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The Government Inspector
Don't blame the mirror if your face is askew.
One of the most famous comedies in world theatre, Gogol's masterpiece has lost none of its bite.
In a small town corruption is rife, and the Mayor and his cronies have got it made. So when they learn they are going to be subject to an undercover government inspection they panic. Mistaking a penniless nobody for the inspector they swiftly fall victim to their own stupidity and greed.
This adaptation by Phil Porter was published to coincide with the premiere at Chichester Festival Theatre in April 2025
One of the most famous comedies in world theatre, Gogol's masterpiece has lost none of its bite.
In a small town corruption is rife, and the Mayor and his cronies have got it made. So when they learn they are going to be subject to an undercover government inspection they panic. Mistaking a penniless nobody for the inspector they swiftly fall victim to their own stupidity and greed.
This adaptation by Phil Porter was published to coincide with the premiere at Chichester Festival Theatre in April 2025
104 pages, Paperback
Published July 10, 2025
About the author
Nikolai Gogol
2,180 books5,850 followersPeople consider that Russian writer Nikolai Vasilievich Gogol (Николай Васильевич Гоголь) founded realism in Russian literature. His works include
The Overcoat
(1842) and
Dead Souls
(1842).
Ukrainian birth, heritage, and upbringing of Gogol influenced many of his written works among the most beloved in the tradition of Russian-language literature. Most critics see Gogol as the first Russian realist. His biting satire, comic realism, and descriptions of Russian provincials and petty bureaucrats influenced later Russian masters Leo Tolstoy, Ivan Turgenev, and especially Fyodor Dostoyevsky. Gogol wittily said many later Russian maxims.
Gogol first used the techniques of surrealism and the grotesque in his works The Nose , Viy , The Overcoat , and Nevsky Prospekt . Ukrainian upbringing, culture, and folklore influenced his early works, such as Evenings on a Farm near Dikanka .
His later writing satirized political corruption in the Russian empire in Dead Souls .
Ukrainian birth, heritage, and upbringing of Gogol influenced many of his written works among the most beloved in the tradition of Russian-language literature. Most critics see Gogol as the first Russian realist. His biting satire, comic realism, and descriptions of Russian provincials and petty bureaucrats influenced later Russian masters Leo Tolstoy, Ivan Turgenev, and especially Fyodor Dostoyevsky. Gogol wittily said many later Russian maxims.
Gogol first used the techniques of surrealism and the grotesque in his works The Nose , Viy , The Overcoat , and Nevsky Prospekt . Ukrainian upbringing, culture, and folklore influenced his early works, such as Evenings on a Farm near Dikanka .
His later writing satirized political corruption in the Russian empire in Dead Souls .
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Displaying 1 of 1 review
December 19, 2025
Most brilliant Russian-origin drama I have read this year. It goes without saying but Gogol was a genius.
The main character in my view, the pseudo-inspector, has a sense of entitlement so pronounced, so unmitigated by the reality of his life and circumstances, that it makes for excellent comedy. He is a true personification of the 'fake it till you make it' slogan.
All characters in this story are flawed: the moral greyness of it all I found rather refreshing. Perhaps Gogol is making a point that there is no such thing as true virtue - we are all fallible beings here on this mortal coil.
The main character in my view, the pseudo-inspector, has a sense of entitlement so pronounced, so unmitigated by the reality of his life and circumstances, that it makes for excellent comedy. He is a true personification of the 'fake it till you make it' slogan.
All characters in this story are flawed: the moral greyness of it all I found rather refreshing. Perhaps Gogol is making a point that there is no such thing as true virtue - we are all fallible beings here on this mortal coil.
Displaying 1 of 1 review