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David Carlyle as the Mayor, getting his message across. Pictures: Robert Day The Government Inspector
Birmingham Rep
***** ‘WE’RE all in
this together’ was the line repeated several times during the course of
Roxanna Gilbert’s all-encompassing direction of this new production of
The Government
Inspector. Never was such a phrase more fitting, as in
comparison to David Harrowers adaption of the play, which remains fairly
safe, it is Polly Jerrold’s casting and Gilbert's directing approach
that is anything but routine. In association with Ramps on the Moon, the proje Yet any perceived limitation is rendered
invisible in this delightful blend of performance, signing and visual
aids in a way that involves the disciplines, rather than simply adding
them as an audience aid.
Nikolai Gogol was born on 20th March 1809 and
wrote this biting satire of civil service obedience in 1835 and it
remains a comical examination of corruption and ambition within the
officialdom of a small town, whose inhabitants sycophantically pander to
the whims of the feared, yet mistakenly identified, government
inspector. With the entire script being projected onto an
overhead screen it was impressive to see how word accurate everyone was
in the dialogue, a feature that may be impressive to the audience - but
must be somewhat daunting for an actor. The Mayor played by David Carlyle, in an almost
Basil Fawltyesque manner, had great fun with his part. His heightened
level of panic and need to impress even extended to the removal of
patients from the hospital to prove how healthy the townsfolk were. The Mayor’s wife Anna and daughter Maria were
played by Kiruna Stamell and Francesca Mills respectively and, both
being short actors, their enthusiasm and energy within their parts often
stole the show. Khlestakov, the man mistaken for the Government
Inspector, was realised by Robin Morrissey and his performance, and
especially a 12-minute monologue, was delivered flawlessly.
The roles of the principal performance
interpreters, Beck Barry, Jean Sinclair and Amanda Wright was highly
original with certain characters permanently shadowed by their fully
costumed signing counterpart. Sometimes the signing leads the live dialogue
rather than other way around. Within a fantastic supporting cast Rebekah
Hinds managed to impress by convincingly portraying four parts
(Superintendent/Sergeant’s Wife/Waiter/Legal Clerk) thanks in part to
her richly authentic accents. Ti Green’s designs in both set and costume
reflected the style of film director Wes Anderson with its bell hop crisply uniformed
symmetry. The framework open set, complete with revolving doors and a
working lift, became crucial elements in adding to the action. For some, the technical
projection of key words and the entire script might have been
distracting. However their inclusion was of paramount importance and
together with this unique combination of different actors, their talent
and abilities and the diverse audience
The Government Inspector attracted,
proved beyond a doubt that we really are `all in this together' To
26-03-16 Jeff Grant 23-03-16
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to integrate disabled and non-disabled in mainstream theatre, actors of
short stature and practically most other disabilities are included.