Daldry employed the help of set designer Ian MacNeil who redesigned the opening scene and set it in 1945 and also in 1912. This won the play fantastic acclaims for its stunning visual interpretation and dramatic impact. The set was very dark and mysterious and included bomb damaged houses, this helps to make the audience realise the devastation, horror and damaging influence of war! It also brings home the irony of what Mr Birling says in his first speech.
In the original the opening scene is set in the main focus place, the Birling’s dining room. It shows Mr Birling and his future son in-law Gerald Croft sitting with the lights down low and having a quiet celebration with a few drinks “you ought to like this port, Gerald” (noticing his wife had not taken any port) “Now then, Sybil, you must take a little tonight. Special occasion, y’know, eh?”
The characters are positioned to show the attitude of the period with Mr Birling at the head of the table and Mrs Birling at the other, their son Eric sitting down stage with his back to the audience and there daughter Sheila and her fianceẽ Gerald Croft upstage. Moreover the opening to the Royal Nationals adaptation was in complete contrast to the original, the opening scene was of a black, dark and mysterious 1945 landscape, smoke-filled and bombed out. This created great surprise to anyone, who was expecting to see the usual stage settings; therefor this created a great tension and anticipation for the first act.
The opening of the play was described by set designer Ian MacNeil as “the feeling was like i9n a movie when a child goes in to their grandmothers attic and explores and goes and finds another world……..…..…It was like the way an exciting movie will start, the camera tracking in and in. It’s a journey leading you in and teasing you.”
When the Inspector enters he comes in a lot earlier than in the scripted version and he enters through the auditorium with slow mysterious music played by the orchestra. He then goes and stands under a street light, as Ian MacNeil says it’s like “a western or film noir movie where there’s a man in town, he’s come to sort something out”. No one is really sure who he is but he gives the impression that he is a good guy.
This adds upon the original dramatic effect of the Inspectors entrance where he just knocks at the door, the fact that the audience can see him, makes them think that he must be a significant figure in the play and adds more tension and drama to it. The Inspector then interacts with a boy playing in the street, he gives him an orange which combined with his costume which is a 1945 de-mob suit and Arthur Birling giving his war wont happen speech inside the house gives emence dramatic irony. The scenery of the bombed out street also creates dramatic impact and enfacises
