Mayflower Theatre Southampton – until Saturday 21 September 2019
Reviewed by Leanne Caplis
4****
Directed by Stephen Daldry the classic thriller An Inspector Calls is playing as part of its tour at The Mayflower Theatre in Southampton where it runs until Saturday 21st September 2019.
With an opening night audience of mainly school children the house was sold out. It is clear to see that this thriller is still enjoyed by old and young alike. With deafening applause and whooping I believe I could hear the faint sound of an air raid siren as the curtain went up.
In the middle of an eerie street with rain pouring down and street urchins running about in the mist there stands the magnificent home of the upper class Birling family. Hats off to the production team as the house on stilts is one of the most remarkable bit of staging I have seen thus far at the theatre.
Whilst the Birling family celebrate the engagement of Sheila Birling (Chloe Horrock) and Gerald Croft (Alasdair Buchan) little do they know that their fun is about to come to an abrupt end with the arrival of Inspector Goole (Liam Brennan).
One by one Goole interrogates each family member to reveal their snobbish, stuck up and down right arrogant behaviour to make them realise the part they could have played in the suicide of a young woman. Who was to blame? Was it Arthur Birling (Jeffrey Harmer) who would not agree to a pay rise? Was it this that led her into the arms of other men? A love affair and an unplanned child saw the woman homeless and destitute and turning to ask for charity from Sybil Birling (Christine Kavanagh) but was abruptly turned away.
The clever storyline makes the actions of different classes at the turn of the century as relevant as those chosen by some today. An emotional speech, a plea for tolerance, by Goole makes everybody consider their own morality. It will most certainly leave you questioning how you react to and treat those around you.
I found it difficult at times to follow what was being said and I can only guess that there were some sound issues on the night. That said all actors played their parts amazingly well. Jeffrey Harmer as Arthur Birling really stood out for me. His obnoxious and snobby ways saw him constantly reminding those who would listen about his time as Mayor and his position in society. Alasdair Buchan as Gerlad Croft oozed privilege and disregard for those who were inferior to him; he will be easy to liken to those snobs we all might know.
A real whodunnit story with plot twists and turns throughout kept me fully engrossed in this show. Would I have guessed what was to come… certainly not! For those studying this at GCSE and for those that enjoy a thriller this is definitely a must see.