AN INSPECTOR CALLS by J B Priestley

Alan Clarke discusses his production for ACT Company at the Library Theatre Luton

PLOT amp CASTING

This is without doubt the most famous of the J B Priestley time plays with pI o ty for actors and a ud iences alike To detail the plot and its mora l messages would be an insul t to the man as well as the educa tion of those likely to read this publica tion Indeed our audiencs comprised many a currenl s tuden t as well as those who h d studied it at school som years ago

The cast consis ts of th ree women and four men The Bi rlin famil y comp ri -es Arthur Birling the head f the famil his wife and soci al superior Sybil their omew hat nai ve

da ugh ter Sheila and their remote nd uptight son Eric Cera ld Croft is the dashing su itor to Sheila and the son of the Birlings business rival There is a small part for Edna the maid (though [ believe small only in terns of lines not releva nce) and a large commanding role for Inspector Goole

All pal-ts were offered to those of the correct age which is most important There should be no aging up or down or yo u immediately compromise the impact of the play Arthur and Sybil Birling were matched as a couple and played by actors who had worked together before (Perhaps it is appropriate to point out that there is no permanent membership within the group This is so that directors can invite whom they wish to participate I believe this encourages new faces and fresh talent that may not otherwise be considered ) Sheila needed to be a warm but naive soul and be able to portray considerable sensitivity in o rder to be convinCing and also play the affinity with the Inspector that the text suggests Eric must appear as a tortured young man quite detached from all but Sheila So [ then had by Bidings who I felt would be believable as an aftluent Edwardian family Gerald Croft was suitably confident and of impeccable appearance whilst protecting his recent past Edna is not indicated as being young or old and in my opinion is best played by a young girl in order to represent the innocence of the girl whose life is destroyed by

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The decision wa~

true to Prie-t origina l text setting The Ctshy

stunning We -t production impressively and has s trok shytheatrical geniu~

no sdf-respn amateur dt would attempt emulate [ want impressively det cluttered (as ben -era) and perman n for the producti met with thi construction prior to the reh schedule to dete= the design [ al had a picture in head and had hi the s how rought decide its ge shape and the fum required I then b model in order to the cast at the read-through they could apprfC

Croft and th Birlings Finally there is the Inspector whom Pries tley clearly s ta tes is commanding from the st11t larger than life and stares hard at those he i address ing The actor cast must bring a sense of w isdom and experience of life Coole is the personification of conscience within all of us and he must be totally convincing I was fortLUlate to have a strong and seuroilsoned cast for this demanding play

REHEAR~~ __c To do this play justice is no easy task [was determined to allow the maximum time possible in order to explore the depth of the characters and ensure the audience would believe in them as real people Too many groups do not experiment with spontaneous improvisation Not only is it great fun but also an excellent team building exercise for a cast Our vo ice coach was most imaginative in putting the characters in such places as waiting rooms and train carriages in order to develop individuals and relationships without using a script Using their instincts and views on how their characters would react given a situation proved very popular with the whole cast and was a fascinating method of character definition We had 28 rehearsa ls prior to the week of the show It was comfortable unhurried and thoroughly enjoyable for us

Mi

the intI environment This was welcomed by tlw and helped them imilgine the full set d reheilrsals The theatre technician was also apprecia te of this when we met to dl lighting

The set consisted of a large room creil tro eight 4 flats one 5 fireplace flat one 4 do t

2 l flats to provide the chimney breast and further 4 flats to create the backing walls the door There was a period three-piece- - central to the set a large period rug a teler table downstage right a bookcase upstage a drinks table upstage left a nest of tables i tall jardiniere downstage left Sundry props and decor were placed around to gh~ effect of clutter and of course several elabo framed paintings We wanted to ha _ chandelier from a bar but unfortunatel could not locate one and to purchase one out of the question financially There curtains hung over a flat although there II

window beneath as one is never used helped us achieve the busy appearance overall claustrophobia of the room wallpaper was chosen for the period and ~E two practical standard lamps for an inti atmosphere and lighting purposes The company helped w ith the construction and finished article was a joy to behold We delighted and the set received much ace

THE PLAY PRODUCED

a particularly intricate play to _ t but nevertheless wher hting changed from the general

the specific it was essential to ~nce the mood First was the

Ol1ing where I had the Inspector lering through the auditorium

taking up position under a ctional lamppost se t on the )r of the aud itorium This was idea of my own as [ wanted the p ector to observe the aviour and attitude of Croft and

the Birlings before making his move into the house The actor s tood stock still beneath the lamplight which faded as the dialogue began in order to divert the attention of the audience irom him to the stage He did well not to move and indeed many said they forgot about him until he moved almost nine pages later The stage was lit with general lighting with it soft red wash in order to indicate warmth This wash graduated to a blue upon the entrance to the stage of the Inspector in order to give a cold appearance Upon his iina l exi t from the stage the warm glow was slowly replaced Priestley was

quite specific about this and I felt il right 10 follow his suggestion

At the climax of the play in order to highlight the only two characters who have shown remorse for their actions Sheila and Eric were top-lit throughout the closing music while the remaining cas t were blacked in their final pose The Inspector reshyentered the audi torium and exited up the centre aisle much as he entered while the music and spots faded A gobo of the company logo was prod uced and projected onto the main curtains at the beginning and the end of the play

COSrME

Period costume was of course of paramount importance Black tailcoats white waistcoats whi te wing collar shirts and bow ties black trousers and shoes for Birling Er ic and Gerald Croft A period maid middot uniform for Ed na and period veiling dresses for Sybil and Shei la Birling were made especiall to get a balance of c lou lb They looked resplendent wi th full jew lIery and hair styling and certainly appropriate for ladies of that time The Inspector was kitted out in a modest but smart brown three-piece suit with watch and chain He also wore an overcoat and hat for the street scenes Of course there were the usual panics on sizes and ill-fi tting garments but nothing that couldnt be overcome by our very capable costume mistress who was also our voicedialogue coach The ladies hair was styled each night by the aclr 5 playing Edna and fortunately none of the men needed more than a short back and sides and a splattering of gel

Make-up was basic for all but the ac tor playing Birling as I wanted him to have a subtle silver grey moustache to match his hair and distinguish him from the Inspector who was of a similar age

This was crucial for the play It needs some stirring ominous dark music to suggest a sense of foreboding This was composed by a friend who is renowned for composing appropriate s tage music Again the cas t and audience felt it se t the scene and immediately captured their attention as the house lights went down Similarly at the end the music comes straight in after Birling speaks the final line which is the major twist of the play Chilling was the word that most used to describe it Needless to say the desired effect was achieved

Plays dont tend to sell anywhere near as well as musicals in Luton as I am sure is the case in many towns However the response to the play and the subsequent reaction was overwhelming and far beyond our expectations This play has not been done for over a decade In the town and this coup led with the recent West End revival must have had a bearing on the attendance Of course we cannot ignore that it is a known and r pected piece and if done well is an exciting evening of theat re There were many comments from the audience but I think the most cherished was that it was good to see a piece of classic English literature presented by amateurs who adop t a prof ss ional approach This comment was made by a teacher and since they have s tud ied the play in deta il many times it is high praise indeed I feel

I was delighted with the finished article and can only congratulate cast and crew alike for their endeavours All involved look back on the who le project with much affection Thoroughly enjoyable for a ll of us and well received by the audience - what more could you ask for7

ALL SCRIPTS SCORES AND LlBRffil FEATURED IN

THE PLAY PRODUCED AND THE MUSICAL P ODUCED

CAN OBTAl OM

TEL 0171-837-5655 FAX 0171-833-0609

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