Government Inspector

“It’s not good, gentlemen. That’s why I’ve gathered you all here. An Inspector is coming…a Government Inspector!”

News of the imminent arrival of a government inspector from St Petersburg sends the bumbling bureaucrats of a small provincial town into a panicked frenzy, and not without just cause; incompetence, unethical practices and commonplace corruption thrive.

At the same time, an idiotic aristocratic stranger arrives in town. Fearing discovery of their corrupt goings-on, the townsfolk do all they can to ingratiate themselves with the new arrival, assuming him to be the forewarned inspector. Bribes abound and the stranger, who has an eye for a quick buck, takes full advantage, with hilarious results.

York Settlement Community Players return to Theatre@41 with David Harrower’s adaptation of Nikolai Gogol’s satirical masterpiece - an uproarious comedy of misdeeds, misadventure and mistaken identity.

Recommended for ages 11+

Running time 2 hours 30 minutes (plus interval)