THE GOVERNMENT INSPECTOR to Play Flow Studios Beginning in November

The end of the year will see a classic of the world stage presented in Sydney with a bold Australian voice. 'The Government Inspector' by Nikolai Gogol was first performed in Russia in 1836, and hasn't lost any of its relevance.

The play is set in a small provincial town where the local bureaucrats are all corrupt and incompetent. They learn that a government inspector from the capital is coming to investigate them for possible corruption, and things are thrown into chaos as they try to cover-up and bribe their way out of being punished.

The script has been adapted by Alex Kendall Robson, who is also the director.

"When I wrote this play a couple of years ago, everyone was talking about ICAC and sports rorts and pork barrelling. COVID and other things delayed me being able to produce the show, and I was worried it had lost some of its potency: but the week I announced I was finally mounting it, the federal anti-corruption body was initiated and the consultancy scandal blew up. It is perennially relevant."

Whilst the play is still set in nineteenth-century Russia, Robson has given it a distinct contemporary Australian flavour, which lends itself well to the comedy.

"This isn't a period piece: we can find plenty of corruption in our own backyard today. This isn't some genteel satire, it's a raucous farce: it is closer to 'Kath & Kim' than Chekhov."

The lead role of Khlestakov is played by Lib Campbell:

"'The Government Inspector' is a searing satire that deals with the ugliest bits of human nature. But more importantly, it's very very funny."

"This show is deeply silly. It's full of huge, clown-like characters, but also manages to be a serious satire overflowing with greed, corruption and stupidity."

Campbell knows a bit about larger-than-life characters, having played Peppa Pig on Broadway during an international tour.

'The Government Inspector' runs from 30th Nov to Dec 9th at Flow Studios, Camperdown.