The Government Inspector or A Little Local Difficulty

Philip Goulding has gone a stage beyond offering us simply a translation of this classic comedy by writing an adaptation that brings the action to a local setting. Helston Theatre Company have gone even further by locating the characters in Cornwall – and closer still, in Hell’s Town, or at a pinch, Helston! Was it this decision that gave the production a somewhat ‘pantomime’ feel?

The set was a sturdy box structure with a raised section across the full width and just a few pieces of furniture placed on the lower level. This was largely representational allowing us to imagine what else might have filled the room, but also meant that the single scene change to the Inn was achieved with minimal fuss by simply changing the cover over the chaise, swapping one chair for another and removing the tablecloth. A voiceover intro informed us that the year was 1860 – and, amusingly, that ‘no Cornish accents had been harmed in the making of this performance’. The unusual addition of a Vocal Coach in the list of credits demonstrated the efforts involved.

The storyline was clearly revealed by the Mayor and his corrupt cronies planning how to cope with the arrival of the government inspector who just might discover the extent of their devious practices. Comic highlights of the scene were Mr. Pascoe’s very obvious wig and Miss Quigley eating her page of incriminating notes. Adding to the confusion were the Police Chief, wearing a deerstalker now instead of Mr. Pascoe’s wig, the interfering Postmaster, and the Robsons, in every sense a larger than life stereotypical Cornish couple who had the chance of some almost knockabout comedy in their exchanges.

We met the civil servant, John Petty, destined to be mistaken for the Inspector, looking very smart considering his impecunious state, staying in a shabby Inn and with a far from respectable manservant, Joseph, the earlier scene’s Policeman. A washstand and hanging laundry were wheeled on behind the newly blanketed chaise and the props removed from the small table – a change (and back again) swiftly effected by the crew.  Our ‘Inspector’ very quickly realizes his good fortune and it is no time at all before he is fleecing everyone he can and settling in to the Mayor’s home intent on wooing both his pretty young daughter, Maria, and rather lustful wife, Anna.

In Act Two we were introduced to some villagers in the form of two Shopkeepers making appeals to the Inspector, but ultimately paying him money, the Smithee’s Wife, a step up from her earlier appearance as Waitress, and the Sergeant’s Widow, changing the elegant gown of Maria to more workaday weeds and an unnecessarily overlarge hat, since we all knew it was the same actor! 

The Inspector’s 'piece de resistance' must surely be his entertaining near-monologue in which he gets gradually inebriated to the point of collapse. This was beautifully played without overdoing it and included some risky pratfalls.

Props were sparely used but appropriate to the era with real leather suitcases and hatboxes, pens that required dipping and silver goblets. The Inspector’s lunch was grim and would have made Oliver Twist delighted with his gruel!  A dry feather coming from an empty bowl, supposedly containing soup, reinforced the panto-feeling. As did the obviously empty bottle of ‘wine’ presented to the Mayor. Small details perhaps but attention to detail draws an audience in. I’d like to have seen liquid, then I’d have believed.

This was a play based on one with a long pedigree, the characters in which are caricatures who nevertheless have to believe in themselves so we can laugh at their unfortunate situation. The cast maintained a good pace with clear diction and projection, and moved confidently in the space. The audience on opening night enjoyed witnessing the downfall of these pompous civil servants and I was glad to be among them on my introduction to this classic piece of theatre.

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