BELVOIR & MALTHOUSE THEATRES

THE GOVERNMENT INSPECTOR

dissected by me
Well we all knew the play listed on the original subscription ticket, The Philadelphia Story was no
longer on the program after the estate of the co-author Ellen Barry would not release it to Belvoir.
Oops. Thats a bit embarrassing. Belvoir had already cast the play and sold tickets to a show that
couldnt be performed in their season. Never mindtheres always a solution. How about The
Government Inspector ala Simon Stone? Ummdidnt excite me, nor many others whod already
bought tickets and many of them were probably calling the theatre for a refund. How can you rescue
such a monumental cock-up?

And thats the mindset I went in with when I saw the show this week. The theatre was half empty. Oh
dear. I've got tickets to a lemon ran through my mind. Enter actor Robert Menzies, dressed as a vicar
and addresses the audience with an apology and named the elephant in the room. This is not the
play you bought tickets for. Feel free to leave. Youre not even going to see The Government
Inspector. Feel free to leave. OK, Im intrigued and now I really do want to stay. Im glad I did.

The Government Inspector is a wonderful satire on the situation they found themselves in, using the
structure and premise of the original play to poke fun at itself, their director, each other and Belvoir.
The play we are watching is the imposter and we are seduced by it. I felt like every criticism Ive ever
had of all of the above was woven into the play, written by Simon Stone and Emily Barclay with
assistance from the cast. Its a pity that Belvoir think Im being disrespectful to the artists when I say it
but when they own it, its hilarious. But it was a refreshing parody of ego, acting and entertainment.

Favourite jabs included nods to the youthful wankery of Stone, the inherent misogyny in the theatre,
the arrogance of theatre companies, the theatrical over narrative, the desperate need for work as an
artist and the power of the director in controlling a fixed vision of the play, the European influence on
performance and the banter between the actors as they vie for control and assert their ego and
reputation into the mix. It asks you to consider what's real and what's fake or contrived and what will
we do or watch without question. Its an entertaining blend of the backstage mundaneness of
rehearsals, the workings of the theatre, the relationship between director and actors and like a version
of Noises Off, it then throws them all together to create a farce of epic proportions, culminating in a
devised musical parody of The Government Inspector, written by Stefan Gregory.

But nothing topped my favourite line, as actress Zahra Newman storms off stage, after a huge fight
with the foreign director, played by Gareth Davies, and yells Ive been directed better by set
designers. I laughed a little too long and quickly, paying homage to the travesty that was their
Private Lives, directed by designer and artistic director Ralph Myers. And kudos to Myers for the set
of The Government Inspector. Yes, its a Simon Stone revolving stage (anybody counting how many
of those weve seen in his productions so far?) but to capture the backstage and on stage, its the
perfect device, particularly when you see how they use it.

The ensemble, and they truly are- Fayssal Bazzi, Mitchell Butel, Gareth Davies, Robert Menzies,
Zahra Newman, Eryn Jean Norvill and Greg Stone do a terrific job in being absolutely heightened and
twisted versions of themselves with their tongue-in-cheek characterisations. Its Stephen Colbert on
stage. Stone has proven with this production and with the assistance of Barclay that he has a great
sense of humour and when the chips are down, laughter will be a much better remedy than a glass
box (and Im counting the washing machines and dryers on stage as several glass boxes).




Malthouse: The Government Inspector
8th March, 2014 |


The Government Inspector
Reviewed by: Anne-Marie Peard on 5 March 2014

Robert Menzies nervously faces the audience dressed as a priest. He explains how the nights
performance of The Government Inspector was meant to be The Philadelphia Story but its not
and its also not The Government Inspector. Confusing? Nah.

Photo by Pia Johnson
When Malthouse and Belvoir announced their 2014 seasons, Simon Stone was going to
direct The Philadelphia Story. Woo hoo! Wonderful play re-created by the guy who made Chekov
and Ibsen rock and who can do no wrong (and was even forgiven the hiccough with the rights
over Death of a Salesman).
Then just as everything was ready to roll, the Philly rights were refused. What! Its out of
copyright; its way more than 70 years since writer Philip Barry wrote it. But it turns out that Ellen
Barry was the co-author and retains the copyright. But how the heck can anyone know that if
shes not credited as a co-author on the scripts or any writing about the play? This debarcle is all
made very clear over the night.
Google, can I see a pdf of The Philadelphia Story play script, please? Ellen Barry is not credited
as the author anywhere! But its clear on the imprint page that Ellen S. Barry owns the
copyright until 2039 and theres the the usual licensing fees blah blah blah.
Oh copyright blah blah blah is just rich people getting richer off poor artists. Until someone uses
your work and doesnt pay you.
If it was a publicity stunt, its brave and brilliant. If its a stuff up, the result is insane and brilliant.
So back to Rob trying to explain what happened, but its easier to just go back three weeks and
see what happened when the Philly cast (Rob, Fayssal Bazzi, Mitchell Butel, Gareth Davies,
Zarah Newman, Eryn-Jean Norvill and Greg Stone) were backstage and heard the news. Zarah
didnt want to take the dress off, Mitchell was on the phone to Play School, Gareth wanted a
snack and Simon buggered off.
But of course he didnt, and with Emily Barclay at the ready to write and Ralph Myers ready to
create a set to reveal laugh, Simon and his cast went mighty meta and created a play that plays
with the absurdity and reality about faking it in the theatre while riffing off The Government
Inspector by Gogol (totally public domain), which is about a stranger being mistaken for someone
important and the stranger making the most of his impostering.
The actors are all exaggerated versions of the worst bits of themselves which shows how
wonderful each one of them is and as genres are thrown into the farce, it gets more farcical
and more hilarious by the minute.
Unless you think too hard. Its best not to and to enjoy every in-joke and laugh at ourselves as
theatre goers, rather than wondering if the indulgence on the stage is laughing at us.
Theres nothing at all wrong with self indulgence. Who doesnt love getting expensive ice cream
rather than home brand. But here Simons bought every flavour of the best stuff, added freshly
whipped cream, chocolate sauce, salted caramel praline, edible gold leaf and hand-crafted sugar
sprinkles carved in his likeness.
Its so outrageously full on and delicious that it cant be resisted.
But you know that you can only get away with such a creation once




Simon Stone takes Gogols satirical The
Government Inspector backstage
by: Chris Boyd
From: The Australian

The Government Inspector stars (from left) Fayssal Bazzi, Zahra Newman, Robert Menzies,
Eryn-Jean Norvill, Greg Stone and Gareth Davies. Source: Supplied
THEATRE: The Government Inspector. Simon Stone, Emily Barclay and the cast.
Presented by Malthouse Theatre and Belvoir. Merlyn Theatre, March 5.
ITS difficult to overstate the importance of The Government Inspector in the history of
Russian theatre and, indeed, of Russian letters. Its also extremely difficult for Western
audiences to fathom how a goodish satire about entrenched bureaucratic corruption in rural
Russia could be so revolutionary; the first book, in fact, of the new literary testament. So,
rather than try to recreate the conditions of the time and place, or the effect that Gogols play
had on his country 180-odd years ago, Simon Stone gives us a light and delicious comedy
about an emperors new clothes. And he sets the action in the world he knows best: backstage
of the theatre. Its a brilliant conceit. The theatre world has its own withering rivalries and
austere stratifications, and its own casting couch rackets.
Its a world divided into those who have power and those who have more power. The
experienced actor tugs his forelock to the director, the director to the producer. Meanwhile,
the hard-core thesps are resentful of the power that the TV ingenue artlessly wields. Every
transaction has a whose dog are you? tinge to it.
Even limited power can have a decisive impact: the withholding, for example, of rights to
perform a play, as Stone, Malthouse Theatre and Belvoir discovered late last year when they
were denied the rights to The Philadelphia Story by the estate of Philip Barrys wife. Gogols
play is the hastily scheduled replacement. And Stones play is about securing the services of
an obscure Uzbekistani director named Seyfat Babayev.
This is not, I hasten to add, some meta-theatrical wankfest. Stones play about having to
perform a provincial satire from the 1830s instead of a comedy of manners from the 1930s
has broad commercial appeal, even if youve never been on the other side of the footlights.
Stone and co-writer Emily Barclay plunder the words, skills and attitudes of cast members.
Robert Menzies is wonderfully misanthropic as himself: I only speak clearly when Im
paid, he spits. Ditto, Greg Stone: I would rather die than improvise. Anything. Mitchell
Butel has enough characters of his own to power most plays.
The plum roles, really, are those in which the actors get to act in a more conventional sense.
Zahra Newmans turn as a Hispanic cleaner and writer of musicals is scandalously good.
Gareth Daviess various incarnations are more cartooned - overly cartooned perhaps - but no
less enjoyable.
The less you know about this snake-devouring-its-tail play, the better. Best of all, you wont
have to google your Gogol.

The Government Inspector


The show opens with a disclaimer: those whove come expecting The Philadelphia Story are
going to be bitterly disappointed. Those whove come for a faithful re-telling of The
Government Inspector might be a little disappointed too. But despite all the determined
attempts to lower expectations, the show that follows is in no need of such qualifications.
All this confusion stems from the fact that the Malthouse were originally set to perform The
Philadelphia Story, but following an issue with rights, director Simon Stone and his cast
instead turned to a new adaptation of Gogols classic. The original story is a biting satire on
bureaucracy a Parks and Recreation for 19th Century Russia whose plot revolves
around a low-level clerk mistaken for a high-ranking official. But in this adaptation, Stone
and his cast choose to transplant the confusion of their own rehearsal room onto the stage.
Each member of the ensemble (Fayssal Bazzi, Mitchell Butel, Gareth Davies, Robert
Menzies, Zahra Newman, Eryn-Jean Norvill, and Greg Stone) plays an exaggerated version
of themselves. Newman also appears as the theatres Hispanic cleaner after Zahra bails on the
other actors, and when Davies chokes to death on some activated almonds he returns as the
hapless actor Frank. Without giving away any spoilers, the way that the actors manage to
confuse Frank with the famous Uzbeki director theyve hired is exquisite; from this perfect
moment of misunderstanding The Government Inspector descends into ever-more
excruciating farce.
The cast are in excellent form. While much of the comedy stems from the actors willingness
to eviscerate their own egos, choices like Fayssal Bazzis more understated performance
create a well-rounded dynamic by contrast. Davies is devastatingly funny as the poor
schmuck Frank, never more pathetic than caught in a car crash of a conversation with his ex-
girlfriend, reduced to drinking vodka from his "water bottle.
However, many of the jokes rely heavily on an audiences knowledge of the Australian
theatre scene whether its jibes at Menzies identity as an elderly character actor, or
Butells fanciful acceptance speech at the Helpmann Awards. Its difficult to tell whether
these are in-jokes which could exclude a broader audience from the show because the
generosity of these self-deprecating performances allows a comedy of ego and
misunderstanding to transcend the plays more obscure references.
Although the work is hugely entertaining, elements towards its end hint at something more
complex. In its third act (again, without giving too much away), the play is performed as a
musical, in the style of a grotesque operetta. Some of the funniest and most beautiful scenes
arrive here, like the torch song performed by Butell and stand-out singer Newman. But as
entertaining as this musical sequence is there was a point where it almost felt deliberately
over-long. Without an unfair amount of guessing at Stones motivations, the length of and
commitment to this musical sequence came across like a comment on his own notoriety for
adaptations that valorise entertainment at the expense of fidelity to an original text.
Coming from someone whos expressed his frustration with theatre that doesnt live up to the
possibilities of the form its difficult to overlook intentional irony in this dumb, fun, final
section. But the beauty of this Government Inspector is that it defies and welcomes this kind
of cerebral engagement, balancing its in-jokes with a comedy of sheer humanity, and making
for deeply satisfying farce.


The Government Inspector Malthouse
and Belvoir
theatreteacher2013 / March 18, 2014

Directeur de linstant Simon Stone is a busy man. Working between Sydney and Melbourne,
next week, I will be seeing his production of Neighbourhood Watch at MTC (co-produced
with Belvoir). Tonight, it was another Belvoir co-production, The Government Inspector,
staged just around the corner at The Malthouse.
Stone has often suffered the ire of the arts community and reviewers in particular, for his
propensity for reworking, sometimes totally rewriting well-known, often classic plays. He
found himself in a spot of bother in 2012 for re-working Arthur Millers Death of A Salesman
and was forced, under copyright, to reinstate the original ending. In 2011 his re-imagining of
Ibsens The Wild Duck won a number of awards and re-energized many a theatre
student. Similarly from 2013, Checkovs The Cherry Orchard received the Stone touch and
again audiences were treated to a highly memorable production.
The background to this production is about as interesting as any of these. Originally engaged
by Malthouse/Belvoir to stage Phillip Barrys 1939 comedy, The Philadelphia Story, it was
expected that this play would receive the usual Stone treatment. Barry passed away in 1949,
so his work was no longer the subject of copyright in Australia. However, it emerged that
Barrys wife Ellen, who died in 1995, was an unacknowledged co-author of The Philadelphia
Story and so any changes to the script would need the approval of the authors estate.
But the cast were already contracted, the production team assembled and Stones production
was programmed to open the 2014 Malthouse season. The company gathered together,
seeking an alternative, something which would fit the cast and crew already engaged for the
production. Stone put forward the 1836 satire by Nikolai Gogol, The Government Inspector,
but even then, it didnt sit right. Instead, the company worked together, with Gogols script as
their guiding stimulus, to create an entirely new production.
Essentially a play in three acts although without an interval, the production moves between
hyper-Realism, through Farce to Musical Theatre in style. The actors play themselves and the
circumstances of how they have ended up in the predicament are addressed to the audience
directly by Robert Menzies in the prologue. And so with a spin of the revolve (is it the year
for themPrivate Lives), we join the cast backstage as they discuss what they might do
instead. One of them has seen a video of a production by a Russian Directeur de linstant and
the cast invite him to come to Australia immediately to direct them in Gogols The
Government Inspector. Confused yet..it gets more complex.
In the theatre next door, auditions are being held for a new style of improvised production.
Frank arrives to audition and is advised by the cleaner Delores to just go along with whatever
direction the improvisation takes. The company assume he is the Russian Director and he
plays along.for many days, directing the company in the avant-garde style they are
expecting. When his deception is revealed, the company discover that Delores has been
writing her own musical version documenting the rehearsal process and with two days to
opening, they decide to go with this plan.
The final act packs in as much Musical Theatre glitz and glamour the company can muster,
complete with flashing lights, dance routines and the torch song.
Those who bought tickets expecting to see a classic Russian play may be disappointed. For
those familiar with Stones style, I doubt there would be any such disappointment. Whilst
there were moments I felt the play dragged a little, the tightness in constructing the storyline
made any of this tediousness worthwhile.
Understanding just some of Stones recent history, it becomes obvious that this is his
opportunity to pass comment on the foibles which have beset him. And the ever-inventive
Director makes full use of every device at his disposal. References are aplenty, some direct
others less direct but still as obvious; the disparity between musical and dramatic theatre or
the desire for many actors to land that one big TV gig, as examples.
But, together with co-Writer Emily Barclay, this is an ensemble piece, written and developed
with the ensemble, in the rehearsal room. The actors were allowed to bring something of
themselves to their roles and their shared experiences of the industry added to the hilarity
which was realized. The audience was readily swept away by the comedy of the characters,
despite the lack of plausibility in the narrative.
For me there were three stand-outs. Mitchell Butels self-appreciating and at times over the
top character would be recognised by most who have done a show or two. Zahra Newman
showed greater depth in her acting ability than I expected- both her Hispanic cleaning lady
and crisp singing were completely engaging.
And Gareth Davies backed up his outstanding Yepihodov in The Cherry Orchard last year
with another brilliant performance, perhaps channeling Stone as the Russian Director. His
comic timing was impeccable as was that of the entire cast who gave a completely ensemble
performance.
Unfortunately TGI closes at The Malthouse this weekend (March 23), to open next week at
Belvoir in Sydney (Season March 27-May 18). But if you can squeeze this in or happen to be
in Sydney, I encourage you to see it.
As a sometime Director, I can only dream of the opportunity and success Stone has had.
Turning a paltry thirty years of age this year, the mere association of Stones name to a
production virtually makes it a must-see for many theatre-goers. While I imagine he may
some day experience a miss, the potential of missing out on one of his hit is just too great.
And even a Simon Stone miss will provide fodder for theatre-lovers everywhere.
The play written by Mr (S) Stone and Ms Barclay, assisted by the actors, begins with much comic flair
and promise, as the actors are so adeptly energised, but, unfortunately, without a better prepared
contemporary satirical structure and sense of a bigger world than just actors back stage, even at only
80 minutes, without interval, it reached, for me a kind of comic plateau, and began to tire in its
invention. The performance sat 'still' in its gags and caricatures, and did not really keep its fired-rocket
trajectory going, getting no real boost of comic momentum from 'the short musical' by Stefan Gregory
that was a promised capper to this writing, for neither the lyrics or the staging of these episodes
(Choreography, by Lucy Guerin), attract or accrue hilarity, and musically Mr Gregory does not top the
glories of his scene-change score and arrangements (- the play-out music score, at the conclusion of
the show, was a welcome return to the comic, sonic, possibilities of the production.) One could not
help but to think back to the tireless writing invention of the recent comic farce of NOISES OFF by
Michael Frayn, right to its very end, and the pertinent, comic and savvy text of Bruce Norris'
CLYBOURNE PARK, that we had seen earlier this year, in Sydney, and maybe regret, a little (a lot?)
what we were experiencing now