The Government Inspector

One sees so few real period plays these days that it is easy to forget how amusing and well written they are.  This one was updated in 2011 but retained all the humour and feeling one expects from the earlier era. It started with the beautiful Jazz Suite music by Dimitri Shostakovich immediately transporting the audience back in time to the 1830s to a house in a provincial Russian town quite a long way from St Petersburg.  This play showed great detail in the set with highly appropriate props, beautifully chosen costumes and a cast that walked and talked in the correct mode for the era.  The scene changes were slick, the whole production being performed on the village hall floor with the audience sitting on three sides.  The large cast of nineteen made full use of the space available allowing approximately ten to be ‘on stage’ at any one time all still able to walk around with ease.

The first main part enacted by Graeme Muncer, as the Mayor, captured the audience’s attention from the start demanding incredible concentration as he seldom left the stage. He was bombastic, loud and a sheer joy to watch with wonderful facial expressions and an infectious laugh. Raphael Key as an unexpected visitor to the area gave an equally superb performance with the ability to hold the viewers attention by simply looking at them. Add to the cast the likes of Mandy and Zoe Ainsworth as the Mayors wife and daughter, Tony Westwood and Malcolm Harrington as the comedy double act, Ian Henham as the visitors side-kick and Liz Gibson as a hilarious postmistress and it is no wonder this was such a great show.

There were thirteen other members of this incredible cast, all performing well, adding much laughter, passion and pathos to this wonderful play. I congratulate Henfield Players committee for having the courage to perform such a demanding piece and Trevor Hodgeson for his brilliant direction.

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