Jodie Erica from the MKFM team went to MK Theatre last night to watch the performance of An Inspector Calls and here is her full review...
I was invited down by MK Theatre to watch An Inspector Calls, something that I am familiar with by name but have never seen before, nor have I read the book or watched the film. It was very exciting to be able to finally see a show that I have heard so much about.
An Inspector Calls is an award-winning play written by J B Priestley, it revolves around the suicide of a young girl named Eva Smith. It was introduced back in 1945, at a time of major changes and world wars. The play itself is set in 1912 so the characters themselves are unbeknownst to the world events but are on the cusp of the changes that are set to happen.
A very mysterious police inspector, named inspector Goole, arrives at the home of The Birlings who were celebrating the engagement of Sheila Birling to Gerald Croft.
The inspector explains to the family that they were all in some way involved in the death of Eva, who died from drinking disinfectant. Much to the family's shock, they refused to believe and accept inspector Goole but The inspector needn't say much, they all ended up confessing in their own ways their familiarity and involvement with Eva.
All characters were played fantastically, I particularly enjoyed the characters Sheila Birling played by Evlyne Oyedokun, Inspector Goole played by Liam Brennan, and Eric Birling, played by George Rowlands.
Sheila and Eric Birlings' characters were funny and had me chuckling a lot, you can also very much tell they are siblings in the play with their similar humour and awakenings to their families' toxic tendencies. I loved the mysterious attitude of Inspector Goole and how wise he was, he was like the conscience of this family as later revealed he did not even exist. Whether he existed or not, the family each behaved badly which Sheila herself realises and preaches.
There are such valuable lessons that I feel this play portrays with social responsibility and accountability, gender, and class.
At the end of the play, Inspector Goole says "But just remember this, one Eva Smith has gone, but there are millions and millions of Eva Smiths and John Smiths still left with us, with their lives, their hopes, and fears, their suffering, and chance of happiness, all intertwined with our lives, with what we think and say and do. We don't live alone. We are members of one body, one society. We are responsible for each other. And I tell you that the time will soon come when, if men will not learn that lesson, then they will be taught it in fire and blood and anguish".
This speech closed the show entirely for me, I felt emotional because this play makes you think about the prevalent and real issues that people in England suffered from back in those times, and, still face today.
If you haven’t got tickets yet, you can still book now and you will not be disappointed!
See further performance dates here.
Tickets: From £13*
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