This is the Gogol classic with a contemporary spin. Hearing of the imminent visit of an undercover inspector, the officials of a new EU country are sent into a headless panic. The result is corruption, subterfuge and double-dealing, fleshed out by a motley cast of colourful characters. ‘The EU Inspector’ unfolds at an unrelenting, breakneck pace and this one hour rendering of a complex classic, intended as a vehicle for students of a Glasgow-based drama school, feels over busy and sometimes a little perfunctory. With its constant movement and eccentric costume design, this production possesses a certain visual appeal. What it lacks, however, is satirical bite.

theSpace @ North Bridge, until 25 Aug.
tw rating 2/5 | [Geoff Mills]