The Government Inspector: Review – The Rose Bowl

ROSE BOWL ADJUDICATION
Name of Company: Studio Theatre
Name of Production: The Government Inspector (adapted by Philip Goulding)
Venue: Studio Theatre, Salisbury
Date: Wednesday 15th October
Adjudicator: Tash Moore

Philip Goulding’s adaptation succinctly presents a group of local officials in “a fictional British town in the 1860s” as they ready themselves for a visit from a Government Inspector. Goulding’s larger than-life characters aptly communicate the play’s over-arching themes of power, corruption, confidence and guilt, and the narrative insinuates that official inspections serve distraction tactics and little else. The farcical and slapstick nature of the comedy is elevated as the cast jump between playing two or more characters. There’s plenty for audiences to relate to including the political and social themes explored as well as a host of likeable characters and the pace of the sharp, witty dialogue drives engagement. The narrative centres around John Petty whose identity is mistaken for that of a Government Inspector. Goulding’s Petty stays true to the original character, Ivan Khlestokov whose mindless greed yields surprising results as the townspeople fall over themselves to offer money (donations, not bribes) to this penniless traveller. Petty is central to proceedings as he runs circles around his hapless hosts and provides much comedic entertainment throughout.

This was an enjoyable introduction to the society, with a lovely welcome from Director, George Goulding and Production Assistant, Joanna Daniel. It was great to learn more about the company, their dedicated venue and to hear that this production of The Government Inspector had sold so well. Given the relationship between the Director and the playwright of this adaptation, one need not imagine how this version was known to the society and it certainly must have been of great benefit for George to be privy to his brother’s research when directing this Studio Theatre production. For its contemporary audiences the political ramifications of Nikolai Gogol’s derisive satire held significant consequences, not least of all the writer who struggled to reconcile himself with the inevitable criticism that followed the staging of this infamous play. It was admirable to see that Gogol’s heritage was being honoured not just by the production’s inclusion of music as performed by a Ukrainian national, but also that the society was raising funds for the Help Ukraine Group Support charity.

SET & STAGING
The box space at The Studio was occupied by a single set that served as Mayor Wyndham-Pitts’ house as well as the inn. The construction, decoration and dressing of this set was superb, with each detail adding to the overall aesthetic as well as serving the style, period and narrative of the play. The entrance to the house was positioned stage right, with white double doors set into a flat covered in a pleasant teal wallpaper that was also used to cover the stage left flat. When these doors were opened, they revealed a tall trellis decorated with vibrant flowers set upstage to suggest the exterior. The panels on the doors were edged with gold, which was indicative of the impressive level of attention that had been paid by the scenic artists. A large triangular feature was affixed above the doors and a creative coat of arms sporting three eagles amongst a white and brown chequered pattern was fitted here. Several pictures adorned the walls either side of the doors and a small table sat downstage of the far-right corner, dressed with a variety of ornate vases and candlesticks. Further downstage of this sat a desk along with a chair, and this was dressed with a variety of papers and pens to facilitate the action that took place here. White panelled French doors sat off-centre right and these were nicely framed with heavy burgundy curtains. The gauze in the doors revealed some garden greenery that was visible when the upstage area here was lit, and this
was a really lovely addition that built on the reality of the house and the overall aesthetic. A chaise lounge was positioned downstage of these doors, alongside a small side table to accommodate a vase that was used as part of the action.

A set of four carpeted treads led up to a small corridor and two bedrooms that were positioned offstage here. From where I was seated, I could see off into the ‘yellow’ bedroom where John Petty was housed. These walls were painted with a cheerful shade that looked fantastic in the warm, intense lighting state used to draw focus to this room and it was impressive to see additional thoughtful details included such as skirting boards, a rug and a picture positioned on the wall. Unfortunately, I couldn’t see the door or what lay behind the entry point used by Maria and Anna but guessed that this was another bedroom. The stage left flat featured a striking picture of the Mayor in full regalia, which was rotated to reveal a still life painting when moving into the inn location. The small table here was accompanied by two chairs and the removal or addition of a white tablecloth also marked a change in location. The tablecloth and the turning of the picture were simple and astute choices that worked brilliantly. The pink-red door added a nice contrast of colour against the teal wallpaper and was used frequently throughout the scenes at the inn location. The bottom half of the walls across the set featured wood panelling and this was a pleasant feature that brought the respective designs on the flats together into one unified picture.

The blocking supported the action, making good use of the excellent set design. Entrances and exits were made through the doors as established within the locations and on a couple of occasions the vomitoria were also used. The space was suitably explored throughout, for example during the first scene in which Rose sat at the desk and later moved across to the chaise for an exchange with the Mayor. Movements within the scenes supported the pace of the piece, including several frenzied sequences during which characters to-ed and fro-ed, in keeping with the heightened, farcical style of the piece. The company had fun with bold characterisations as they made swift changes between different roles, with most of the cast taking on two or more parts as suggested in the script, bar the role of the Official Messenger who was played by a mysterious 9th company member not credited in the programme. The audience enjoyed the introduction of the Robsons whose double-act was confidently led by the wife as she strode back and forth across the space with her husband keenly in tow, imitating her gestures. These movements lifted the energy of the first scene with clear pictures created as the Robsons paced between the downstage corners whilst the Mayor and Rose remained central.

Moving into the second scene, Joseph calmly turned the picture and removed the tablecloth to mark the change in location before taking a seat at the table in the inn to polish shoes. The blocking clearly communicated the status and relationships between the characters, with the Mayor grandstanding his way into the scene only to increasingly diminish in the company of the ostentatious Petty. Meanwhile, Mrs Robson stood close by as she appointed herself to be a trusted advisor to the Mayor whereas her husband’s influence made it as far as a crack in the doorway. When Petty was presented with money, he took a few steps downstage and delivered his aside with a gentle tone to make the context clear. The Mayor and Petty worked well to land the “stooped/stupid” gag, Mr Robson’s muddled words were delivered perfectly and the Mayor and Petty’s confused responses lifted the comedy further.

Scene Three opened with a lovely picture of Anna and Maria looking out through the French doors as Mr Robson arrived through the garden before entering the house, arriving with tissues comedically stuffed up his nostrils following the injury he sustained during the previous scene. The use of the vomitoria during Scene Four in order to suggest the exterior location worked well. Mr Robson set his cap on the floor ahead of the rendition of the hymn, which featured a four-part harmony that was impressively delivered by the company and expertly conducted by Mr Robson himself. Their humming provided an underscore to the Mayor and Petty’s dialogue as they walked through the auditorium as they addressed the audience and shook hands with a couple of individuals. The singers collectively delivered a humorous final rendition of their hymn at a frenetic tempo to conclude this excellent scene. Likewise, the company demonstrated admirable team work (with Petty driving at the helm) as this scene moved at a fine pace, descending into chaos as the first act drew to a close. Highlights here included Petty’s demonstration of physical comedy as he leapt down the treads and the company respectfully stood up on refences made to “the Prime Minister” and “Her Majesty”.

The opening of Act Two featured a nice picture of the Mayor listening at Petty’s bedroom door whilst Phyllis and Rose tip-toed in unnoticed. Rose, Prior and Mr Robson later offered a comedically meek attempt at enthusiasm whilst discussing Phyllis’ social skills. Prior stumbled on to the stage for his encounter with Petty, having been pushed on by Mr Robson and Rose and thereafter various further characters took their turn to attempt (and fail) to offer Petty a donation/bribe and this sequence played out with a sharp pace. This concluded with Petty sitting at the stage right desk to write his crucial revealing letter and remained seated throughout his conversation with a concerned Joseph. The offstage commotion as heard through the front door was superbly delivered and the scene between Petty, the Sergeant’s Widow and the Smithee’s Wife went down exceptionally well with the audience as the actors fully embraced the absurdism of the piece in their hilarious portrayals here.

Maria and Petty shared a passionate exchange before being discovered by Anna who stood at the top of the treads whilst Petty dropped to the floor in a poor attempt to hide. The slapstick humour was perfectly delivered as Petty’s face was embraced into Anna’s bosom whilst he haplessly flailed his arms about. The play features a variety of relationships with many of the characters presenting a friendly façade but as soon as backs are turned, they are quick to deride one another. The complexities of their fractious and insincere relationships were clearly communicated, for example the Mayor turned upstage so he could cross his fingers on the line, “Friends we all have been” and the others looked hopeful on their toast, “His dying day!” As the story headed towards its conclusion, the characters were neatly grouped to enable clarity in the storytelling. Prior and the Mayor were positioned downstage right with Rose, Mr Robson, and Phyllis centre stage and Anna downstage right. Anna used both her isolated position and her fan to subtly communicate her embarrassment at the reveal of her relationship with Petty. The three central characters were greatly bemused by the donkey references, being well situated to enjoy this moment together. The final image of the six characters as they processed the Official Messenger’s announcement left the audience in no doubt of their feelings, bringing this entertaining night of theatre to a close.

COSTUME
This team did a fine job in sourcing a variety of costumes that served both period and character. They rose to the additional challenge of the numerous quick changes required, which the company executed admirably. Phyllis opened the play wearing a lovely purple two-piece (skirt and jacket), a dark brown wig and a broach and necklace to suggest her social status. Rose looked the part in a prim white blouse worn with a striking royal blue skirt. Her belt housed a ring of keys and a money bag, and her grey wig was neatly styled into plaits and buns. The Mayor looked characterful in grey checked trousers, white shoes, a red cravat with a matching cummerbund, flashing rings on his fingers and the obligatory large medallion. He later wore a red gown to complete the look as featured in his image on the wall. Prior was simply dressed in a black jacket and trousers along with a dark blue cap, large black bow tie and a badge on his lapel. Mr and Mrs Robson looked twee in matching jackets. He also wore a clashing brown waistcoat with a charming red and black bow tie whilst she wore a white shirt, a brown skirt and swapped Phyllis’ brown wig for a red one. Prior’s quick change into Markham was aided by the simple swap of their jacket and cap. Anna looked resplendent in a red brocade gown with lace collar and cuffs and a pink underskirt, worn with a statement pearl necklace. Her brown wig was immaculately styled and pleasingly her burgundy shoes matched the gown. Maria looked beautiful in a white blouse, purple skirts, a blue ribbon, a wide black elastic belt and decorative jewellery, with her long hair curled and tied half up. Markham’s quick change into Joseph entailed swapping the jacket for a white shirt and camel waistcoat. John Petty was the centre of attention in loud red checked trousers, long black coat tails and an outrageously over-the-top white, curled wig with a quiff aptly accentuating the style in which this character was presented. The look was elevated by the use of a lovely satin blue pocket chief, a blue and cream cravat, a sparkling brooch and shining oversized buckles on his shoes. Anna was totally transformed as Young Wilson in a comedic false beard and an ill-fitting wig and dressed simply in a black waistcoat and half apron.

Maria and Anna appeared in a change of gowns for Act One, Scene Five and it was fantastic to see how their colours complemented one another. Maria’s blue gown was edged with yellow, whilst her mother wore yellow with a blue ribbon, white gloves, statement jewellery and a change of shoes to match her gown. For the top of Act Two the Mayor appeared in an attractive red jacket and black velvet cap, meanwhile Anna and Maria reset into their opening costumes. The status of Smithee’s Wife was reflected in the muted colours she wore; a light orange skirt, a long green waistcoat and a brown bonnet worn over a grey wig. The Sergeant’s Wife wore a heavy long black skirt, a green shawl and a black veil with a lock of curled blonde hair styled to frame her face. The reveal of the bearded face from beneath the veil earnt a laugh from the audience. The Tanner appeared in an obligatory leather waistcoat, denim shirt, brown trousers and a somewhat conspicuous wig. Meanwhile, Haden wore a checked shirt, flat cap and an apron.

PROPS
The Mayor carried a cane throughout much of the production and this was initially brought on stage by Phyllis. A variety of letters and papers were used throughout and these were either set on the desk or as personal props. Prior wore a satchel, Rose carried a ledger in order to log the meeting minutes and the Policeman brought on an assortment of items including a bright orange hat box, rapier and cloak. Later, the Mayor adorned each of these items with a suitably silly military-style hat being produced from the hat box, once he had removed this from his head! Markham produced a hip flask from his pocket and Anna and Maria used fans to great effect in various scenes. During the scene at the inn, Young Wilson brought on a tray of food and drink, produced cutlery from his apron and an eye patch from his pocket. The exchange of money featured heavily throughout in the form of coins, notes and bags and these were handed over to Petty by various characters including the Mayor, Phyllis, Prior and the Robsons. During Scene Three, Mrs Robson burst in carrying three bags belonging to Petty and in Scene Five, Mr Robson ducked off stage to bring on a silver tray of metal wine goblets and a decanter, which also featured in Act Two. The Tanner brought Petty bottles of ale and wine whilst Haden offered a sack of goods, and towards the end of the play Mr Robson brought on a celebratory bottle of wine, again using the goblets to serve this drink. Each of these items supported the action throughout, as well as the period in which the play is set.

SOUND
An interesting folk cover of Paranoid played as Phyllis entered the space and performed mirror business to open the play. Thereafter, harpsichord music played across scene changes and the use of a recording by a Ukrainian musician was an apt reference back to the original playwright. The dialogue was clearly projected and well-articulated by the whole company, with no audible issues in at any stage. The tracks used to move into Scenes Four and Five were quite long as the company used the vomitoria and then the wings respectively to enter these scenes. One can readily appreciate the delays here.

LIGHTING
The impressive set up at the venue provided ample facilities to deliver a solid design for this production, with a square rig above the auditorium and three further sets of bars above the stage. Phyllis entered in a dark state with a rectangular special cast downstage centre, evidently to suggest a mirror into which she looked to adjust her wig. Coverage across the stage was strong, with a nice general wash used across the opening scene and a dim blue state across the scene change into the second scene. As the inn location was established in front of the stage left flat, the lighting lifted this area with a solid focus downstage, too. During Act One, Scene Three as Anna and Maria looked out through the French double doors, the upstage area was illuminated and the greenery here became visible as Mr Robson made his way through the garden before entering through the main door. This state was superb, as was the intense state used to suggest the interior of the yellow bedroom. Act One, Scene Four was the only exterior scene so the lighting designer was able to demonstrate a contrast here with a darker state used to suggest evening time and a gentle focus on the singers positioned downstage left. However, the characters in the auditorium required a further lift just to draw attention their interactions with the audience. There was a nicely judged slow fade on the final picture to conclude Act One and six specials were effectively employed to illuminate each of the characters on stage for the final image.

STAGE MANAGEMENT
The cast conducted the minimal changes required to move between the house and the inn locations. The Stage Management team ensured a smooth and safe run of the production whilst assisting the cast in readying props required mid-scene, such as Mr Robson bringing on the drinks tray during Scene Five. The reset for the second act included striking the vase and flowers and pre-setting five goblets on the stage left table. What is not seen on stage is evidence of a well-oiled machine backstage and therefore one can safely conclude that this team did an excellent job.

INDIVIDUAL PERFORMANCES
Caroline Butcher as Phyllis Stein & Mrs Robson: Phyllis exhibited evident concern in the opening scene and this was swiftly contrasted by Mrs Robson’s assured confidence. She was direct and strong in her approach with the Mayor and built a lovely rapport with Mr Robson. Phyllis’ shrewd wit and sharp intelligence was well communicated in Scene Five, with an excellent delivery of “Our souls” shared in this scene; one could readily imagine that she was far better equipped than the Mayor to govern the town. It was great to see Mrs Robson back on stage for Act Two as she and her husband took on Petty. It was a shame that Caroline’s characters couldn’t be on stage at the same time as the audience clearly enjoyed watching them both!

Emily Casselton as Policeman and Maria Wyndham-Pitts: Emily presented a curt Policeman and following her brief initial appearance, she built on the unusual relationship Maria shared with her overbearing mother. In Scene Five she was clearly enthralled by Petty’s charms and by the top of Act Two she was consumed by her passion for the man. When her long-awaited moment for privacy presented itself, she coyly flirted with Petty using a vigorous fluttering of her fan before a sharing a passionate embrace with him.

Kris Hamilton-Brain as Mayor Wyndham-Pitts and Sergeant’s Widow: The Mayor attempted to exert his authority in the first scene as he imparted harsh instructions, but delivered in a kindly tone. From the offset it was clear to see that this high-pressured situation was throwing his cool façade off balance. His overbearing pomp was firmly established ahead of his first encounter with Petty, during which he had fun with three increasingly ridiculous handshakes. In this scene, he carefully considered his position before correcting the direction in which Petty was pointing towards the sea, and as a result the comedy landed effectively. The character’s discomfort at Petty’s mention of “corruption” in Scene Five was evident, and thereafter he delicately attempted to rein in his guest’s drunken behaviour to little effect, whilst also trying to overlook his wife’s obvious and wildly inappropriate advances. He opened Act Two demonstrating a rising sense of panic. Kris delighted in the silliness of the Widow and worked brilliantly alongside Marie in their double act. Back as the Mayor, he suitably intimidated the shopkeepers with a fearsome “Now get out of my sight” which sharply contrasted with his gleeful declaration, “God, I enjoyed that”.

Ness Hawkins as Rose Quigley and Tanner: Headmistress Rose was a pragmatic and direct individual who was hard to impress. She keenly observed Anna’s overt flirting with Petty and made her feelings known with a disdainful expression. The significance of this response came to light much later in the play when her relationship with the Mayor was revealed. Her disappointment seeing that the Mayor was home when the group were planning a secret meeting at the top of Act Two was humorous, so too was her sarcastic delivery of “We always love to hear you holding forth”. She successfully kept a distance from Petty but when it was her turn to offer him a bribe, she was somewhat flummoxed by his advances. Ness’ Tanner was delivered in a simplistic manner with an earnest delivery of “It is silver”. Back as Rose, she returned to her game of one-upmanship with Phyllis, and secured a victory as she delighted in reading out Petty’s “pig with a wig” comments.

Jamie Pullen as John Petty: From the moment he burst through the door to the inn and flounced on stage, the audience were enthralled by Jamie’s outrageous sense of fun and charmed by his energy. Petty was cheerfully disdainful with Joseph and enjoyed flourishing his tails to punctuate a point or to heighten a move. Jamie delighted in the subtext of the dialogue, with a pointed delivery of “unconvincing man” and “this ‘inn’”. Throughout Scene Five he held the floor, foppishly showing off and relishing in the attention from a rapt audience; both on and offstage as Jamie led the company with confidence through this scene. The delivery of “Tis pity she’s a [look to Maria] horse” was super, and he left no room for subtlety in the pose he struck for “My balls are the talk of the town”, which in turn earnt a look of admiration from Anna. Petty’s slapstick drunken antics throughout Scene Five were most entertaining, including missing the table when going to lean onto it, swigging from the vase and wildly gesticulating with the flowers before a final flourish on “I’m your man”, and an inebriated collapse. The audience heartily laughed at the obvious innuendo throughout “in the bed… up against the wall” and the sharp movements that accompanied these propositions. Petty then used stilted laughter to dismiss Rose that was very silly and most effective. He made his intent clear on the delivery of “I’m dying for it… of it” and again struck a variety of caricature-like poses as he wooed Anna. Without missing a beat, the character swiftly moved on to continue his ruse with Maria and make a frenzied plea to the Mayor. This well-thought through and brilliantly executed sequence concluded with a fall into Joseph as Petty mimed being on his “last leg”, bringing to an end this enjoyable performance from an experienced actor.

Dave Simmons as Mr Robson and Haden: Mr Robson was swiftly established as a most endearing character as he followed his wife about in earnest and the audience embraced this obliging, amiable and relatable portrayal. Mr Robson listened with intent from his position in the doorway at the inn and Dave delivered the verbal and physical cues throughout this scene to comedic effect, including the nose injury and the stilted dialogue that followed. As previously mentioned, Dave conducted the choir with command in Scene Four using both gesture and his fine vocals. Mr Robson’s scurrying to find a seat in Scene Five was amusing, as was his awkward asking of a “favour” from Petty before bowing out of the scene in reverse. Dave played Haden straight, being somewhat affronted by Petty’s dismissal. Back as Mr Robson in the final scene, he threw a subtle look to the Mayor before looking back to Anna on “and your nose” and the character’s disappointment at not being reference in Petty’s letter was comical.

Áine Tiernan as Piers Prior, Albert Markham and Joseph: Prior was presented with a congenial, simple, slow manner and a wide Westcountry accent. Markham drew attention to his drinking as he markedly turned upstage to do so, whilst subtly disguising his drunken hiccoughs. Joseph built a nice rapport with the audience as he set up Petty’s story as this weary, browbeaten man servant. The slurping of his soup was timed well as he effectively made his point here. Joseph was suitably charged by his master’s line, “How dare you, sir”, thereby demonstrating the influence his master held over him. In Scene Three the mime delivered for Mr Robson’s benefit was suitably condescending and Joseph’s stunned response to Maria’s kiss was sweetly delivered. Following this, he made it clear that he was inventing his master’s preferences to suit his own means. Prior predictably struggled to offer Petty a “donation” as he became flustered under a siege of compliments, and the audience enjoyed the delivery of the gag when he removed his hat to read the lines set within. Áine presented three contrasting characters, each of whom connected well with both the onstage characters as well as with the audience.

Marie Thérèse Tiernan as Anna Wyndham-Pitts, Young Willy Wilson and Smithee’s Wife: Marie made a striking first impression in her initial, yet brief appearance as Anna. Here was a lady with much wit, charm and command. This was totally contrasted by her portrayal of Young Wilson where Marie had much fun with this character as his weak-willed attempts to negotiate with Petty failed miserably. Anna in Scene Three shared a pleasing delivery of “Service not included”. At times the character’s voice was shrill, but this was not overdone. Marie comedically pushed the character’s obvious flirting in Scene Five and used her fan to deliver a dry aside (“Are you listening to this?”) and later to block Maria’s face from view. At the top of Act Two she was nonplussed by her husband’s concerns, thereby sharing an apt insight into the state of their relationship. The delivery of “handling strangers” was devious and the humorous contrast in tone used to describe Petty and the Mayor’s eye colours clearly communicated her views of each character. Smithee’s Wife was delivered with high-pitched, expressive Irish accent. She was hysterical in her desperate plight as she vehemently spat and Marie and Kris as the two crones in this scene were fantastically ridiculous. Anna’s triumphant response to being cast as Helen of Troy was nice to watch and Marie didn’t overplay the character’s disappointment in the final scene. It was wonderful to read in the programme that this performance marks Marie’s return to being on (rather than back) stage and hopefully this will continue for many years to come!