A treat is in store for theatre goers this autumn as the thespians of Axbridge Community Theatre tread the boards with the production of Nikolai Gogol’s comedy drama The Government Inspector. Written in 1836 the story surrounds a small Russian town in Tzarist Russia when the corrupt officials are thrown into disarray at the news that a Government Inspector is on his way to check up on them and the institutions of the community. Pictured is Gogol.
In a drama of mistaken identities and a satire on officialdom, local Government and small-town corruption, the classic drama is as relevant today as it was two centuries ago. Frequently staged since its first production The Government Inspector continues to entertain audiences through screen, film, opera, dance and of course theatre.
Director David Parkin said the production is picking up on the success of last year’s Axbridge pageant – the huge community play held in the town square – with a large cast with many new faces in the cast. Tony Leach plays the chancer, fantasist and assumed Government official Khlestakov, while the former Axbridge Mayor Tony Wilson takes the role of the pompous mayor whose aspirations of grandeur lead to a spectacular and hilarious comedy of errors. The cast includes several officials, shop keepers, the police, the post woman and Osip, Khlestakov’s servant played by Phil Saunders.
Axbridge Community Theatre was founded following the Axbridge Pageant of 2000, and has since staged two productions a year garnering rave reviews from critics and the public alike. From plays by the likes of Shakespeare and JB Priestley to scripts from members of the theatre group the organisation has played to packed houses for close to a quarter of a century.
With rehearsals underway David Parkin said: “It is a brilliant comedy with some wonderfully funny set pieces which haven’t dated since the day they were written as the play is a timeless classic that everyone will enjoy.”
The play runs from Wednesday 22- Saturday 25 November, 2023, in Axbridge Town Hall, nightly at 7.30pm. Tickets go on sale soon.
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