Time and the Conways

Just saw this for the first time in some thirty years... Priestley wrote three 'Time' plays: "Dangerous Corners" is the best known other one (I think). He's also the author of "An Inspector Calls" which manages to be paranormal without spooky.

As for this one ..we meet the Conways in 1919, at a daughter's 21st birthday. The Conways are attractive, well-liked, affluent, and survived the war well (with the exception of the father). They banter with each other, tease each other a little - brother Robin comes home that night, friend Gerald brings in a man who's been dying to meet them...

Then we're twenty years later; the teasing and bickering is now with malice. Some of the daughters married badly, careers went awry, there's been a death, the family is on hard times.

Then we're back to 1919 again - and now we see where the second act came from. We now see the effects of the words and actions that the characters do in this 'past' that we know will affect the future we've seen.

It's a clever play - Priestly wrote some excellent books and drama. There's a touch of melodrama in it, and maybe some fatalism - but the content will stay with you. The acting (as are most British plays of this vintage) is superb. Claire Bloom (as the mother) is wonderfully touching, then catty, then dominant, the manipulative.

Well worth a look. Let's pray for the DVD - the 'youtube' print is welcome but the quality isn't the best.