Theatre company Gecko returns to the Lyric Hammersmith to celebrate the 200th birthday of revolutionary Russian writer Nikolai Gogol with this adaptation of his popular short story, The Overcoat.

Published in 1842, The Overcoat satirises provincial bureaucracy and the pursuit of material wealth. It is one of Gogol’s most popular short stories and has had a lasting influence on Russian literature.

Gecko uses a riotous blend of physical comedy, movement, cinematic images and evocative music to reinvent The Overcoat, the classic tale of a downbeat draughtsman fixated on a glamorous new coat. Inspired by the unruly spirit of Gogol’s masterpiece, Gecko has created an intoxicating world where a man’s thoughts spill out into everyday life, blurring reality with grotesque fantasy to present a vivid critique of modern consumption.

Formed in 2002, Gecko’s previous work includes Taylor’s Dummies, The Race and The Arab And The Jew, which played at the Lyric Hammersmith last year.