A BRAND new production of Gogol's The Government Inspector is brought to The Courtyard on Saturday by Flintlock Theatre Company, a revival of their first ever show.

"We picked it at the time," explains director Anna Glynn, "because we were very interested in forming a company that was highly physical and theatrical in its storytelling. The Government Inspector has been told in all sorts of ways over the years, but Gogol was a bit of a trendsetter and a smasher of convention. The humour and comedy inherent in the piece lends itself to a different form of presentation.

"The huge challenge for us is that there are approximately 20 characters and we only had four actors," says Anna, adding that "Wonderful things came out of that in terms of multi-roling and running in and out."

The first time Flintlock presented The Government Inspector was in a room above a pub with nothing other than some spotlights in the way of lighting. "It felt like the audience were part of the show as there were no barriers between us and them.

"The Courtyard is one of the biggest places we've played and the audience is further away from us, but we've changed some of what we do to make sure it still feels intimate for the audience.

"We love it, which is why we're doing it again. It's just such a fantastically funny script, so we're always delighted to have a chance to roll it out."

Anton Antonovich, a mayor in small-town Russia, is in the midst of crisis. A government official is on his way to inspect the district and in Anton’s own words, “this is a disaster!”

The inspector is only too willing to overlook his misdemeanours in exchange for the odd generous bribe. But is he quite who he says he is or will Anton and his band of buffoons finally get what’s coming to them?

Flintlock Theatre employs its trademark dance and extraordinary physical storytelling to create an incandescent experience, punctuated by a fast and furious Klezmer soundtrack.

Anna adds that an episode of one of the most iconic TV comedies has a very similar plot: "If you're a fan of Fawlty Towers, there are some clear parallels."

David Durant, associate director at The Courtyard, said, “This is a really exciting show using lots of modern theatre conventions. Be prepared to get involved and laugh out loud in this fantastic fun show for all the family.”

The Government Inspector will be at The Courtyard on Saturday, January 31, at 7.30pm. To book, call the box office on 01432 340555 or visit courtyard.org.uk. Take advantage of The Courtyard’s January sale by quoting JAN20 when booking to receive a 20 per cent discount.