Second Story Theatre delivers a witty and intriguing production of J.B. Priestly’s “An Inspector Calls” at the historic Bristol Statehouse, 240 High Street, Bristol.
The play, set around the First World
War time period, just before it, is family gathering and celebration gone sour.
The Birling family is together to celebrate their good fortune, full of self
congratulations and good cheer. Sheila is getting engaged to the equally
wealthy and prominent Gerald Croft. This will be not only a family merger but a
business merger. These people are incredibly wealthy, sleek sophisticated and
aloof. But beneath this veneer of proper sophistication there is a darker layer
of hidden secrets and that is where the mystery lies. All of this becomes clear
when a mysterious police inspector arrives to put them through their paces with
some devastating questions. A young woman has committed suicide in a most
horrible way and the inspector believes he can find some answers here, so far
away from that grisly scene.
The play is
packed with relentless twists and turns and the inspector digs deeper into the
dead young woman’s past and the people in the room with vigor and mercilessly
dedicated to finding the truth. Oddly, the inspector seems to know certain
answers before he asks the questions and his manner is not accusatory, but deeply
probing.. The result is a witty and delightful mystery with jabs of comedy
throughout.
Vince Petronio is a delight as
Inspector Goole. He is poised and astute in his relentless and cagey pursuit of
the dark secrets he knows lies here. Mr.
Petronio is the perfect calm, cool and collected inspector who knows what he
wants and how to best get it.
Tom Roberts is engaging as Arthur
Birling, the family patriarch, a man set in his ways and superlative
businessman with an every ready eye to the bottom line. Mr. Roberts is
determined to protect his family and his business from outside assaults and
ready to use any means he has to defend them and prevent scandal at all costs.
Mr. Roberts is imposing in the role.
Laura Sorensen is incisive as
Sheila Birling, a young woman brought up in sheer luxury and disdain for those
others, less privileged than her, who gets to look into her life with
astonishing revelations. Ms. Sorensen is highly convincing in her balance
between elegance and sincerity.
Tim White is poised and intelligent
as Sheila’s fiancé, Gerald Croft. He is
a man beset by personal challenges and dark doubts about a bright future. It is
a strong, nuanced performance.
Jeff Church is engaging as the
dissolute and hard drinking brother, Eric Birling. Mr. Church is outstanding as
the man who while he takes advantage of his advantages his darker thoughts
about them at the same time.
Joan Batting is incisive as the family
matriarch, Sybil, who knows all too well her status in life and what it takes
to protect it. She is aloof and self assured, above it all. She knows she is
right, and she is right, facts be dammed.
Valerie Westgate rounds out the
cast as the maid, Edna.
It is a well honed performance,
with many laughs along the way. There are provocative questions here, which
resonate to current day. The cast is right on target with their poise and
character twists and turns marked by a sincerity that is endearing and at times
surprising or off-putting. It is engaging fun and presented with no
intermission, running time one hour and fifteen minutes.
Director Ed Shea keeps a fine
balance between the wit and mystery in the play. It is vivid and impressive.
Trevor Elliot’s set is sheer
delight, elegant and simple at the same time. Ron Cesario’s costume designs are
impeccable, sophisticated and graceful,
faithful to the time period.
It will be presented again at the
historic Bristol Statehouse, 240 High Street,
Bristol, RI until
Dec. 2. Box office 401-247-4200. www.2ndstorytheatre.com
Tickets $25, Performances Wed, thru Sun. at 8 pm,
except for Sun. which are at 3 pm and
7 pm on different Sundays.
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