By: Nikolai Gogol
New Adaption by: Phil Porter
Gogol’s iconic play, masterfully adapted by the sharp wit and inventive mind of Phil Porter, brought to life by a talented and exuberant cast and crew, is a fitting and triumphant start to the new Chichester Festival theatre season.
Upon entering the theatre the audience is greeted by a trio of traditional Russian folk musicians playing with a spectacular setting. The set, beautifully designed by Francis O’Connor, evokes Tsarist Russia in the 1830’s. It has a rustic grandeur and is an impressive sight filling the theatre stage.
As the musicians leave the stage we are introduced to the Mayor of this provincial Ukrainian town, played with grotesque excellence by Lloyd Hutchinson. Within seconds the crowd can tell the Mayor is a bully, a bore and power hungry petty man who the towns folk and local businessmen fear. He enjoys the power he wields. He is the biggest of fish in a very small pond. He love’s how much influence he has but there is a spanner in the works; acquaintances tell him there is a government inspector in town and if he does not deal with this matter in a very careful manner his whole existence could be in jeopardy.
The news of an inspector coming to call throws the Mayor and several other corrupt officials that surround him into a panic, especially when it seems that the inspector has already been a guest at the local inn for the past two weeks. Among the chaos a plan to go and greet the inspector is hatched, with the Mayor at the helm in order to see if they can placate or bribe him in any way. What the officials are unaware of is that the person they think is an inspector is not at all. He’s a travelling chancer with a superiority complex.
Phil Porter’s pacy and very funny script is crammed full of fabulously descriptive put downs, witticisms and one liners. He produces a wonderful mischievous turn of phrase to great comedy effect. Warm laughter fills the room all night long.
The performances are all energetic, engaging and well comedically timed. There’s plenty of slapstick with Miltos Yerolemou and Paul Rider as Bobchinsky and Dobchinsky at the forefront. They are a consistently hilarious pairing, constantly bickering and talking over one another to great comedic effect. One stunt in particular draws loud gasps from the audience due to the audacity of its nature and how expertly it is executed.
Reuben Johnson shines as the rather simple Postmaster who reads all outgoing and incoming mail before it is passed on to the town’s citizens and Joe Dixon as the equally corrupt and no nonsense Judge revells in some of the funniest lines of the play.
Tom Rosenthall, more commonly known as a stand up comedian and for his role on channel four’s Friday Night Dinner, also excels as Khlestakov, the mistakenly ascribed Government inspector. There is an extremely funny scene where a drunk Khlestakov exalts and lies about his importance. It has the gathering laughing hard as the character goes more and more over the top.
Nick Haverson as Khlestakov’s put upon servant, Osip, delights the crowd with his masterful performance as the belligerent, yet loyal, lackey. His character has a mischievous twinkle and manner which is very endearing.
As time goes on, with the imposter realising that the town thinks of him as a very special VIP, he exploits them for all they are worth; extorting all the corrupt officials for monetary “loans”.
He also gets embroiled with the wife and daughter of the Mayor as he tries to push his luck even further.
The Mayor’s wife Anna (played exquisitely by Sylvestra Le Touzel) and her daughter Marya (Lauire Ogden) are another excellent comedy pairing. Marya, the downtrodden daughter is played to comedy perfection by Ogden and Le Touzel is divine as the overbearing and ambitious mother.
As the piece continues the atmosphere of hysteria increases. The officials need to display their fealty to the interloper ramps up and the general state of chaos continues at pace until the hilarious denouement is revealed.
This adaptation of The Government Inspector is beautifully paced, excellently executed and marvellously written. It is a joy to watch and a must see. It’s an excellent start to the Chichester season.
Runs to 24th May 2025
