The setting of this play is before world war one and two, and also the sinking of the Titanic, thus showing Birling foreshadowing future events, and adding to the dramatic irony.
The main theme that is central to the play is responsibility, for example, who was accountable for Eva Smith’s death? Priestly uses the inspector to blame not one sole individual for her death, but for everyone as a group. The inspector addresses the family,
Each of you helped to kill her
This reflects Priestley’s own views, that everyone is responsible for one another as a community and society. The inspector then leaves a final warning, that
I tell you that the time will soon come when, if men will not learn that lesson [collective responsibility], when they will be taught it in fire and blood and anguish.
If I were to direct this play so that this theme would be relevant today, I would first have to change the setting of the whole play. Instead of setting it in 1912, I would instead set it in roughly the year 2000. This would make it more accessible for everyone, such as students. As such, changes to the script would also have to be made. Near the beginning, when Birling mentions the Titanic and how war would be impossible, I would replace it with events such as how Birling now believes that a terrorism attack would be impossible, and how poverty would have been eradicated through economic growth. Instead of a young girl killing herself through drinking bleach, I would instead have a young girl who has committed suicide through a drug overdose and alcohol poisoning.
The different members of the Birling family would still have made a significant impact to the girl; with ultimately all of them being responsible for what Eva Smith eventually does to herself. The stage production of An Inspector Calls, directed by Ian Macneil, started with a darkened scene, akin to a World War II setting, with children finding an old radio from pre-World War I, and discovering themselves in the world of “An Inspector Calls”. Directing this as a play, I wouldn’t bother with the need to be transported to a different time or place, as the setting has changed so that it’s now in the modern times.
The stage would first be set at a garden party, and when the Inspector arrives: a storm begins and as such; they move indoors. This would reflect what effect the Inspector will have on the family, to turn it from a peaceful happy environment, to one that is fraught with darkness and unhappiness. The weather would progressively change to imitate the atmosphere that is being experienced within the family.
The attitudes of each of the characters would also remain the same, as in; the older generation have the opinion that they are not responsible for what Eva Smith did, do not admit to any fault of their own, and are very rigid in their thoughts and opinions of others, especially those of a lower class. The younger generation, i.e. Sheila and Eric, would be sympathetic to Eva Smith, and consider themselves at least partly responsible for their actions that led to Eva’s death. This is still relevant today, as it shows Priestley’s hopes that it is the younger generation which listen most to the Inspector’s message, that of collective responsibility. It could be compared to an example of which is being constantly told to the younger generation, that of global warming.
In terms of who they are and what jobs they occupy, Birling would be a self-made business man, but while being rich, he would not be upper class. Instead he will be the son of a traditional English family, and their habits and attitudes will have passed onto him, which, combined with his wealth, makes him feel like he’s upper class. He won’t have been a past mayor, but instead a member of the council. With this in mind, the family will be moulded around him with the basis of their backgrounds from the original in mind.
In contrast to the stage production, music would not accompany the play. Instead, to build tension and to increase dramatic effect, I would rely on the conversation and the dramatic irony (adumbration) as well as the effects generated from the storm outside. The storm will throw lightning across the backdrop, with it striking at specific moments to heighten the tension. A constant murmur of rain will play, which will add to the anxiety.
The timing of entrances and exits will also remain the same, as I believe that the timing Priestley uses in An Inspector Calls is how it should be, for example at the end of act two, when the Inspector manages to make Mrs. Birling give her opinion on what should be done to the man who made Eva Smith pregnant, and just after that, Eric walks in.
Throughout the play, several other ideas also appear. And these are the class wars, and the capitalism versus labour. These appear through what the characters say, for example Birling near the beginning, which, not only does it show the idea of capitalism versus labour, but also once more foreshadows war.
Birling: and I tell you, by that time you’ll be living in a world that’ll have forgotten all these Capital versus Labour agitations and all these silly little war scares.
These ideas are still valid and very much relevant today, however, compared to how they were seen when it was written, I believe a more pertinent issue which is closer to people’s hearts and minds today would be better suited for the play. An issue such as terrorism and immigrants from other countries would have the same effect as Priestly intended when he originally wrote it. As such Eva Smith could be cast as a young, Polish female, who came to Britain to seek a secure future.
The point of making the play more relevant to today’s world is so that Priestley’s original message can still be easily conveyed to the present generation. The theme of a collective responsibility is still there: but just shown in different circumstances and with a dissimilar portrayal of the world around Eva Smith’s death.