To the Director,
Thank you for your letter concerning the direction of my play "An Inspector Calls".
Firstly, in order for you to fully understand the play and its workings, I must explain the moral, which I believe fits the play: what goes around comes around.
In these times, the upper classes hold the greatest influence, although they have the least responsibility. This should not be the case, but when one is in this position it becomes easy to make huge differences to other peoples lives just by small, selfish actions. Such is the case with the Birling family and Eva Smith.
Onto the Inspector and his possible portrayal, or non-portrayal. What I mean by this is that the Inspector need not be portrayed at all, as he is, in essence, an embodiment of the character's conscience and a conscience is something that cannot be escaped from.
He could appear as the questions are being asked because the characters own consciences create the answers and his presence would only add slightly to the huge amount of tension and excitement created by the answers alone.
It is only a suggestion but do, by all means use it as a guideline.
I recently saw a production of "An Inspector Calls" at the Royal Garrick Theatre and I was impressed by the use of imagination in it and it dramatic delivery. In the opening, the house was in one corner of the stage, radiating light, glamour and prestige out onto the grim, grey street. Conversations about the war, the miner's strike and the Titanic are going on in the house, but little emphasis is placed on these and they are muffled out. Instead the street is emphasized, possible because of the imminent arrival of the Inspector. A lot of emphasis is placed on the Inspector, possibly because he is the only character who is moving.
Thank you for your letter concerning the direction of my play "An Inspector Calls".
Firstly, in order for you to fully understand the play and its workings, I must explain the moral, which I believe fits the play: what goes around comes around.
In these times, the upper classes hold the greatest influence, although they have the least responsibility. This should not be the case, but when one is in this position it becomes easy to make huge differences to other peoples lives just by small, selfish actions. Such is the case with the Birling family and Eva Smith.
Onto the Inspector and his possible portrayal, or non-portrayal. What I mean by this is that the Inspector need not be portrayed at all, as he is, in essence, an embodiment of the character's conscience and a conscience is something that cannot be escaped from.
He could appear as the questions are being asked because the characters own consciences create the answers and his presence would only add slightly to the huge amount of tension and excitement created by the answers alone.
It is only a suggestion but do, by all means use it as a guideline.
I recently saw a production of "An Inspector Calls" at the Royal Garrick Theatre and I was impressed by the use of imagination in it and it dramatic delivery. In the opening, the house was in one corner of the stage, radiating light, glamour and prestige out onto the grim, grey street. Conversations about the war, the miner's strike and the Titanic are going on in the house, but little emphasis is placed on these and they are muffled out. Instead the street is emphasized, possible because of the imminent arrival of the Inspector. A lot of emphasis is placed on the Inspector, possibly because he is the only character who is moving.
