An Inspector Calls – Grand Theatre, Wolverhampton

As the old proverb states “with great power comes great responsibility,” a lesson that the Birling family learns in this production of J.B Priestley’s play, An Inspector Calls. Set in the fictional town of Brumley, the play sees the Birling family visited by the mysterious and charismatic Inspector Goole. He informs the family of the tragic suicide of a young girl called Eva Smith who was once connected to each member of this well-to-do family, and as the revelations unfold and the accusations fly, the family must come to terms with the impact that their actions have on other people in their lives.

Whilst some of the acting choices in the performance are strange with characters coming across as over the top and more of a caricature of high society, there are several stand-out performers. Tim Treloar’s performance as Inspector Goole is exceptional, his ability to convey a wide range of emotions as the play unfolds is a joy to watch: not just anger and frustration at the unhelpful family, but also his inquisitorial nature and thoughtfulness about the girl and her life as well as his brutal honesty as he delivers the poignant final monologue of his character. A special mention to Mark Costello in charge of the ‘Inspector’s Tailoring’, for giving him a suit that is as important to the character as his voice: as the inspector becomes more and more irritated with the family and more intensive with his questioning pieces of the costume are removed, first the hat, then the overcoat before finally the suit jacket is discarded in disgust at Mrs Birling’s attitude.

Another stand-out performer is Leona Allen as Sheila Birling, who begins the play as insufferable as her parents, mocking the dead girl and going out of her way to be as unhelpful as possible. However, she soon understands her role in the tragedy and her humanity takes over transforming her character into an honest, caring and emotionally driven moral compass for the family, trying fruitlessly to make her family feel sorry for their actions and show any signs of remorse. Her regret is refreshing and her desire to repent makes her a powerful voice amongst those who choose to ignore their actions and barely feign an interest in the fate of Eva.

Though he is overshadowed by the louder and more domineering presence of other characters at the beginning of the performance, George Rowlands’ performance as Eric Birling in the final act of the play is admirable. Returning to the house a drunken mess he quickly becomes embroiled in the family scandal and his role is revealed. Unlike his parents, Eric feels guilt for his part and true remorse for the impact of his actions; we watch as a young man breaks before our eyes, his whole life and future shattering when he cannot see a way to make amends. His final moments are spent standing up to his parents and revealing something of his true nature, a man of honour and a sense of duty to those less fortunate than himself.

The set design for the performance is unusual: due to size constraints, the outer facade of the Birling family home looks small and out of proportion. However, the genius of Ian MacNeil, the set designer, is how the house transforms, the front literally opening up to become a secondary stage for the cast to act from, right in the heart of the home, the Birlings’ dining room. And the use of hydraulics to tip the house and destroy the furniture is a clever way to add a physicality to the metaphor of the family’s downfall during the climatic scenes.

The message of this production is one of cause and effect, of how our actions have a greater impact on others than we perhaps understand or acknowledge. It is about the huge number of people living in dire circumstances, doing whatever they can to make ends meet and live to fight another day. This message would have been moving and impactful in 1945 when the play was first written and performed. As we sit and watch it unfold now in the year 2025 it is clear that the message is still significant, that a portion of our society still must fight day to day just to survive and that our actions can either help or continue to harm them. An Inspector Calls is a play worth seeing for its moving depiction of life and the struggles people of all walks of life face.