The Government Inspector, “Ala Afsur” – Programme
| Series name | Productions: The Government Inspector |
| Description | This is the programme for the production ‘Government Inspector – Ala Afsur’ by Tara Arts. Directed by visiting director Anuradha Kapoor of the National School of Drama in New Delhi, India in 1989, the play is an adaptation of Nikolai Gogol’s own story. In this adaptation Kapoor explores the theme of corruption and uses elements from the “Nautanki” form of Indian folk theatre. |
| Date of Creation / Publication | 1989 |
| Creator | Tara Arts |
| Associated Person/ Organisation | |
| Location | |
| Collection and Reference Number | Tara Arts Collection (GB 2661 TA) |
| Catalogue Number | TA/PRO/GI/4 |
| Copyright | |
| Access to originals | The originals belong to Tara Arts. |
| Series notes | Tara Arts' production of The Government Inspector "Ala Afsur" is an adaptation of the Russian classic by Nikolai Gogol. Gogol_s Government Inspector was widely read in India in the English language and was translated into several Indian languages. Visiting Director, Anuradha Kapoor of the National School of Drama in New Delhi, based this version on the adaptation "Ala Afsur" by Mudra Rakshas. The play deals with themes of corruption and is set in post- independence India in a fictitious town. When the Mayor of the town, Sir-Raja-Dowler (Siraj-u-Daula), discovers that a government inspector from Blighty (Britain) is on his way, tension mounts as the townspeople await his visit. When they accidentally mistake a wandering conman for the inspector, the town's weaknesses are exposed. The cast includes: Yogesh Bhatt as Peter Singh Undarzi, V. Chandran as Musician, Ravinder S. Gill as Headmaster and Chaa, Krishna Jati as Dimple, a Nizwar Karanj as Munshiji Mare-walla, Ajaykumar as Shuga, David Mishra as Musician, M. Muraly as Sutradhar, Postmaster and Asif, and Yasmin Sidhwa as Simple Mare-wallah. The production team includes: Anuradha Kapoor, Director, Magdalene Rubalcava, Designer, Anuradha Kapoor and Jatinder Verma, Script adaptation, Priti Paintal, Music Director and Imamul Ameen, Lighting Designer. The production toured in 1989 at the Tara Arts Centre, London, between 17-21 January, the Commonwealth Institute, London from 24 January to 4 February and other locations throughout the UK. It also toured the rest of Britain and Melbourne, Australia in 1990. |
| Collection notes | The Tara Arts collection consists mainly of digitised material which relates to their productions and includes items such as flyers, programmes, scripts, photographs, stage and costume drawings and information about the organisations history. |
