Drama on 3: Gogol - The Government Inspector

[gurnemanz]

I greatly enjoyed Gogol's pungent satire on Sunday. Very good cast including Lenny Henry and Roger Allam and a deliciously sharp English version by Adrian Mitchell. Still available.

[Nick Armstrong]

I greatly enjoyed Gogol's pungent satire on Sunday. Very good cast including Lenny Henry and Roger Allam and a deliciously sharp English version by Adrian Mitchell. Still available.

Oh yes, I enjoyed this a lot too. Allam splendid, turning in a 'broad northern' performance that reminded me of Timothy West as 'Bradley Hardacre' in Brass (anyone remember that?). James Fleet and Adrian Scarborough very good too, but the highlight for me was Geoffrey Palmer playing against his normal plummy type and being magnificent as Osip, the gravelly low-life chancer servant to the 'Inspector'

In that company, I thought Lenny Henry's talents were slightly exposed as being a notch below the rest, but he was fine in the title role and the fact that he sounded a little false worked in the part.

Some great lines too - e.g.

the 'Inspector' describing his terrible hotel room: The most I'll say for it is that the damp patches on the mattress have frozen over and you can have fun watching the bed-bugs skating

and Allam explaining why the hospital is almost empty: The patients have been recovering like flies

Well worth a listen!

[Historian]

Will try to catch this. Brass was a very funny series especially if you could feel smug by picking up on some of the historical references. Good theme tune as well.

[Bryn]

[COLOR="#0000FF"]Oh yes, I enjoyed this a lot too. Allam splendid, turning in a 'broad northern' performance that reminded me of Timothy West as 'Bradley Hardacre' in Brass (anyone remember that?).

Brilliant in series 1 and 2 but something of a washout in series 3. Must get the boxed set out and watch the first two series again.

The Government Inspector is sitting on a hard drive awaiting audition. Might copy to a USB stick to listen to in the car while driving to and from work.

[french frank]

[COLOR="#0000FF"]Allam splendid, turning in a 'broad northern' performance that reminded me of Timothy West as 'Bradley Hardacre' in Brass (anyone remember that?). James Fleet and Adrian Scarborough very good too, but the highlight for me was Geoffrey Palmer playing against his normal plummy type and being magnificent as Osip, the gravelly low-life chancer servant to the 'Inspector'

The joy of perfomances of comedy is when the characters unselfconsciously say the most barmy things and no one else finds them in the least funny. And on radio even pulling horrible faces can be made quite amusing

[aeolium]

I agree that this was a terrific production using an excellent translation. It had pace and yet still allowed time to bring out the idiosyncrasies of each protagonist. I was a bit downcast on hearing Roger Allam as a Yorkshireman, his usual rich voice being so wonderful, but his was still an impressive performance, and I thought Lenny Henry grew into his role as the play progressed. The only slight disappointment was that the climactic speech by the Mayor when he discovers the mistake in identity was not explosive enough, not a sheer eruption of pent-up frustration, irritation and petty tyranny. But what a play it is, its comedy as fresh as when it was written.