Goverment Inspector

The most active theatre company in Cheltenham

THE GOVERNMENT INSPECTOR
New version by JOHN BYRNE

‘The Government Inspector’ by the Russian playwright, Gogol, is his masterpiece. First performed in Moscow in 1835, it created such a furore that Gogol was driven into exile. Set in a remote part of the country, this classic satire on human vanity shows a corrupt group of self-seeking officials stricken with terror at the thought of a visit from a government inspector. Through the wild inventiveness of Gogol’s comic writing, the play becomes an exposition of the grotesque and absurd elements in human nature and remains one of the great comedies of all time.

One critic wrote that regional versions of the play correspond best to the kind of world Gogol depicts. With that in mind and using a modern translation by John Byrne, writer of the television series ‘Tutti Frutti’, director John Shirley has set the play in Wales in the 1950s. This adaptation shows that the comedy of ‘The Government Inspector’ is both timeless and universal.

Info about the play

"The Government Inspector" by Nikolai Gogol is one of the theatre's great plays. Although written nearly two hundred years ago, the modern translation by John Byrne which we are using for this production makes it seem fresh and totally relevant to today's society.

The play shows a group of corrupt officials in a small town who are terrified at the prospect of a visit from a government inspector. When a newcomer visits their town they all assume him to be the inspector. They are of course all wrong. The visitor pockets their bribes, seduces their women and then leaves. Only then do they realise their dreadful error.

This idea has been borrowed by other writers. One of the episodes of "Fawlty Towers", for example, uses this idea when Basil discovers that he will be visited by an hotel inspector but doesn't know who it will be which leads to a great deal of humour. Hollywood made a film of the play with Danny Kaye in the role of the fake inspector. Tony Hancock played the part in a radio production as did Rik Mayall in a recent version by the National Theatre.

For this production I have changed the setting from Russia where Gogol placed it to Wales where there is as much corruption and deceit as anywhere else. The geographical names have been changed so that Moscow becomes Cardiff, and the characters' names have been altered so that Anton Antonovich becomes Dai Williams. I have updated the play to the 1950s.

I have been fortunate in being able to assemble an excellent cast. All sixteen of them are working hard to create their roles. They are getting every ounce of humour from the play. The important point to note about this drama is that it is very, very funny as witnessed by the amount of laughter in rehearsal. The title of the play may make it sound serious, and it has a serious point to make, but Gogol achieves his aim by placing these absurd characters in hilarious situations.

This production will provide a highly entertaining evening for all theatregoers, young and old. Go and see it. You will not be disappointed.

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