An Inspector Calls - Playhouse Theatre / Tour

Is it that welcome?

It would be if it were a new production - but as it is the Daldry one, surely it has been seen by everyone who has ever wanted to see it.

It is time for a new director to make it fresh again, bring some new thinking to the play and see what happens. Trotting something out for 25 years might be good for nostalgia, but it is not serving audiences.

The play is a classic, the production was a classic - but it is time to re-examine it.

Considering it's on the curriculum, it's clearly getting new audiences in every year who won't have seen it before and who weren't even born when it was new. It's a museum piece, sure, but all museums are new to the school groups making their first trips.

Oh my days.....I cannot believe this production is nearly 25 years old ...first produced at the National in 1992!!!

I can't wait. Saw it at the Novello a few years ago and really enjoyed it.

How many visits have you made to this? I thought that, at each revival, the new cast is re-directed, whilst retaining Ian McNeil (and Stephen Daldry)'s design concept. I've never heard anyone say that it's stale in the way of West Side Story which has to replicate the original choreography, etc.

I have to say I've never seen it so this is rather pleasant news. I shall be mincing around to the Playhouse come November time!

Problem is school curriculums don't tend to work like that. Schools are attracted back as they've got all the paperwork for this production, all the useful staging notes, all the lesson plans attached etc. A lot of that would have to be ditched and restarted if they saw a different production (especially anything regarding staging!).

That said, I do agree this production now has been around the block a few too many times.. but then The Mousetrap is still running and Woman in Black is another play that looks incredibly dusty.

I don't think saving teachers a bit of work is a good enough reason for retaining the same production for 25 years.  Any decent producer will put together an education pack that will start them along the way.  Teachers must be fed up of teaching this year after year after year.  They deserve a break - even if it does mean more work.

I can remember seeing Stratford Johns in this at the Theatre Royal in about 1975.

Is this production still produced by the National?

I know it's labeled as "The acclaimed National Theatre production" but the NT doesn't seem to advertise it like they do with War Horse, Curious or PP&T.

Please don't mind me reviving this thread.

Saw this on tour tonight and had such a wonderful time. The opening is spectacular, loud music blasting as the curtain opens. Still feels like a spectacle that you hardly get now.

I hadn't seen this production before but the set and the effects are really something special. The book is somehow more relevant than it has been in the past and I enjoyed it way more than when I studied it in High School. I have a feeling if I had seen this version of it back then I would've been more enthralled to study it.

Most of the principal cast we had on tonight did such great jobs with this piece. Liam Brennan as Inspector Goole, Chloe Orrock as Sheila, Simon Cotton as Gerald and Eric Birling as George were standouts.

I wasn't a fan of Jeffrey Harmer though. Luckily I was at a captioned performance or I don't think I would've gotten a word of what he was trying to say. He obviously was just really wanting to get home early tonight.

I believe this production is in fantastic shape and may be worth a revisit if its coming near you.

With AIC coming to Liverpool this week, I took the opportunity to revisit the production last night after not seeing it for a good 15 years or so. Certainly, the play is still a great watch and this cast do a terrific job with bringing JB Priestley's classic work to the stage. With the play still on the GCSE syllabus, we had the theatre packed with the school kids who also seemed to enjoy it (particularly the house effect and when Shelia gives Gerald a slap across the face got a lively response from the kids) and I have to say were very well behaved throughout the entire time.

For this current tour, I'd agree with both hadeswasking and drowseychap that George Rowlands as Eric really is a highlight in this production though it is a great cast that has been assembled and keep you engaged with the play.

The lighting and sound design are still incredibly effective in heightening the tension and along with the house effect at the end is still fun even on a second viewing.

As an aside, it was also nice to have a return to a higher quality house programme from ATG that actually gives some background and context to the show rather than just the cast bios and a few adverts.