The Government Inspector - New Wolsey Theatre

The Government Inspector

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Trailer

Presented by Birmingham Repertory Theatre in association with Ramps On The Moon.

By Nikolai Gogol
In a version by David Harrower

“It’s not good, gentlemen. That’s why I’ve gathered you all here. An Inspector is coming… a Government Inspector!”

The Mayor is in a cold sweat. News has reached him of an imminent visit from a Government Inspector. His fear is well-founded as he has been somewhat lacking in his official duties. The hospital’s a health hazard, the school’s a war zone, the soldiers don’t have trousers to march in and he never quite got around to building that church!

Surely the only possible solution is bribery; it seems to have resolved many a sticky situation for the Mayor and his team in the past! But a simple case of mistaken identity leads matters to spiral hysterically out of control. Could it be that they have met their match in the complicated business of deception?

Gogol’s satirical masterpiece is a hilarious riot of corruption, lies and greed that has lost none of its original bite.

This production will contain a creative use of Audio Description, Captioning and British Sign Language in all performances. Please contact the Ticket Sales team for more information.

RAMPS ON THE MOON is a ground-breaking touring project that sets out to put more deaf and disabled people on our stages, in our audiences and our workforce. Bringing together seven major theatre companies, it will change the way theatre made by and for D/deaf and disabled people is seen.

These companies are committed to putting D/deaf and disabled artists and audiences at the centre of their work and stimulating awareness of disability issues within arts and culture.


Cast & Creatives

Aaron Virdee —

Aaron trained in Acting at the Birmingham Theatre School and Postgraduate Acting for Screen at Redroofs Theatre School. Theatre credits include The Deranged Marriage (Rifco Arts/Watford Palace Theatre); My Big Fat Cowpat Wedding (Kali Theatre Company); The Wiz (Birmingham Repertory Theatre); Changing Faces (The Drum); Time Has Fallen Asleep in the Afternoon Sunshine (Birmingham Repertory Theatre/Fierce Festival); Ganging Up (The Playhouse); Who Are You? (Arena Theatre/The Drum). Television credits include Citizen Khan (BBC). Voiceover credits include: Rani & Sukh (Listening Books). Film credits include: Harry Potter & The Deathly Hallows Part 2 (Warner Bros); The Merchant of Little Venice (Friday Night Films); Inside Out (Biscuit Town Productions); Land Gold Women (A Richer Lens); To Forget & Forgive (Truth Lake Productions) and Gotta Go (Forward Motion Movies). Workshop credits include Solidarity (Kali Theatre Company) and European Theatre Festival (Birmingham Repertory Theatre). Other work includes Oxasians & Ram Sahai Story 1800 (Talking Pictures).

Amanda Wright —

Becky Barry —

Originally from Cornwall, Becky now lives in Kent and is delighted to be part of The Government Inspector company.  Becky juggles working as an actor-musician and a BSL/English interpreter (MRSLI under her original name of Becky Allen).

Work as an interpreter includes: The Jew of Malta (RSC), Othello, Henry V, Love's Labour's Won, Love's Labour's Lost, The Two Gentlemen of Verona and Henry IV Parts 1 & 2 (RSC Schools Broadcasts), Inside Number 9 (The BBC), Jack and the Beanstalk (Stafford Gatehouse), Gods Are Fallen (Greyscale), The Elves and the Shoemaker (Colchester Arts Centre) The Knitting Circle and The Disappearance of Dorothy Lawrence (Vital Xposure).

Work as an actor-musician includes: The Tempest, The Good Soul of Szechuan, Lysistrata (Watford Palace Theatre), The Odyssey (London Bubble), The Latke Who Couldn't Stop Screaming (Tall Stories), The Three Wise Monkeys (Hiccup Theatre), Spring Shakespeare (The Orange Tree), Suitcase (Hope Street Theatre) and The Ugly Duckling (Queen's Theatre Hornchurch).

Becky also works as a mentor for Graeae's Ensemble and regularly works as a rehearsal room interpreter and workshop facilitator around the UK.

David Carlyle —

Trained at Rose Bruford.

Theatre: To Kill a Mockingbird (Regents Park Open Air Theatre/Barbican); Three Sisters (Southwark Playhouse); Carpe Diem (National Theatre); Victoria (Dundee Rep); Somersaults (Finborough); Yellow Moon, The Monster in the Hall (National Theatre of Scotland and Glasgow Citizens Theatre); Caledonia (National Theatre of Scotland), Hansel & Gretel (Glasgow Citizens Theatre); Dead Heavy Fantastic (Liverpool Everyman); You Once Said Yes (Look Left Look Right)

Theatre whilst training: The Wonderful World of Dissocia; Philistines; The White Devil; Celebration; Party Time & Hedda Gabler

TV: Lip Service II (BBC Three/Kudos)

Radio: Where Were You? Chernobyl (BBC Radio 4), Sudbary Hill (Urban Scrawl/Theatre 503)

Ewan Marshall —

As a director, producer and actor previous work includes;

One Night, by Paul  Smith, a 4 x 1 hour drama series for BBC1(winner of the Geneva Film and Television Festival for best drama  series 2012).

Desperados, by Paul Smith, 10 x 30’ drama series for CBBC (Prix Jeunesse  winner 2008).

Every Time You Look At Me by Lizzie Mickery 1 x 90 for BBC2, 2004 (first television drama to feature two disabled leads).

‘Pear Shaped', three ten minute films  for the BBC by Patrick Marber, Lizzie Mickery and Simon Mirren.(Jury prizewinner at the Banff Television Festival 2003).

 

Artistic Directorships of the Dukes( a producing theatre and cinema in Lancaster) 97-2000 and Graeae( a touring theatre company of disabled people 91- 97).

Plays directed include Ubu (adapted by Trevor Lloyd from Jarry), What The Butler Saw(Orton), Fanny Hill( adapted by April De Angelis from Cleland), Someone Who’ll Watch Over Me(McGuiness), Cyrano de Bergerac( Rostand, translation by Trevor Lloyd), Who’s Afraid of Virginia Wolf (Albee).

 

Acting work includes Changing Step( by Antony Sher directed by Richard Wilson,1 x90 film for BBC1, Derek Jarman’s War Requiem and Soft Vengeance of a Freedom Fighter (adapted by April De Angelis from the book by Albie Sachs)

Francesca Mills —

Francesca trained at The Jill Clewes Academy for Theatre Arts.

Theatre includes; Oliver!, The Wizard of Oz, Arabian Nights,The Lion the Witch and The Wardrobe (New Vic Theatre, Staffordshire). Euphoria, Zest, Right Here Right Now! (Regent Theatre, Stoke on Trent). Peter Pan (Playing Tinkerbell at Liverpool Empire, Milton Keynes Theatre and New Wimbledon Theatre), See How They Run (Playing Ida the Maid, with Warwick Davis & The Reduced Height Theatre Company, 12 week tour).

Television includes; Argos Christmas Advert, Release The Hounds (ITV2), End The Awkward Sketch (Scope, Channel 4), Man VS Fly, Off Their Rockers (ITV).
Film includes; Zoolander 2, Star Wars (The Force Awakens).

Jean St Clair —

Television credits include: Deaf Funny, Don’t Leave Me This Way, The Chronicles Of Narnia, The Iron Man, Hands Up! and Words & Pictures (BBC).
Film credits include: Signs of an Affair; Still Here (Mutt and Jeff Pictures) and September 11th and Five Needles (Neath Films). Jean wrote and appeared in Signs of An Affair. She also wrote and directed the short film If I Don’t Lose, I’ll Lose.

Theatre credits include: The Government Inspector (Birmingham Repertory Theatre) Natural Theatre Diversions (Street Theatre); Frozen (Birmingham Repertory Theatre & fingersmiths Ltd); Mine (Park Theatre/Deafinitely Theatre); Locked Room Scenario (Street Theatre, Artangel); Counting The Ways (Oval Theatre/Tour/Millfield Arts Centre); In Praise Of Fallen Women (with Fingersmiths Ltd); Cinders Sisters and The Snow Queen (The Drill Hall); Sgnarelle and Waiting for Godot (Seymour Theatre, Australia), Children Of A Lesser God (Albery
Theatre/South Africa/Ireland/Sadler’s Wells); Hearing (Birmingham Repertory Theatre).

BSL Creative Consultant credits include work for Juggle, Doctor Who, BBC, Unicorn Theatre, Forest Forge Theatre, Mutt and Jeff Pictures, National Theatre of Wales and Graeae Theatre Company. She also worked as BSL Artistic Director for CBBC’s Magic Hands series one and series two.

Kiruna Stamell —

Michael Keane —

 

Michael studied at University College Cork and trained at East 15.

Theatre includes Waiting for Godot (London Classic Theatre), Henry VI (Union Theatre), Once Upon A Christmas (Look Left Look Right), Dry Rot (Fricker/Kenwright Prods), The Winter's Tale (ETT/Old Vic Tunnels), The Ride of Your Life (On Theatre/Polka), The Inconsiderate Aberrations of Billy the Kid (2Headed Pigeon), The Night Before Christmas (Signal), The Meeting (Fiddy West), Macbeth (Love & Madness), Trying Jokes (Hammergrin), Fireface (Granary) and Chatroom (Boomerang/NT Connections) at the National Theatre.

Television and film includes: Mr Turner (Thin Man Films), The Hollow Crown (BBC/Neal St Prods), Warhol (Ditto Prods), The Conversations (HKZ Prods) and The Strangest Story of Six Strangers (Many Thoughts).

Michael is also a writer, recent commissions are Hweol, New Atlantis and The Lost Carnival, all for LAStheatre. He wrote and directed The Perils of Love & Gravity (Bedlam Theatre & New Wimbledon Theatre) and is a member of the award-winning improv troupe Battleacts!

Rachel Denning —

Rebekah Hinds —

Rhona McKenzie —

Richard Clews —

Robin Morrisey —

Simon Startin —

Simon Trained at the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama.

His Theatre credits include : Adam in ISLANDS (Bush Theatre/Edinburgh Festival), BEYOND MIDNIGHT (Trestle Theatre Company), D.I. Lestrade in SHERLOCK HOLMES IN TROUBLE (Manchester Royal Exchange),Caliban in THE TEMPEST (Theatre Royal, Bury St. Edmunds and Theatre Setup), Lazarus in REVOLTING (which he also wrote for Jacksons Lane/The Ministry of Clowns), the title role in PERICLES and SPANGLEGUTS (both for London Bubble), Francoise in THE FLY (Oldham Coliseum), NOW YOU KNOW (Hampstead Theatre), Laertes in HAMLET and Bartleby in BARTLEBY (both for Red Shift), the title role in TARTUFFE (Mappa Mundi), FANNY HILL (Duke’s Theatre, Lancaster), Vladimir in WAITING FOR GODOT (Tottering Bipeds), Roderick Usher in THE FALL OF THE HOUSE OF USHER, VOLPONE, INTO THE MYSTIC and UBU (all for Graeae),  COLLATERAL DAMAGE and SUBTERRANEAN (both for Traverse Theatre) and  THE CHANGELING (Battersea Arts Centre),

Simon’s Television and Film work includes : THE MUSKETEERS, DOCTORS, MAPP AND LUCIA, HOLBY CITY, TAG, CRIMINAL JUSTICE, EVERYTIME I LOOK AT YOU, DUNKIRK, ARE YOU LOOKING AT ME? and RHYMING CRIPLETS (all for the BBC), Bernard in KEEN EDDIE (Paramount) and Mr. Gough in the Feature PRESERVE (Channel Four).

Sophie Stone —

Sophie Stone trained at RADA and is Co-Founder of Deaf & Hearing Ensemble Theatre Company. Theatre includes: Herons at Lyric, Hammersmith, Mother Courage and Her Children for the National Theatre; Mine for Shared Experience; Frozen (Birmingham Rep); Two (Southwark Playhouse); The Bloody Great Border Ballad Project (Northern Stage);In Water I'm Weightless (National Theatre of Wales); Pandora( Arcola); Woman Of Flowers (Forest Forge/UK Tour) and Multiplex, Fen and You Make Me Happy (When Skies are Grey) at the Watermill. TV includes Dr Who, Mapp and Lucia; Marchlands, Midsomer Murders, Small World, Holby City, Casualty and FM. Film includes Retreat (Sophie was awarded Best Actress Award, Clin d’Oeil Festival), My Christmas Angel, Confessions and Coming Home.

Reviews of The Government Inspector

What the press say


★★★★★ “Magnificently fresh and innovative”

What’s On

★★★★“Fantastic”

The Stage

★★★★ “Very funny”

Birmingham Mail

What the public say

Brilliant performance of The Goverment Inspector @BirminghamRep last night. Really well done, manic, n very funny. #governmentinspector

@REThwaites

Loved the cheeky & clever Government Inspector @BirminghamRep Congratulations to #RampsOnTheMoon for a truly integrated approach

@sjwatkinson

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