The Lowry, Salford, Greater Manchester – until 18 January 2020
Reviewed by Angharad Crabtree
5*****
It can be difficult to ensure that such a traditional story still maintains its original charm, however this was perfectly executed by Stephen Daldry in this ‘murder mystery’-esque tale. The audience was kept on the edge of their seats by the unexpected twists and turns of J B Priestley’s classic thriller, yet this tension could not have been executed without clever direction and enchanting performances by the cast. So engaged were the viewers, that audible gasps and gestures of surprise were seen on more than one occasion, which is no surprise given the sheer volume of plot twists entwined in the storyline.
The setting also added a unique level of ambience. The rain and mist woven into the storyline gave a rich feeling of pathetic fallacy, as well as adding a general dimness to the whole situation. This was additionally emphasized by the dramatic additions of sudden lighting and music changes. On the other hand, the stage itself changed minimally throughout the performance, with the cast making small adjustments throughout to give a different angle of the Edwardian house where the family in question reside. This meant that any required changes were seamless, whilst not detracting the audience’s attention from the most important element of the play, the dialogue.
The inspector himself, Inspector Goole (played by Liam Brennan) was performed with a perfect level of curtness, combined with empathy and concern for the deceased. This resulted in the inspector becoming a likeable character for the audience to side with and root for, acting the role of almost the conscience for the affluent Birling family. The role of Arthur Birling (Jeffrey Harmer) gave the audience feelings to the contrary, excellently portraying a nonchalant attitude toward the poorer half of society, which well reflected a common theme that was present in 1912. In a similar vein, his wife Sybil Birling (Christine Kavanagh) also presented very haughty and unsympathetic viewpoints, showing how their generation were very set in their traditional opinions of the world. In contrast, the two children of theirs Sheila (Chloe Orrock) and Eric (Ryan Saunders) were considerably more sympathetic and remorseful of their actions, showing how despite their upbringing, it wasn’t too late for these two to realign their worldviews. All in all, a fantastically thought-provoking and stimulating performance.