Blackwood Players Inc reimagine Gogol’s The Government Inspector, shifting the action from 19th-century Russia to an Australian outback town brimming with small-town politics, local corruption, and community quirks that will ring undeniably true to regional audiences. Terri Brabon’s adaptation proves how a classic text can be reborn in a distinctly Australian context — retaining its satirical bite while speaking directly to contemporary experience. Imperial bureaucracy is replaced by small-town power plays and property development; the humour becomes sharper, more colloquial, and culturally specific. Witty local references and Australian idioms give the satire a fresh edge. One standout line: “Corruption is like COVID. Nobody wants it. We all know it’s bad but we’ve learned to live with it.”
Read full review at the Theatre Association of South Australia Website here.
