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Stephen Daldry directs An Inspector Calls at the New Theatre, Cardiff |
The West End and Broadway production of JB Priestley’s classic thriller An Inspector Calls returns to the New Theatre from Tuesday 19 – Saturday 23 May after an absence of six years. Directed by Stephen Daldry, director of the Academy Award-winning The Hours, The Reader, and one of Britain’s best-loved films Billy Elliot, An Inspector Calls sold out on its last visit to Cardiff.In 1992 Daldry successfully revived the National Theatre’s production which later transferred to Broadway. To date, it has won 19 major awards including the 1993 Lawrence Olivier Award for Best Director of a play, the 1994 Tony Award for Best Direction of a Play and the Drama Desk award for Outstanding Director of a Play. The epic staging, raw emotion and sweeping score are just some of the elements that made An Inspector Calls a smash hit all over the world. The play is centred on the wealthy Birling family whose intimate dinner party is interrupted by the arrival of the mysterious Inspector Goole. His investigation into the death of young factory worker gradually exposes how middle-aged Mr. Birling, a self-satisfied industrialist, his wife, son and daughter’s fiancé were all, to varying degrees, responsible for the woman’s sacking, pregnancy and suicide. The play also challenges the audience to examine their own moral consciences. Daldry transformed critics’ and audiences’ attitudes towards Priestley’s 1945 play, which had invariably been given ‘safe’, realistic treatment in countless regional theatres, where it had enjoyed enduring popularity. He made the Birlings’ home an out-of-scale mansion on stilts and brought most of the action outdoors, to the front of the stage. The compelling production also features music and lighting that would not be out of place in a 1940s Hollywood detective thriller – and some very operatic performances. An Inspector Calls is at the New Theatre, Cardiff from Tuesday 19 – Saturday 23 May. Tickets range from £7 - £25.50 and can booked via the Box Office on 029 2087 8889 or online* at www.newtheatrecardiff.co.uk. *online sales carry a small transaction charge |
| New Theatre Cardiff web site: www.newtheatrecardiff.co.uk |
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Friday, May 1, 2009 |
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