Use the above PowerPoint to help revise the 9 marker question

9 marker - you MUST refer to the context of An Inspector Calls.

You MUST refer to the original performance conditions (OPC)

9 Marker

As a director, discuss how you would use ONE of the production elements below to bring the extract to life for the audience. – Set

As a director I will focus on the set. I would have a window upstage centre, made of stained glass with curtains of heavy fabric such as velvet in either red or purple. The colours represent how wealthy the Birling’s are. Having the window upstage centre allows the entire audience to see it clearly. I would direct the Inspector to walk to the window and look out of it when he says, ‘we have to share our guilt’. I would then ask him to place his hand on the window showing the physical barrier between the Birling’s and the lower classes. He is talking about social responsibility and community, something he strives to achieve which the Birling’s clearly don’t have a clue about due to their high social class. The audience will see this and reflect on their actions and thoughts, as an audience in 1945 it would have made them realise how capitalism is negatively affecting the world both in 1912 and 1945.

I would have a door upstage left. It would be large and made of mahogany with a golden door handle. The use of gold yet again showcases the Birling’s wealth and status. When Mrs Birling enters I would direct her to loudly bang the door behind her to create a pause and level of suspense. She wants to have power over the Inspector as she has a fear of her reputation being ruined. The banging of the door shows to the audience that she has status and power, this is her home and she can bang a door if she so wishes. Priestly was a socialist and wanted others to be one too. He wants to create a negative ambience every time a capitalist character enters. The loud sound which the door will make is a warning to the audience, violence and anger to follow.

Write one more paragraph on set.

• Referring to the context of the play
• The set being used.
• How it could be used by the actor to bring the extract to life.

12 Marker

As a director discuss how the performer playing the role might demonstrate high status to the audience in this extract and the complete play.

You must consider:

• Voice
• Physicality
• Stage directions/stage space

12 Marker

Voice

As a director on Mr Birlings line ‘Just let me finish Eric. You’ve a lot to learn’, I would tell him to have a false laugh, pretending to make a joke out of things, but clearly actually annoyed with Eric. Mocking tone to show he thinks very little of his son and considers him immature. But with a slightly hostile edge to his voice, as if he is telling Eric he shouldn’t have interrupted?

This same laugh and hostile tone can be seen used by Mr Birling at the beginning of the play when the Inspector first enters the Birling household. Mr Birling does not take kindly to being questioned and many times throughout the play tries to gain a higher status over the Inspector.

Physicality

As a director I would tell the actor playing Mr Birling to place his hands-on Eric’s shoulders showing a high status, standing behind him as if holding him down, this is symbolic of Mr Birling wanting Eric under his control. During the long speech, ‘look at the progress…’ I’d get him to sit back down. Relaxed posture, legs crossed, chair pushed back, lounging, expansive hand gestures, puffing on cigar intermittently. This shows he thinks he’s right, has authority, they should listen to him. But once again heightens his ridiculousness because we know he’s wrong.

This type of physicality could be shown again at the end of the play when Gerald suggests that the Inspector is in fact a fake. Order has been restored to Mr Birlings mind and his laid back relaxed high status posture would yet again reappear.

Use of space

As a director I would tell Mr Birling to start moving around the stage slowly on ‘All I wanted to say is this…’ with a slow purposeful gait showing authority, as if he knows what he’s talking about. The eye gaze of the other characters would have to follow him as if he is in control of them too.

I’d tell him to come to a stop downstage centre facing the audience on ‘just because the Kaiser’. This heightens dramatic irony because he seems so certain and so stands centre stage but we all know the war happened. This makes him appear foolish to the audience

PLEASE COMPLETE THIS PARAGRAPH!

The three things you must consider – There is nothing stopping you doing three paragraphs and giving each a title as I have done to help me remember what I have covered.

What as a director I have decided the actor should do with his voice/physicality and use of space.

Somewhere else in the complete play – I have left this final paragraph for you to complete. Where else in the play could Mr Birling come to a complete standstill facing the audience, downstage centre? Refer back to the powerpoint to help you.