Murder calling

There’s nothing like a grizzly murder plot to get thriller fans running to the theatre – and An Inspector Calls promises to do exactly that. Jo Caruana dares to find out more, in this interview with director Michael Mangion.

With the lively Christmas pantomime far behind them, the MADC – one of Malta’s oldest theatre companies – has sprung  back into action for the launch of its  spring season, with the presentation of  J. B. Priestley’s classic play An Inspector Calls.

As one of the playwright’s best-known pieces, An Inspector Calls has been hailed as a classic of mid-20th century English theatre since its first performance in 1946 in the UK. In fact, it has epitomised classic ‘drawing room’ theatre and become a key part of the British school curriculum for its scathing criticism of the hypocrisies of Victorian and Edwardian English society.

Director Michael Mangion actually chose Priestley’s An Inspector Calls to direct almost two years ago, when he was discussing with Marylu Coppini – MADC’s artistic director – the possibility of putting on a thriller.

“It was my first choice because it is such a classic and important play,” he explains. “I had seen the UK National Theatre’s...