FFWD Weekly
Copyright © 1997. All Rights Reserved.
Deserving of careful inspection
TC makes a good call with metaphysical mystery
reviewed by Nikki SheppyAn Inspector Calls
Theatre Calgary
Max Bell Theatre (TAC)
Runs until November 23After 19 seasons at the Shaw Festival, Theatre Calgary's founding artistic director Christopher Newton has come back to Calgary to mount what proves to be one of the most intelligent and poetic plays to grace the Max Bell stage.
Written by J.B. Priestley, it's the story of the Birling family's encounter with an unexpected guest who mysteriously seems to know far too much about them. Inspector Goole is given entrance into the house on the very eve of an engagement celebration and manages to create chaos when he announces that a certain Eva Smith died in hospital after drinking cleaning fluid.
Deemed a "metaphysical mystery," An Inspector Calls is a beautifully constructed cross-examination of an aristocratic family that has shunned responsibility for too long. Although it quickly becomes clear that Eva Smith did indeed kill herself, the disquieting question of moral responsibility is less obvious. In fact, the tenor of the evening changes irrevocably as the faults and prejudices of the Birling family begin to unravel.
An Inspector Calls has the rare distinction of succeeding on virtually every level. Careful direction keeps this delicately crafted piece on its feet to the very end, when the audience finally gets a glimpse of the inner machinery - a kind of innate experimentalism that is one of Priestley's trademarks.
Led by veteran actor Jim Mezon (Inspector Goole), the cast of seven includes lead performances by Michael Ball (Arthur Birling), Wendy Thatcher (Sybil Birling), Severn Thompson (Sheila Birling), Ben Carlson (Eric Birling), and Mike Shara (Gerald Croft). They're all quite strong performances, but kudos in particular go to Ball, Thompson and Carlson, and to Jim Mezon whose thoughtful depiction of the seemingly benign Inspector Goole lends both humor and menace to his penetrating examination.
And finally, one of the earliest pleasures of the play is one that lasts through all three acts. Designed by William Schmuck and lit by Harry Frehner, the set is a rich Edwardian tapestry of thick curtains and wine-colored wallpaper. When it's lit, it's stupendous, all the light coming in evocatively through the glowing walls, from inside the fireplace and from the towering chandelier.
An Inspector Calls is highly recommended theatre.
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