I am the director of the play 'An Inspector Calls'. I am writing this essay to advise the actors how to portray their characters in the final act.

Introduction

I am the director of the play ‘An Inspector Calls’. I am writing this essay to advise the actors how to portray their characters in the final act. I will help them to deliver their lines appropriately for each character, to express the mood and personality to the audience. This essay will be focused on Sheila, Gerald, Eric and Mr and Mrs Birling.

Context

The play is set in 1912. The Birling family are celebrating the engagement of their daughter, Sheila to Gerald. Inspector Goole then arrives during the celebrations and starts asking the Birling family questions about the death of a young girl, Eva Smith. She had committed suicide.

Slowly, the inspector makes the family aware that they have played a large role in her suicide. We learn from the characters reactions and responses, what kind of people they really are. Sheila, Eric and Gerald realise their mistakes and how their attitudes and behaviour affect other people. Mr and Mrs Birling seemed convinced that they played no part in this tragedy.

At the end of act 2, the inspector is questioning Mrs Birling about why she didn’t give money to Eva Smith, who was in trouble. The family also found out Eric was the father of Eva’s unborn baby. In the beginning of act 3, Eric arrives to the scene. The inspector starts to question Eric about his relationship with Eva.

At the end of the play, we discover that inspector Goole is not a real police inspector, and we are left wondering who is.

Stage Layout

The stage is going to be set out into two rooms, a living room and a drawing room. The room on the left hand side is going to be the living room. This room is going to be the main attraction to the audience, because this is where the Inspector and the family are sitting. The sofa, telephone, table and the front door will be the main piece of furniture in the living room. The chaise langue in the drawing room will be the main piece of furniture there. The sofas are where the family and the inspector will sit down; it will be at the front of the stage. The telephone will also be at the front of the stage because, at the end of the play it will ring, and the family finds out the inspector is fake. The table will lie in the middle of the sofas; this is where the inspector is making notes. The front door is on the left hand side of the living room; this is where Eric arrives exactly at the end of act 2. The chaise langue in the drawing room is where Sheila and Mrs Birling lay down. They are quite confused.

Mood

The mood in act 3 suddenly changes because Eric has just arrived and the family has just found out that he had an affair with Eva Smith. Now there is suspense. There is going to be dull and slow music to show this. The light will dim to increase the interest and to show mystery. Mr Birling is furious about what he hears, he gets more furious when he finds out that Eric took fifty pounds from his office to help Eva Smith.

Mr Birling phones the police and enquires if there really is an ...

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Mood

Mr Birling phones the police and enquires if there really is an inspector Goole; he discovers there is no such inspector. Mr and Mrs Birling would have been relieved because everything opens up and is starting to become more understandable. The lights will become brighter to symbolise the situation becoming clearer. A bit of loud and clear music is introduced to show relief.

At the end, Mr Birling answers the phone and finds out there is a police officer on his way to ask some questions about a girl who died by swallowing some disinfectant. There is huge shock, and everyone looks at each other. Suddenly the lights dim and the curtains are closed so the audience are left in darkness to contemplate the ending.

Characters

Sheila

Sheila is in her early 20s. She is pretty and dresses very poshly and wears a lot of makeup. She tries to present herself very respectably. She wants the public to like her and is deeply in love with Gerald, who she is engaged to.

Sheila has trouble controlling her emotions, but never the less is pleased with life, she is an exciting and bubbly character. In the beginning of the play she is unintentionally selfish. She is also sensitive and easily moved but intelligent. As the play goes along Sheila realises her mistakes and knows she took it too far in the shop with Eva. The inspector helps her to realise this. She feels very guilty and tries to convince Mr and Mrs Birling that they played a part in the death too, but they ignore it.

‘I know I had her turned out of the job. I started it’. This quote is very important because, Sheila admits that she played a role in Eva Smith’s bereavement. Sheila doesn’t really admit to things so she’s not used to it. To show this expression you have to be a bit hesitant because, remember she’s not used to it. You have to stand like your ashamed, with your head hanging and your arms by your side.

Eric

Eric is a handsome and young man and rather juvenile. He had an affair with Eva Smith after Gerald. He is half shy at times, but can be a confident man, if the situation requires it. Eric is a heavy drinker. Mr and Mrs Birling haven’t really realised this. In a sense his involvement in the girl’s death is worse than anybody else’s. He feels very guilty, as the consequences of his actions are far more serious. He stole money from his father to support his unborn baby.

He admits everything freely and like Sheila, wishes his parents would too. It was clear that is parents were the last people he thought of when he needed money. He feels his father hasn’t always been there for him. He behaves unthinkingly, for example answering his parent’s back quite rudely.

‘You’re not the kind of father a chap could go to when he’s in trouble’. To show this expression you have to be brave and confident. You have to say it slowly to show this confidence. Eric has this on his chest a for long time. After you have said this, you have to show your facial expressions by looking at Mrs Birling to discover what she thinks. Your hands should be shaking to show your anger and resentment.

Mr Birling

Mr Birling is in his early 50s and is heavy looking, he is also provincial in his speech. He does not change over the course of the play, either does his wife. He is posh and over confidant. He is hard hearted because he doesn’t really care about anyone, but he is very concerned what the public think of him. He tries to use his social superiority to emasculate the inspector’s authority. He uses the fact that he is their father to control Eric and Sheila. Out of all the characters he is the one most pleased with himself. We all believe he would sack the girl again, even after the message from the inspector about responsibility for others.

The engagement between Sheila and Gerald matters a lot to him because; it opens up useful business links for him. He is a middle-class man, but has every intent on becoming upper-class. Gerald’s parents are wealthy and that is why he wants Sheila and Gerald to get married.

‘I don’t want any of that talk from you’. The way to show this expression is, anger. You should have a red face to show your intent. You should stand up tall and take charge. You don’t like anyone talking to you like that. Then without any intent of a reply from anyone you should walk away with big confident strides with your arms by your side and your fists curled up.

Mrs Birling

Mrs Birling is a rather evil woman. She wears heavy make up and dresses poshly. She is similar to her husband. She wants everything to be perfect, for example her hair that is always perfectly straight and combed. She really cares about her

appearance. She is her husband’s social superior. Mrs Birling has a lack of imagination and conscience. She is clearly more intelligent than Mr Birling. She doesn’t think of other people and is selfish. She doesn’t know how other people live and has no sense of urgency to understand. Her refusal of giving money to Eva was the final reason for the suicide.

‘Eric I can’t believe it. There must be some mistake, you don’t know what we’ve been saying’. You have to show misery to illustrate this emotion. She can’t accept the fact that Eric is wrong. You have to say this line in a questioning way and you demand an answer. Your eyes should be wide open and hands should be clasped as if pleading for it not to be true.

Gerald Croft

Gerald is in his thirties, so he is between the two generation of the Birlings in age. He is the easy well-bred young man. He is handsome and attractive and had an affair with Daisy Renton. Gerald’s mother is lady Croft and his father owns and rival and more successful business than Mr Birling. The Croft’s are an upper-class family. At the end of the play he distances himself from the events and finds an acceptable explanation for what has happened to the Birling family. Gerald also admits to his mistakes and Sheila respects him for his sincerity. Mrs Birling congratulates him for unmasking the inspector. In this way, he manages to please the whole family.

‘That man wasn’t a police officer’. You have to show this expression slow and clearly because it suddenly changed the mood of the play. He knows this will bring great relief to the Birling family. You should be standing quite anxiously and with your hands it your pockets. You should have a grin on your face, and then burst out the good news.