Friday Headlines
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A Dramatic Day Out at An Inspector Calls
09 May 2025
On Wednesday, English teachers took a number of Year 10 students to see Stephen Daldry's multi award-winning National Theatre production of JB Priestley's classic thriller ‘An Inspector Calls’ at The Alexandra in Birmingham. Seeing as it is only running for one week, we were fortunate to get some tickets.
The walk from school to the theatre was pleasant and refreshing. The performance was exciting and interpretative; somewhat more dramatic than expected, while the set was stunning, with a collapsing house, explosions and glass being smashed! It put this core GCSE English Literature in a new light and was very well received by the receptive audience. Some students had this to say:
"A 10/10 performance, the set design was dynamic and the special effects of the Birling household were exhilarating. The crashing down of the house symbolised the flaws of the Birling family perfectly" (Zoe T)
"The representation of Sheila was beautifully executed, demonstrating her transformation from a naive and spoilt capitalist girl, to a judicious and conscientious socialist." (Rebecca C)
"The subtleties in the changes of costume reflected the way the family and their behaviours were grossly exposed. Priestley's socialist messaging gave us a lot to think about in terms of our own words, actions and behaviours." (Polly B)
We look forward to taking advantage of future productions and live events in Birmingham; a city with so much to offer.
An Inspector Calls
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