IT is a play written almost 80 years ago about a period more than 100 years ago and which was revived 30 years ago. Not a lot there to make you think that it’s going to have much relevance today.

But An Inspector Calls, which arrives at The Lowry next week, is continuing to surprise and entrance audiences much to the delight of one of its stars, actor Simon Cotton.

“We’ve even had to add an extra matinee during our stay at The Lowry, such is the demand.” said the former Emmerdale star. “That just shows what a special production this is.”

On face value, An Inspector Calls seems like pretty standard fare. A well-to-do Edwardian family’s dinner is interrupted when a police inspector arrives at their home investigating the death of a young woman.

But as directed by Stephen Daldry, it becomes as far removed from a game of Cleudo as it’s possible to get.

“I think people love the idea of those old Edwardian/Victorian thrillers and it is that,” said Simon who plays Gerald Croft, heir to the most successful family business in the North. “But at the same time there is a lot more to it than that. So it’s got a bigger story, a bigger moral compass than an Agatha Christie thriller, for example, but it’s still has that same excitement.

“And also importantly it’s where the genius of J B Priestley combines with the genius of Stephen Daldry.

“Priestley wrote a play in 1945 that was set in 1912 which not only spoke to the generation that had just come out of a war and was beginning to think about the birth of the welfare state but also resonates with audiences today. A lot of these issues are still in the newspapers now. I don’t know whether he understood it would echo throughout generations but it certainly does.”

In 1992 Stephen Daldry revived the play picking up awards galore along the way and it is on that revival the current tour is based.

“What Stephen recognised was that the show had been forgotten because it had become this Agatha Christie-style drawing room drama set in one room; it wasn’t exciting anyone and had really been consigned to the dustbin.

“Stephen found it again and said ‘there’s a lot more to it than that’ and he found a way for it to speak to modern audiences.

“The world has changed a lot since 1992 when he first put it on and actually there’s new issues as well as some long standing ones. But it has this echo throughout the generations, that’s where it’s longevity and appeal lies.”

The play has a distinct filmic quality to it, due to some impressive staging and lighting.

“It’s a very cool, beautifully designed show,” said Simon. “One of the reasons for that look is that most shows are lit from above and perhaps from out in the auditorium. Whilst we have that, we also have a lot of side lighting. It’s a bit of a nightmare for us as we constantly have lights in our eyes but it looks so amazing.

“Then there’s the set which is incredible. It’s amazing to think it’s 30 years old and still looks fantastic. The audience has the same reaction to it now as they did when it first premiered which is pretty cool.”

An Inspector Calls is currently on the national curriculum which means that many of the matinee audiences are parties of school pupils who have studied the play.

“I don’t want to give anything away,” said Simon, “but the writing and the production itself really speaks to these young people. It creates this amazing atmosphere which is almost like a Roman amphitheatre with 2,000 people baying at the characters. That was a real shock at first but we know where to expect it now.

“But it’s also a surprise to the audience, particularly those who have studied it. They think they know what to expect but it’s not until they come and see it that the writing and production as a whole surprises them. It’s not just about people standing around in a drawing room smoking and drinking port.

“It’s a story full of anger, full of passion and guilt - all these things that are part of the human condition.”

The week-long run at The Lowry will be the first week back for the cast after a break over Christmas.

“We started out in September,” said Simon, “and it is a surprisingly demanding production so I think we were all grateful for that break. It gave us time to put our feet up and come back for The Lowry refreshed. In our profession to be in a job but to also have time for Christmas is a rarity.”

The production features Liam Brennan as Inspector Goole who is at the heart of everything and Simon is full of praise for his co-star’s performance.

“It’s such a skilful and unshowy performance,” he said, “He’s the rock in the centre of all this anger and it takes incredible skill to do what he does, to play the part in such an understated way.”

As for his own character, Simon isn’t giving too much away.

“I can have some fun with him as he basically looks down on every other character,” he said. “It’s an interesting role to play as an actor because on the surface he’s pretty arrogant, pretty pompous and very complacent.

“But then he has this moment of reckoning. You probably see a better side to me than you see to many of the characters. The question is whether that’s fleeting or permanent - that’s something I won’t answer, you need to come and see the show and decide for yourself.”

This will be the first time in almost 10 years that Simon will have played at The Lowry. He was in a production of A Clockwork Orange at the Quays Theatre in 2013.

“I love The Lowry so it’s great to be getting the chance to go back there,” he said.

An Inspector Calls, The Lowry, Salford Quays, Tuesday, December 10 to Saturday, January 14. Details from www.thelowry.com