In 1912, the affluent Birling family holds a seemingly cheerful dinner in the industrial town of Brumley to celebrate the engagement of their daughter, Sheila [Chloe Pirrie] Birling, to Gerald Croft [Kyle Soller], the son of a factory owner whose success rivals their own. The gathering includes Arthur [Ken Stott] Birling, his wife Sybil [Miranda Richardson] Birling, and their son Eric [Finn Cole] Birling, whose drinking habits the family tends to overlook. Mr. Birling fills the room with confident, self-assured talk about a bright future and the importance of everyone looking after themselves, hinting that such a future might even bring him honors. The mood seems light, but the undercurrents of pride, class, and responsibility simmer beneath the surface as the men linger with cigars and the women retreat to a more intimate chat.
Shortly after, the atmosphere sharpens when Edna, the household maid, interrupts with the startling news that a police inspector has arrived. Inspector Goole [David Thewlis] announces that he is examining the suicide of a young woman named Eva Smith [Sophie Rundle], and he proceeds to reveal a striking moment: a photo of Eva shown to Mr. Birling, with the Inspector insisting on taking one step at a time and not allowing others to see the image yet. Birling admits he knew Eva from work at his factory and recalls that she led a strike demanding fair pay, which lasted over a week before the workers returned to their posts after exhausting their finances. Eva was dismissed, and Birling accepts responsibility for letting her go but denies any direct responsibility for her death.
The visitors are summoned in turn to the drawing room, and Sheila confronts the truth when she sees Eva’s photograph. She recounts an episode at Milwards, a department store, where she spots a dress that seems perfect for her, convinced it will suit her appearance even though it might not. Eva assists her in trying the dress; the moment unsettles Sheila, who feels humiliated by the reflection in the mirror. Convinced that Eva is mocking her, she urges the manager to dismiss Eva, a decision made reluctantly by the shop. Sheila’s guilt over this act weighs heavily on her, and she struggles with the moral implications of her own privilege.
As the Inspector continues, Gerald Croft [Kyle Soller] admits that he had encountered a woman by the name Daisy Renton—Eva’s other identity—at the Palace Bar, a known gathering spot for men seeking companionship. He explains that he met her one summer and became involved, providing money and arranging for her to live in a flat belonging to a friend. The relationship ended after a few months, though Gerald’s discomfort is evident as he processes the memory. Sheila's heartbreak is clear as she rejects the engagement ring and withdraws from the party for a moment of reflection.
The Inspector then directs attention to Mrs Birling, a prominent charity figure who helps women in difficult situations. Eva, seeking aid under the name Daisy, presents herself to the committee staffed by Mrs Birling, but she is denied assistance. Eva also uses the name Alice Grey during her pregnancy, explaining that the father is an immature alcoholic who cannot provide support. Mrs Birling denies any wrongdoing despite Eva’s insistence, and the Inspector presses hard, forcing Mrs Birling to confront the possibility that she contributed to a young woman’s desperation. When Goole exposes the lie that Eva’s pregnancy and the circumstances around her case were caused by a morally suspect man, it becomes painfully clear that Eric is the one involved, though the revelation is withheld for a moment to heighten the tension.
Eric enters the room, broken and remorseful, and confesses that he is the young man who fathered Eva’s child and that he raped Alice after a night of drinking at the Palace Bar. He admits stealing £50 from his father’s business to support her and their unborn child, a plan Eva rejected. The room erupts in anger at Eric’s actions and Birling anger turns to blame, shattering the earlier pretenses of propriety as the family confronts the consequences of their choices.
The inspector’s job is not merely to uncover guilt but to reveal how intertwined every life is within one society. Eva/Daisy/Alice’s death—caused by what Goole describes as a poisoning from a cleaning disinfectant—serves as a stark reminder of the fragility of vulnerable lives in the face of privilege and indifference. Goole’s final speech underscores a moral lesson: actions ripple outward, touching others in unanticipated ways, and responsibility crosses generational and social lines.
After these confessions, the family tries to verify the inspector’s authority, calling the chief of police and the infirmary, only to learn that there is no Inspector Goole on the force and no recent suicide matching the inspector’s narrative. Gerald and the elder Birlings attempt to breathe a sigh of relief, but Sheila and especially Eric remain unsettled by what they have revealed. Just as the tension seems to lift, a phone call confirms that a young woman has indeed died in the infirmary, and the authorities are on their way to question the family. The inspector’s identity is never fully explained, though a hint rests in the name Goole itself, suggesting a moral fable rather than a straightforward police matter. Though the family grapples with doubt about the authenticity of their visitor, the corroborative nature of their confessions remains, and the play closes on a chilling note: public disgrace and moral reckoning loom as the truth lingers in the room.
In the end, the narrative leaves readers and viewers pondering how quickly wealth, status, and denial can obscure a harsher truth—that every person’s actions touch others in ways they may never fully realize, and the consequences, once set in motion, can be inescapable.
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