The Government Inspector - Leaflet, 2002
Title
The Government Inspector - Leaflet, 2002
Date
10 September 2002
Description
Front cover of leaflet for The Government Inspector, September 2002. An in-house promenade production that marked the first big community event for the venue's new education department.
What's the story?
The first day in any job is always daunting. What do I wear? What will people think of me? Who am I sharing an office with? Will there be anywhere to eat my packed lunch?
David Longford started work at the Theatre Royal in July 2001 as the new Education Manager. A brand new Arts Council England funded role that involved working with the venue’s touring companies, such as the National Theatre and the RSC and to ensure that the Theatre Royal had a much bigger role to play in the community. An exciting job, true, but very, very daunting.
After a few months and still settling into the new job, David wanted to make a bold statement about the venue’s new creative and community role, demonstrating how it now went beyond its receiving house status. Thus, The Royal Company was born, a community initiative for local people to work with professional practitioners to create bold theatre under the auspices of the Theatre Royal.
The first production was Gogol’s political satire The Government Inspector. A community cast of 33 (over 100 auditioned) rehearsed from early 2002. The show was directed by David Longford and designed by Lindsey Bradford, a recent graduate from Nottingham Trent University’s Theatre Design dept.
The production didn’t actually take place on the Theatre Royal stage (it was actually being freshly varnished and sealed at that time). Instead as a promenade production, actors and audience used the foyers and the portico as their performance space. An idea that was developed even further in 2015 for the 150th anniversary of The School for Scandal, also directed by David Longford
This was the bold statement that the new education department wanted to make. The venue was open to all and what happened on its mainstage was not its sole importance.
The specially commissioned Government Inspector leaflet and poster design by artist Trina Bramman reflects that ambition with the character Khlestakov (as portrayed by Kareena Sims) literally hanging off the iconic portico columns in a playful ‘let’s have some fun’ fashion.
The sold-out production was described as “an auspicious debut” by Jeremy Lewis in the Nottingham Evening Post, much to the relief of the show’s director.
Were you a member of the audience for one of the performances? Did it seem strange to be in the Theatre Royal, but nowhere near the stage? Were you one of the community actors?
David Longford started work at the Theatre Royal in July 2001 as the new Education Manager. A brand new Arts Council England funded role that involved working with the venue’s touring companies, such as the National Theatre and the RSC and to ensure that the Theatre Royal had a much bigger role to play in the community. An exciting job, true, but very, very daunting.
After a few months and still settling into the new job, David wanted to make a bold statement about the venue’s new creative and community role, demonstrating how it now went beyond its receiving house status. Thus, The Royal Company was born, a community initiative for local people to work with professional practitioners to create bold theatre under the auspices of the Theatre Royal.
The first production was Gogol’s political satire The Government Inspector. A community cast of 33 (over 100 auditioned) rehearsed from early 2002. The show was directed by David Longford and designed by Lindsey Bradford, a recent graduate from Nottingham Trent University’s Theatre Design dept.
The production didn’t actually take place on the Theatre Royal stage (it was actually being freshly varnished and sealed at that time). Instead as a promenade production, actors and audience used the foyers and the portico as their performance space. An idea that was developed even further in 2015 for the 150th anniversary of The School for Scandal, also directed by David Longford
This was the bold statement that the new education department wanted to make. The venue was open to all and what happened on its mainstage was not its sole importance.
The specially commissioned Government Inspector leaflet and poster design by artist Trina Bramman reflects that ambition with the character Khlestakov (as portrayed by Kareena Sims) literally hanging off the iconic portico columns in a playful ‘let’s have some fun’ fashion.
The sold-out production was described as “an auspicious debut” by Jeremy Lewis in the Nottingham Evening Post, much to the relief of the show’s director.
Were you a member of the audience for one of the performances? Did it seem strange to be in the Theatre Royal, but nowhere near the stage? Were you one of the community actors?
Type
Leaflet
Location of item
Theatre Royal & Royal Concert Hall
Rights
Theatre Royal & Royal Concert Hall
Contributor
David Longford
Format
A5 leaflet
