J.B.Priestley's "An Inspector Calls" : A DVD Pack on the Text and the Royal National Theatre Production

The emphasis in this publication is on An Inspector Calls as a drama text.

Part One offers support for an engaged reading of the play with many suggestions for classroom drama work and discussion of the central ideas of the play.

Part Two looks more closely at staging and interpretation using video clips from Stephen Daldry's award-winning Royal National Theatre production as a case study. Part One - Reading the Play The play is divided into manageable sections, with a range of activities on each: * active drama approaches to explore different interpretations of the play * close reading of key speeches and scenes * focused discussion work around the central ideas of the play * integrated background material providing historical, political and social contexts * extracts from reviews of the original 1946 production and the RNT production * well-supported writing and oral assignments arising out of classroom activities.

Part Two - Staging the Play (Part Two is supported by the DVD) The DVD is divided into 20 key moments from the play and includes extracts from the Royal National Theatre production and interviews with the actors playing the Inspector, Mr.Birling and Sheila and the set designer, Ian McNeil. It offers: * an engaging exploration of a text in performance * a focus on the intentions and effects of staging decisions * a look at the influences behind set design and musical scores * an insight into the acting process * clips from the 1954 film adaptation starring Alistair Sim providing opportunities for comparative work with key moments from the stage production * the 1997 Labour Party Election Broadcast, Second Chance, starring Pete Postlethwaite, enabling comparative work on themes, political and historical contexts and authorial intention.