Toby Jones, now seemingly everywhere, went a tad crazed in the recent Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny. As Harrison Ford searched for the thermostat settings, our man Jones, Toby that is, acted impeccably. His rise to Hollywood from the University of Manchester has been truly Marvellous. Just as Toby floats in and out of Marvel superhero movies, he can be seen on local stories such as The Detectorists and true stories such as Neil Baldwin’s surreal biopic Marvellous. One radio production that does stand out is that of An Inspector Calls. The 2010 production has been lauded, and Inspector Goole, played by Toby Jones is just one character in a story as relevant now as it was when penned by John Boynton Priestley.
“Arthur Birling is a heavy looking, rather portentous man.” – An Inspector Calls, J.B. Priestley
J.B. Priestley was a man of all trades: novelist, playwright, screenwriter, broadcaster and commentator. Raised in Manningham, part of once industrial Bradford, Priestley grew up in the shadow of mill chimneys and his headmaster of a father. His mother passed away in J.B.’s toddler years, but by the time he had reached Belle Vue Boys’ Grammar School, his father had remarried. On the banks of the Bradford Beck river, up from Belle Vue Terrace at Bradford City’s historic valley parade, the young writer J.B. was well placed to see the social norms of those who attended either grammar school or state schools. The Great War and wounds interrupted his early foray into journalism. Survival of the war allowed this ambitious writer the chance to attend the University of Cambridge. Trinity Hall. Having Boris Karloff star in one of his novels adapted to a movie did no harm. J.B. Priestley found time between writing to barrage words towards writers Graham Greene, George Bernard Shaw and pretty much all of Ireland. His prejudice and opinions placed him well during World War II. Here his voice became a BBC mainstay, second only to Prime Minister Sir-to-be W.L.S. Churchill.
“…no longer competing but are working together – for lower costs and higher prices.” – An Inspector Calls, J.B. Priestley
Perhaps Churchill or his cabinet led to J.B. Priestley being removed from the airwaves, for one reason or another. Perhaps not. It led to new pathways for the aspirational writer. The 1941 Committee, charged with increasing efficient war efforts called. Actors, Lords, writers, evolutionary biologists, and prominent people explored ways for people to live after the conclusion of the way. Chairing the committee was J.B. Priestley. Later he formed the breakaway Common Wealth Party, in some ways a forerunner of the political party, the Liberal Democrats. Oddly that put him on George Orwell’s radar. Orwell, tasked with identifying writers with pro-communist leanings, labelled J.B. Priestley as questionable. J.B. Priestley was with his second wife, in the last few years of that marriage. By this stage, the play An Inspector Calls was causing quite a stir. The stage play had debuted in the Soviet Union in 1945. It would be almost a year before London’s New Theatre would stage this drama. Did World War II bring Britain’s classes together?
“When you marry, you’ll be marrying at a very good time. Yes, a very good time – and soon it’ll be an even better time.” – An Inspector Calls, J.B. Priestley
The morality play focuses slaps capitalism down, clutches at the hypocrisy of the middle-class, and stamps down on outdated Victorian social values. Capitalism and socialism can be viewed through Arthur Birling and Inspector Goole, respectively. Set in 1912, neglect and prejudice thread between the dialogue and consequent suicide of working class Eva Smith. She died a death by Donald Trump’s preferred form of CoViD-19 cure, disinfectant. Inspector Goole grills the Birling family over entries into the departed Eva Smith’s diary. Arthur the patriarch alongside cold, yet superior, Mrs Sybil and their offspring Sheila and LadBible.com reader Eric make up the cast, alongside their mate Gerald Croft. Edna is the Mrs Doyle of the family, brewing up for all. The play features gentlemanly chivalry befitting a James Bond movie without the action. There’s a mention or two of the poor deserving this, that, and the other.
“Fiddlesticks! The Germans don’t want war. Nobody wants war…” – An Inspector Calls, J.B. Priestley
An Inspector Calls raises many questions with respect to its interpretation and content. How does Priestley present Mr Birling in An Inspector Calls? How does Priestley use Mr Birling to get his ideas across in the rest of the play? Does this character change? Why does Mr Birling use certain language? The play moves through Eva Smith’s stages as a factory worker, a shop worker, near homelessness and as a pregnant and potential future mother-to-be. The latter stage of deceased is speculative. It is both a morality crime thriller and an intricate crafted play, requiring the reader or watcher to pay attention. The use of repetition, cliff-hangers, shock (“Burnt her inside out”), twists (“That was the police.”), pauses, gasps, asides, and fluent dialogue. What effect does this have on the audience? How does Priestley use language to create drama?
“There’ll be peace and prosperity and rapid progress everywhere.” – An Inspector Calls, J.B. Priestley
An Inspector Calls is a play often referred to as J.B. Priestley’s masterpiece. It has been staged beyond then BBC, as far as Iran, as translated by political activist and writer بزرگ علوی. Good luck reading his name! Bozorg Alavi, incidentally. Richard “I don’t believe it!” Wilson even produced a version with Hugh Grant fluttering his eyes in the Royal Exchange Theatre, Manchester. It is possible to encounter multiple versions and imaginings of this play. BBC Radio with Bob Peck, Hong Kong (浮華宴), Bengali and Russian (Inspektor Gull) movies exist. In the U.K., it forms a backbone of G.C.S.E. English Literacy. The theme of age and the age of the play are as relevant as ever. As are the themes of class and gender, if you look at state of current world politics. Do we look after each other in society? Ask this question in the U.K., Italy and Norway for perhaps very different responses. How do older and younger generations perceive one another? Do children reflect their parents? Or, have younger generations progressed, regressed or adapted to new conditions?
“If you don’t come down sharply on some of these people, they’d soon be asking for the earth.” – An Inspector Calls, J.B. Priestley
The dialogue is sharp and shocking, full of Titanic-sized dramatic irony, rank and status, as well as the obsession of money. Tragedy and hoaxes are banded about like rumour and jokes. Boris Johnson and his Conservative government during and after the 2019 CoViD pandemic would have been proud of the Birling family’s reaction and inaction. Business experience appears to bypass humanity, favouring ability to profit over the death of an innocent person. The finale of the play draws the viewer in, building tension and raises questions. Who was Inspector Goole? What was his involvement? What is social responsibility? The characters, themes, form, structure and language coupled with the plot blend to create a sharp and dark story. Similarly, do leaders in our society take responsibility for their behavior?
John Boynton Priestley (13th September 1894-14th August 1984)
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