Show title: An Inspector Calls
Author: J.B. Priestley
Director: Jim Mezon
Where: Shaw Festival 2008
Run: April 7^th to November 2^nd 2008
Theatre: Festival Theatre

Reviewed by: Christine Lee (Vancouver Correspondent - Canada)

Authored by the established and well-known BBC radio broadcaster Priestley during the last winter of the Second World War, An Inspector Calls is a mystery about the cause of a young girl's suicide. The time is 1912 and the play is set in the industrial and elite town of Brumley where the prosperous Birling family is celebrating the engagement of their daughter Sheila to Gerald Croft, the son of the president of a rival company. The proud father Arthur Birling is in the middle of giving advice to his son and soon to be son-in-law about having to take care of themselves and of their own instead of "being a community and all that nonsense" when they are interrupted by an Inspector Goole.

Inspector Goole reveals matter-of-factly that a young woman Eva Smith has died in the Infirmary after swallowing a lot of strong disinfectant. The Birling family is disturbed by the news but even more disturbed at the Inspector's insistence that they are somehow responsible for the young woman's suicide. None of the Birlings are convinced they should be held accountable for the woman's unlucky fate and the rest of the play is centered on the dialogue between Inspector Goole and each member as they recall their connection to Eva Smith.

As the night progresses, hidden secrets and dark motives are exposed right in the Birling's dining room. The family's convictions of their own innocence are shaken as they discover that an unimaginable web of relationships exists between themselves and the young woman. Operating on the theory of Six Degrees of Separation; the idea that we are no more than six steps away from every other person on earth, the play reflects Priestley's rejection of laissez-faire individualism and reminds us that our actions have powerful impact on others.

The stage is simple and sparse, with a dining table in front of the main entrance and a sofa, a few chairs and a small table closer to the audience. The first anomaly I observed was that metal chains were hanging off the ceiling, which brought to my mind images of imprisonment. The stage is semi-circular and the dining room is surrounded by pillars, which I felt resembled a prison. The metal chains would make a noise and lower down close to the dining table whenever someone was leaving or entering the front door, adding to the feeling of confinement.

The Birling family was dressed-up, with the men in suits and bowties and the women in luxurious dresses. Inspector Goole wore a long dark coat and a hat, looking quite out of place in the Birling's elegant dining room. The entire Birling family was dressed in black except for Sheila, adding to the ominous mood of the play.

Benedict Campbell gave a stellar performance as Inspector Goole, effortlessly holding the attention of the audience for almost two hours as he conversed with each member of the Birling family. The rest of the cast put in strong performances as well and I felt Mary Haney as Sybil Birling did the best job of portraying the superior air of self-satisfied elite, making it all the more powerful in the plays conclusion. Moya O'Connell also gave a memorable performance as Sheila Birling, providing some comic relief with her witty lines and effectively drawing audiences to feel her emotions of shame and guilt.

Various scenes in the play clearly remind the audience that the decisions we make today either for gain or self-sacrifice, compassion or indifference will change the lives of individuals and ultimately the course of history. Arthur Birling was portrayed as a man who was pleased with the "progress" of his time, who strongly believed that a man had to make his own way even at the expense of others. As Priestley reminds us powerfully from Inspector Goole's warning: "We don't live alone. We are members of one body. We are responsible for each other."