Directing J.B. Priestley's An Inspector Calls

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Directing J.B. Priestley's An Inspector Calls

Dear Katherine,

I have gathered some information and advice for your part as Sheila in

'An Inspector Calls'. This should help to give you some background

information before you come to rehearsals.

Best of luck!

Jack

An Inspector calls is set in 1912, in a time before the war, and when

the Titanic was set to take its maiden voyage. Who would have known

that in two years time, the Titanic would be rusting away in the

Atlantic Ocean, or that the first-world war would be taking place on

earth? The Birling family surely didn't. That may be why there was

such a positive atmosphere in their family home - along with the fact

that their daughter is the proud fiancée of Gerald Croft, the son of

an upper class and very wealthy man. As this is a family that is

highly concerned with status: a strong connection with a well-known

and very respected family like the Crofts is sure to put a smile on

their faces.

The play starts with a dinner celebration of Sheila Birling's

engagement to Gerald Croft. In the Birling family there is Arthur and

Sybil Birling - the parents of Sheila and Eric Birling. They are an

upper-middle class family very set in their ways. During the evening's

celebration an unforeseen arrival of a police inspector, disrupts

their optimistic celebrations, when he announces the death of a young

woman, Eva Smith, whom committed suicide by drinking disinfectant. The

upbeat and positive atmosphere soon changes, as one by one, each and

every member of the family are brought to expose the shameful truth

which links them with her death.

Sheila's Character - Sheila is a pretty young woman in her early

twenties. She has a rather enthusiastic and jovial character, and is

content with what life has given her. She respects her father, and is

polite towards him (Example - 'I'm sorry Daddy. Actually I was

listening' - Page 6). This respect is only apparent at the beginning

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