Play on Words

full length · satire

The Inspector-General

by Nikolai Gogol

21 roles (17M / 4F) · approx 146–201 minutes · 5 acts

Royalty-free Public domain — free to read, perform, and adapt. No licence needed.

Characters

Khlestakov lead 234 speeches
Governor lead 171 speeches
Anna supporting 87 speeches
Artemy supporting 48 speeches
Osip supporting 46 speeches
Ammos minor 43 speeches
Marya minor 43 speeches
Postmaster minor 40 speeches
Dobchinsky minor 38 speeches
Bobchinsky minor 37 speeches
Servant minor 25 speeches
Luka minor 21 speeches
Merchants minor 12 speeches
Korobkin minor 11 speeches
Mishka minor 9 speeches
Captain minor 7 speeches
Widow minor 6 speeches
All minor 5 speeches
Judge minor 5 speeches
Svistunov minor 4 speeches
Postilion minor 4 speeches
Korobkin'S Wife minor 4 speeches
Luka Lukich minor 3 speeches

Read the play

The same, Derzhimorda and Svistunov.

Governor. Sh--sh! Bandy-legged bears--thumping their boots on the floor! Bump, bump as if a thousand pounds were being unloaded from a wagon. Where in the devil have you been knocking about?

DERZHIMORDA. I had your order--

Governor. Hush! [Puts his hand over Derzhimorda's mouth.] Like a bull bellowing. [Mocking him.] "I had your order--" Makes a noise like an empty barrel. [To Osip.] Go, friend, and get everything ready for your master. And you two, you stand on the steps and don't you dare budge from the spot. And don't let any strangers enter the house, especially the merchants. If you let a single one in, I'll--The instant you see anybody with a petition, or even without a petition and he looks as if he wanted to present a petition against me, take him by the scruff of the neck, give him a good kick, [shows with his foot] and throw him out. Do you hear? Hush--hush!

He goes out on tiptoe, preceded by the Sergeants.

CURTAIN

Monologues from this play