Opening their spring theatre season at Blue Box - M Space, Msida - the MADC's upcoming production of J. B. Priestley's classic thriller, An Inspector Calls takes place on one fateful evening in April 1912, when the mysterious Inspector Goole pays an unsolicited visit to a British family household, located in the fictional manufacturing town of Brumley. What ensues is a cascade of secrets coming to light, pieces of a damning puzzle being put together and shocking revelations shaking the very foundations of the Birling family's lives.
Local actors Edward Caruana Galizia, Roberta Cefai and Gianni Selvaggi are no newcomers to the stage. This month, they will be starring in the MADC's latest production, which promises to challenge its audiences to examine their own consciences, as they experience the hidden secrets harboured by the members of the Birling family. Under the direction of Michael Mangion, Edward, Roberta and Gianni will appear alongside a stellar cast of actors, including Edward Thorpe, Isabel Warrington, Samantha Gauci and John Marinelli on 15, 16, 17, 22, 23 and 24 March.
An Inspector Calls was born out of Priestley's tumultuous wartime debate about British society, which was still divided along class lines when the play was written in 1945. In this famous thriller, Priestley reveals the hypocrisy that permeates Victorian and Edwardian society, pivoting on the unexpected visit of the mysterious inspector to the upper middle-class family, after the suicide of a working-class woman.
Caruana Galizia admits that the dramatic irony of the play sent chills down his spine when he first read the script. "The play is set at a time when progress felt like it could go on forever, a time when war was inconceivable and during which the general sentiment was that better times were ahead."
Edward will be playing the role of Eric Birling, who appears to be everything a "well brought up boy" should be. "Eric comes from a respectable family and lives in a respectable home. However, much of the constraints of Victorian and Edwardian society have taken their toll on him, leaving him feeling very lost," he says.
Just like the other characters in the play, Eric Birling is struggling to come to terms with his recent and past mistakes. Similarly, Gianni says that his character, Gerald Croft - "a well-bred young man from an upper-class family" - also has a few skeletons in his cupboard. Regardless of the play's 1912 setting, Gianni says: "The themes that are touched upon highlight issues that we are still faced with, such as unemployment and poverty, which we can compare to the migration situation today. We can see the wealthy brushing off their moral responsibility of burden sharing, something that the play reflects upon."
The play, therefore, "drives home a plea for a more just and compassionate society", according to Cefai. Roberta will be joining the talented cast as she takes on the role of "the passionate conscience" of the Birling family, Sheila. Having joined the MADC in the summer of 2018, Roberta says: "I am looking forward to bringing the story to life. I've always loved this play, as there are so many unexpected twists in the story and I can't wait for audience members to experience it themselves."
An Inspector Calls can be seen as a cautionary tale, explains Edward. "The whole play acts as a warning of what happens to the world and to the individual when we forget that, ultimately, we owe each and every person respect and dignity," he concludes.
MADC's production of J. B. Priestley's 'An Inspector Calls' will be performed at Blue Box Theatre - M Space, Msida - opposite Junior College (ex Polytechnic) on 15, 16, 17, 22, 23 and 24 March with all performances starting at 7.30pm. Tickets are priced at €15 and €20, and are available online at www.bluebox.com.mt or by calling the Ticket Hotline on +356 7979 3737. It is recommended that audience members are aged 12 or above.