MAKE A CALL ON THIS INSPECTOR
In Stephen Daldry’s architectually inspired revival of J.B. Priestley’s An Inspector Calls, an astute mixture of comedy of manners/tragedy of class/family crisis/ socialism versus capitalism/whodunit, the audience is asked, along with a trio of curious children, to get past that heavy red velvet curtain and enter a world of theatrical magic.
In his sometimes astonishing, sometimes mesmerizing, sometimes a touch too tricky for its own good, production, Daldry elevates the play to an importance it deserves. In this case, actors play a secondary role to the special effects, so, while the cast is pretty much good enough, it is a far cry from being sensational or memorable. One’s mouth waters at the thought of the cast of the original “pedestrian” production in 1946 which included Ralph Richardson, Margaret Leighton, Harry Andrews and a young Alec Guinness in the delicious role of the alcoholic son. But let’s not cavil. This is a heady piece of stagecraft and better than anything else currently playing in Los Angeles.
photos by Mark Douet
An Inspector Calls
International Tour
Bram Goldsmith Theater
Wallis Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts
9390 N. Santa Monica Blvd.
ends on February 10, 2019
for tickets ($35-$125), call 310.746.4000
or visit The Wallis
for more info, visit INSPECTOR CALLS
