GOVERNMENT INSPECTOR Young Vic

Nikolai Gogol warned his actors in 1836 to guard against caricature and so I don’t suppose he would have been too happy with what director Richard Jones has done with his classic comedy of mistaken identity, an unforgettable satire on incompetence and corruption in Tsarist Russia’s civil service; but Jones’s constantly inventive production is always very funny on its own surreal terms. The cartoonish cast is headed by Julian Barratt, perfect for the grovelling mayor, and Kyle Soller who doesn’t quite catch the pathos of the impecunious clerk, who is misconstrued, feted and endlessly bribed.