REVIEW: Why The Government Inspector at Chichester Festival Theatre is playing it strictly for laughs

No-one could accuse this opening production of taking itself too seriously. There are many ways in which this 19th century satirical work could have been reimagined. Chichester plays it strictly for laughs.

It moves at pace with barely a pause for breath – with a seasoned cast focused on extracting maximum fun from the storyline.

A small town in a Russian province is riddled with corruption. Everyone from the mayor to the judge is on the make – whether they are pocketing cash bribes, sexual favours or even puppies in return for their dubious tin-pot decisions.

Then disaster strikes. Word reaches them that a Government inspector has been dispatched to find out what on earth they are up to. They quickly decide a bone idle civil servant residing with a pile of unpaid bills at the local inn must be the person in whose hands their collective fate now resides.

So begins a charm offensive of such proportions that the civil servant Khlestakov (the brilliant Tom Rosenthal) finds himself moved into the Mayor’s own residence.

As his bewilderment passes, he sees opportunities in the situation as equally corrupt as those bestowing them.

This is a bright and breathtaking production with some classic moments – not least in the second half when Khlestakov interviews each of the local officials in turn, extracting large bribes in exchange for a few words of ‘keep up the good work’.

Seasoned Festival goers might question whether this opener has the depth of previous plays. The first half, in particular, is not as side-splittingly funny as it believes itself to be.

The reaction of the first night audience at the conclusion was more muted than we have become accustomed to.

But this has all the energy, colour, and self-mocking that a summer season needs to get it off to a sparkling start.