HÀ NỘI — Việt Nam Drama Theatre will perform the classic comedy Quan Thanh Tra (The Government Inspector) by Russian dramatist and novelist Nikolay Gogol.

The satirical play demonstrates Gogol's writing style about the political corruption of Russia in the 19th century.

The story starts with a rumour that a government inspector from Petersburg would visit a small town in southern Russia to investigate officials. The officials were thrown into a panic and mistakenly identified a wandering servant who came to stay as the inspector.

The play features a number of celebrated artists from Việt Nam Drama Theatre. — Photo courtesy of Việt Nam Drama Theatre

Being inherently corrupt, the officials attempt to bribe and defame each other to impress the inspector.

Xuân Bắc, a theatre director and renowned artist, not only directs art in the play but also portrays the lead character, Khlextakov, who is mistaken for an inspector by civil servants.

The play features several celebrated artists and even the board of directors of the Việt Nam Drama Theatre, including Minh Hiếu, Trịnh Mai Nguyên and Hoàng Lâm Tùng, all of whom are merited artists.

Although the play was originally published in 1836 and portrays the political corruption of Russia, playwright and director Lê Mạnh Hùng has cleverly aligned the play with current Vietnamese issues in a natural but sarcastic way.

Artists at the Việt Nam Drama Theatre also experiment with theatrical conventions and modes of expression in the play, impressing audiences with unique storytelling and sarcastic dialogue.

“The Government Inspector is a classic comedy play, which challenges us a lot. I hope the play not only offers entertainment to the audience but also ponders philosophical ideas,” artist Xuân Bắc said at the play's premiere.

The play will be performed by the Việt Nam Drama Theatre on October 14, 15, 18, 19, 20. Tickets can be purchased through the hotline: 024.3933.3535 - 0889.67.67.67 or at Việt Nam Drama Theatre, 1 Tràng Tiền Street, Hà Nội. — VNS