The Government Inspector, Marylebone Theatre Review

Photo by Oliver King

Written by Eleanor for Theatre and Tonic.

Disclaimer: Tickets were gifted in return for an honest review. All views are my own.

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The Government Inspector is a satirical play first written by Nikolai Gogol in 1836, now reimagined for a modern stage. The story is set in a small, British Georgian inspired, provincial town run by a corrupt Governor (Dan Skinner). Driven by fear of their own undoing, the council mistake a low-level civil servant for a disguised government inspector. Being showered with praise, wine and bribes, Percy Fopdoodle (Kiell Smith-Bynoe) revels in this newly acquired attention which becomes all the more comical as the story progresses. 

I did come into this show with a positive bias (I have a known fondness for BBC’s Ghosts!), which I tried to put aside. Overall, The Government Inspector may not have been the riotous romp that I had hoped for, but the production was engaging and the perfect platform to show of the eccentricity of this reimaging and the talent of the cast. Every character on stage is quickly introduced and the actors portraying them are given the freedom to be as outlandish and over the top as you can imagine. Even though Percy Fopdoodle was certainly and selfish character, the warmth and humour brought by Kiell Smith-Bynoe meant I could not help but root for him.

The Government Inspector’s strength lies in the talented actors comprising its cast. Kiell Smith-Bynoe gives a five star performance as Percy Fopdoodle. This self-indulging and witty character is so different from the roles I previously knew Kiell from (Ghosts and Stath Lets Flats to name a few), meaning this performance came as a wonderful surprise. I particularly enjoyed his brilliant physicality and comic timing, which really carried the second act. Martha Howe-Douglas’ comedic style also really added to the piece. Her funny and flamboyant character-acting is particularly commendable in light of the fact she joined the project only 11 days before opening night. I could not look away every time she entered the stage. Additional stand out performances for me came from Dan Skinner as Governor Swashprattle and Chaya Gupta as Miss Connie Swashprattle. Their over exaggerated physicality, repetition of movement, and ability to add to the written script made for some arguably cheap laughs but these were also some of the funniest moments of the show. The council as a group also did their bit to elevate the text. However I found that, at one moment or another, each character would speak through their dialogue incredibly quickly; they would rattle through their big speeches at such a speed I struggled to hear some of the words and in some cases, jokes were lost completely. The lack of mics also added to this issue. 

Unfortunately, most of the flaws of The Government Inspector came from the material. It often felt that the script itself was trying too hard to be funny. Although the actors were very humorous on stage it often felt like they were desperately trying to elevate the written word, for fear of not getting a reaction otherwise. I also noted that some jokes were aimed at a slightly older audience. These lines did seem to resonate with a lot of people in the room, but I enjoyed them a little less. The premise of this story is a simple one, and with the length of this production at times it feels rather drawn out. At times it would have been better if the pacing of the show itself was quicker and the delivery of the material slower, rather than the other way around. 

The overall set worked well with the show, although I would have hoped for it to have looked a little more over-the-top and nonsensical to match the style of the piece (if not just a match the eccentric names of the characters). I also felt similarly about the period-style costumes, which I enjoyed but felt like more could have been done with them. The Government Inspector was staged within a large gold picture frame, which was a wonderful touch. I just felt everything could have been even more over stylised. 

The Government Inspector's modern adaptation showcases a talented cast, with Kiell Smith-Bynoe's standout performance and Martha Howe-Douglas's comedic flair standing out. While the ensemble delivers moments of genuine laughter, the script occasionally feels forced in its humour and pacing. The production's visuals, including set design and costumes, complement the show but could benefit from a more stylized approach to match the eccentricity of the characters. It is certainly worth a visit to the Marylebone Theatre for an evening of fun and entertainment. 

The Government Inspector is playing at Marylebone Theatre from the 3rd May 2024 –15th June 2024. 

☆ ☆ ☆