THE GOVERNMENT INSPECTOR (1836)

by Nicolai Gogo

THE GOVERNMENT INSPECTORRevisoren, regi Cathrine Telle. Foto: Dag Jenssen 

Nationaltheatret, Oslo Norway, february 7, 2015

Review by Lisa Kristin Strindberg.

Fotos: Dag Jenssen

OSLO/NORWAY: The government Inspectordirected by Cathrine Telle, have plenty of comical scenes to enjoy, but is not quite successful in its entirety. Gogol tells the story of corrupt officials in a small russian town, struck by panic when they learn that an inspector from the government will arrive incognito to investigate official bureaucrats in all small towns.

THE GOVERNMENT INSPECTOR, – Jan Gunnar Røise, between Mariann Hole og Anne Marie Ottersen. Foto Dag Jenssen. Revisoren Regi: Catrine Telle

The comedy unfolds as they try and cover up their misdeeds, and charm a good-for-nothing public servant staying at the local Inn. They mistake him for the dreaded inspector. Having lost all his money at cards, this Ivan Khlestakov is only to happy to receive gifts and money from the mayor, the judge, the manager and others. In blind enthusiasm, not understanding why everyone wants to give him money, he ends up wooing both wife and daughter of the mayor. In Gogols time and age this play was a dangerous critique to bring to the stage, and it would not have happened had it not been for the support of tsar Nicolaj himself.

THE GOVERNMENT INSPECTOR, Revisoren – Regi: Catrine Telle, in front Anders Mordal

Why does it not all fall into place at the Nationaltheatret? This is a popular and famous play, acted by top-shelf actors from the theatre and directed by the renown comedy-director Cathrine Telle. Is the play outdated? The government Inspector originates from 1836, thus portraying a mentality and social situation from «another time» (and place). A pre-modern time. But scoundrels, oppressors, sinners and liars still exist in this post modern age, don’t they?

– , Jan Gunnar Røise, Foto Dag Jenssen

The story is here set in the fifties – which is a good compromise. The fifties were a time when innocence was prevailing in Norway (but corruption was rare).The scenography by Aase Hegrenes has a wooden simplicity of a western town. Her costumes are meant to create exterior comedy. People, especially their hairdos, look funny. The dialog is adjusted to our time. The women of the village crowd the stage with song and work. Lively.

To me, the problem with this version of The government Inspector, is partly instruction and partly that some of the main actors lack technical abilities. Parts of the dialog is inaudible.

The main stage of the Nationaltheatret in Oslo is a challenge to actors. It is deep and wide, and since one side was opened up to increase storage space, dialog sometime «leaks».

Rapid dialog may easily «loose» words and lines and thus comic points will fail to reach the audience. This is the case with the two main roles: the mayor (Anders Mordal) and Khlestakov, the good-for-nothing guy everyone believes is the inspector
. Jan Gunnar Röise is a famous comic actor from smaller stages in Norway

. As Khlestakov, on the MainStage, his manners and movements are amusing to watch, but his speech is too swift (instruction?), for his technique for diction
. His ability to reach out with his lines simply is not good enough. The play is also a moral tale. It needs lines and plot-points to be exaggerated to bring them to a higher level.

An experienced MainStage comedian like Anne Marie Ottersen (renown from the film Wives) and likewise Per Christian Ellefsen (from the film Elling), are masters of timing and technique and give excellent performances in their roles as Anna, the wife of the corrupt mayor, and Zemljanika, the manager of the hospital. Likewise, there are other pieces of dialog to enjoy in this version of Gogols old comedy. An anecdote says that it was Pushkinwho gave Gogol this mistaken-for-someone-else story that Pusjkin had experienced himself, when Gogol wanted to write a comedy and needed a theme.

Long applause for The Governement Inspector by Nicolai Gogol, regi Cathrine Telle. In front left Jan Gunnar Røise. Foto Tomas Bagackas