THE GOVERNMENT INSPECTORNikolai Vasilyevich Gogol
The play The Government Inspector, based on N. V. Gogol’s masterpiece and directed by one of the most awarded Russian artists Sergej Potapov, reveals the world of corruption down to the smallest detail, evoking numerous characters who remain in their positions only through connections, services and money. Immorality, cunning and obsequiousness reign; deceivers take advantage of this while creating an image of a sick and corrupt society. The “auditor” of the Zagreb HNK drama does not intend to enter into a dialogue with the past, but rather with the present.
“In our play, I wanted to move away from the well-known interpretation of The Government Inspector and create a new vision of the play with the actors. We especially focused on the character of Hlestakov, who is most often presented as a silly, frivolous, hedonistic, rude, lying, insensitive young man. We portray him completely differently, and that is why his end is inevitable. Perhaps this view of Hlestakov will not be met with general approval, but the director must shape his interpretation to the end, just as each viewer must interpret what they see in their own way. That is the essence of theatre,” said director Sergej Potapov, nicknamed “The Siberian Tarantino,” and who, in addition to theatre, also works with feature and documentary films.
