October’s Thriller: Tony Winner “An Inspector Calls” by J.B. Priestley

Recipient of the Tony Award for Best Revival of a Play, “An Inspector Calls” is a classic of mid-20th century English theatre. J. B. Priestley merges a suspenseful detective mystery with the message that we share a collective social responsibility, and that our individual actions have real consequences for the wider community. It warns about abuses by the wealthy class. Studied for decades, the play’s themes and dramatic twist ending offer an intriguing afternoon or evening of theater.

J. B. Priestley’s daring play takes place in an English industrial city in 1912, where an eminently respectable British family is hosting a high society celebratory dinner. As the prosperous Birling family rejoices in their daughter’s engagement, a police inspector abruptly arrives to question them about a young woman’s suicide. This transforms the celebration into a tense, twisting interrogation and moral reckoning that tests each character’s connection to the tragic death.
Every scene reveals a new piece of the puzzle. Reviewers consistently praise the play’s powerful messages about social accountability, class and economic inequality, and power imbalances that keep “An Inspector Calls” deeply relevant today.
Before the evening is over, the formerly friendly and close-knit Birling family members will reveal their true selves—on A.C.T.’s stage. Performances are weekends Oct. 2 – 18. For tickets and information, please visit actstudiotheatre.com or call (772) 932-8880. Tickets are $28. A.C.T. Studio Theatre, a nonprofit theater, is located in the Cedar Pointe Plaza, 2399 SE Ocean Blvd., Stuart.