A few words about the play “The Government Inspector” was first staged in 1836. Nikolai Gogol wrote a social satire in which he lambasts relations in pre-revolutionary Russia, based as they were on power and submission, corruption and despotism. Once again, he focuses on civil servants, the people who languish between their fear of the hierarchy and their curtailed ambitions. As a true realist, Gogol wanted more than to simply describe a situation and the factors that make it what it is, and he succeeds, through his comically pathetic characters, in talking about people, their needs and their pettiness. What’s more, with the distance comedy ensures, he does this with remarkable precision and clarity.
As a small Russian provincial town awaits the arrival of a top civil servant despatched to inspect the workings of its apparatus of state, Khlestakov, an unscrupulous and naive young wastrel, pretends to be the inspector so he can profit from this “minor” misunderstanding. Seeking to gain his favour, the local officials indulge in flattery, fall over themselves to fulfil his every need, and fall victim to the biggest scam of them all.
Credits
Translated by: Errikos Belies, Direction - Dramaturgical processing: Giannis Kakleas, Sets: Ilenia Douladiri, Giannis Kakleas, Costumes: Ilenia Douladiri, Music: Dimitris Papadimitriou, Movement: Stefania Sotiropoulou, Lighting: Stella Kaltsou, Assistant to the director: Rea Samaropoulou, Assistants to the set - costume designer: Christina Thalassa, Danai Pana, Production coordinator: Athanasia Androni, Make up artist: Manto Kamara Cast Mary Andreou (Prostitute / Waitress / Guest), Nefeli Anthopoulou (Prostitute / Piano teacher / Blacksmith’s wife / Guest), Hara Giota (Dancer / Guest), Dimitrios Danampasis (Mishka, Governor’s servant), Maria Eleftheriadi (Marya Antonovna, Prefect’s daughter), Alexandros Zafeiriadis (Christian Hubner, German doctor), Alexandros Zouridakis (Piotr Ivanovich Dobchinsky, Gentleman of private means), Stelios Kalaitzis (Ivan Kuzmich Shpyokin, Postmaster), Kostis Kapellidis (Drinker / Waiter at the Inn / Guest), Angelos Karanikolas (Drinker / Waiter at the Inn / Police Officer / Guest), Dimitris Kartokis (Ammos Fyodorovich Lyapkin, Judge), Giorgos Kafkas (Anton Antonovich, Governor of a small town in Russia), Fay Kokkinopoulou (Anna Andreyevna, Governor’s wife), Nikolas Maragkopoulos (Artemi Philippovich Zemlyanika, Charity Commissioner), Christos Mastrogiannidis (Drinker / Innkeeper / Police Officer / Guest), Dimitris Morfakidis (Luka Lukich Khlopov, Director of Schools), Panagiotis Papaioannou (Pyotr Ivanovich Bobchinski, Gentleman of private means), Stefanos Pittas (Drinker / Waiter at the Inn / Police Officer / Guest), Michalis Sionas (Poet / Police Officer / Guest), Giannis Syrios (Ivan Alexandrovich Khlestakov, “The Government Inspector”, Lowest-ranking civil servant in Petersburg), Theofano Tzalavra (Singer / Guest), Christos Tsavos (Osip, Khlestakov’s friend), Giannis Tsiakmakis (Svistunov, Chief of Police), Maria Chatziioannidou (Prostitute / Khlopov’s wife / Old merchant)