‘The Government Inspector’ by Gogol

The Mayor of a small town is in a cold sweat. News has reached him of an imminent investigation by a high-ranking government official who is travelling incognito –

The Government Inspector! The town’s officials are thrown into a panicked frenzy. They waste no time to cover up the misdirected contracts, misuse of public money, the bribes, fiddled expenses, abuses of office … corruption that has been going on for years!

Matters spiral hysterically out of control when they believe that a stranger in the town is the real Government Inspector.

Dubious political deals, mishandled money, bribery, political panic – sounds familiar?

The Government Inspector written in 1835 by Gogol is an hilarious satire about corruption in a world where, increasingly desperate to hide their wrongdoings and keep the supposed Government Inspector happy, everyone loses their moral compass.

SHIFTING SANDS create theatre that is both full of laughter and clowning yet rich in emotion. It has won critical acclaim for playful, accessible adaptations of epic tales and classic texts - Faustus, King Lear, Great Expectations and The Seagull.

The company now updates Gogol’s classic satire yet stays faithful to the themes of the original. There is irreverence but no parody.

The result – engaging, accessible, exhilarating theatre.