'A group of Highfields Year 11 students were given the opportunity to watch Stephen Daldry's adaptation of 'An Inspector Calls' at the Wolverhampton Grand last week. The reward was offered to students who had taken part in the HSWV English Revision Podcast, drama students and pupils who have been working hard in their English lessons! Our Y11's represented the school well and were intrigued by the set design. This was a brilliant opportunity for pupils to see the production come to life and gave them their own opportunity to 'inspect' the Birling family. Read a review from one of our pupils below.
“An Inspector Calls” at the Grand Theatre - Poppy Vaghela
Lights were all on the street of Brumley, set in 1912, the Birling’s house loomed over an Edwardian style street. I had expected the whole stage to simply be the Birling’s dining room where Priestley set “An Inspector Calls” but uniquely enough it was the Brumley streets that lay in front of me and perched in the middle was the beautiful Birling house. Interestingly, the production began with children running round the streets. I was captivated by the setting’s stunning symbolism, the house towered above the street’s slums perfectly embodying the hierarchy of class system of the time.
The play begins from outside of the Birling household, we can hear the faint proposal of Shelia and Gerald’s engagement. Voices grow louder and peering through the windows we hear Mr. Birlings famous capitalistic speech. Setting the scene as a view from the house outside highlights how sheltered the upper-class life of the Birling family is and viewing it from afar makes it look like a dollhouse, which could be a metaphor for their perceivably perfect life.
From stage-left enters the Inspector... Mysteriously dressed in dark clothes and a black hat, he speaks no words. He instead waits in front of the house as Mr. Birling declares his selfish views. The Inspector’s silence builds tension as he struts in front of the house nearing the door. The actor moves slowly, taking his time to open the door making it all the more dramatic when he does. With a great air of moral superiority, he knocks, and, in an instant, the house opens up. All at once the stage is set and the interrogations begin.
One line of inquiry at a time, we see the characters torn apart by the Inspectors weighty words. Each investigation more dramatic than the last and with each character’s responsibility revealed the stage begins to crumble. Using the stage to emphasize dramatic events was extremely effective and highlights the drama in each interrogation. With the house opened up, the scenes seem to take place lower down on stage, thankfully not behind the wall of their dollhouse. Perhaps this was used to symbolize how all the characters are taken down from their high positions and made equal with the Brumley community when the Inspector disrupts the traditional class system views.
The show perfectly pours emotion into the words of the play. Watching it was intriguing, enjoyable and worthwhile. The slight tweaks to the setting emphasize drama and make the play extremely immersive. Overall, I recommend watching this interesting production and give it five moral stars.'
