A delightful excursion into the mind of Nikolai Gogol as he recreates his famous story. Gogol himself is a principal character, spinning his story from nothing but the rags of a tattered old overcoat, which is pitifully unsuited for the rigors of the Saint Petersburg winters. He creats Akaky Akakieviech - a poor, dedicated copy clerk who becomes obsessed with the idea of having a splendid new overcoat - and then the author steps into the story to become the Chief Clerk, Akaky's boss, Petrovich the tailor, and then the Very Important Person who refuses to help the shivering Akaky when the preciouls garment is stolen. Fun, mime, dance, fantasy, magical dreams, a sympathetic ghost, simple but ingenious scenery - and the appropriately soaring music of Tchaikovsky - all combine to create a superbly funny yet moving theatre piece.