engagement of Mr. Birling’s beautiful daughter Sheila to Gerald Croft, the son of his business rival. After dinner and the ceremonial presenting of the ring, Croft, Birling and Birling’s son Eric (who, we learn, has a fondness for the drink) retire to the balcony for a smoke. As the elder Birling is expounding upon his unsentimental philosophy/moral code, that “a man has to make his own way – has to look after himself – and his family, too, of course, when he has one – and so long as he does that he won’t come to much harm,” the aptly named Inspector Goole arrives to begin his inquiries.
The young woman, Eva Smith, who killed herself by drinking “strong disinfectant”, was once employed in Birling’s factory, but was fired when she organized a strike for livable wages among the employees. Birling (rightly) protests that he is not responsible for the woman’s death, but as the play unfolds, Goole implicates more of the party’s guests and the plot, as they say, thickens. What is especially interesting is the reactions of the “suspects”, as each is called out for their part in the woman’s demise, and how they defend themselves even as their actions are clearly indefensible. The Robert Mueller-esque Goole has a kind of supernatural quality about him, as if he knows the answers to his inquiries before he asks them of the Birling party. As Goole, Liam Brennan makes it crystal clear who’s in charge of this investigation, as he cuts off any attempts by the suspects to impede his efforts, who use intimidation and their political connections to no avail as they try to wriggle out from under his hardline questioning. He’s greatly aided by the younger Birlings and even Croft, who have seem to have at least some degree of conscience, possibly because they don’t have the sense of entitlement as thoroughly baked into their DNA as Arthur and Sybil Birling (the parents).
This is a wonderfully acted and brilliantly directed (by Stephen Daldry) play, and Brennan is commanding yet compassionate in his role as Goole, afflicting the comfortable while comforting the afflicted (a street urchin that scrounges for food outside the Birling mansion). Christine Kavanagh (Sybil) and Jeff Harmer (Arthur) are appropriately steely in their resolve to maintain their innocence in light of the mountain of evidence to the contrary, and their rage at the prospect of accepting any kind of responsibility is all-too-real. The transformation of Andrew Macklin’s Croft into a caring human being feels genuine, and as the pitiable Eric, Hamish Riddle’s man-boy is a fully realized case study in alcoholic immaturity. And Lianne Harvey (Sheila) is a delight in her metamorphosis from spoiled girl to responsible woman, as she learns to stand up to her parents and fiancé during the course of the 100 minute play.
The creative team of An Inspector Calls also plays a major role in the production, creating an otherworldly setting and soundscape around the Birling mansion, and it also features some pretty impressive pyrotechnics as the Birling’s world begins to crumble. The tone of the play may be a bit on socialist side for some tastes, but the story is compelling throughout, and really does reflect the economic reality of the world today. As much as anything, An Inspector Calls is a rewarding theatrical experience, and as worthy a touring production as you’re likely to see all year. See it before it leaves on March 24th. For tickets and info, go to: https://artsemerson.org/
