Review Summary
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5 out of 5 stars based on
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"My daughter and I were visiting London for the first time (from the US) and popped in to the theater on a whim, 20 minutes before ..."
Throughout the 1980s, “Yes, Minister” and its sequel “Yes, Prime Minister” were amongst the most respected sitcoms around. Satirising the goings on of the government behind closed doors, it featured some memorable performances from Paul Eddington and Nigel Hawthorne and has been highly regarded in the years since its transmission.
So popular was the show that a stage production started to do the rounds and amongst the locations it has appeared throughout the country is the Chichester Festival Theatre, a location that has housed many top shows that have since made the transition to the West End. This tradition remained firmly in tact when “Yes, Prime Minister” arrived on the stage of the Gielgud Theatre for a sell out season in 2010.
During its run at the Chichester, plus its UK tour, the show featured Henry Goodman and David Haig in the well known roles of Sir Humphrey Appleby and Prime Minister Jim Hacker respectively. These two actors returned in the West End in 2010 but on this occasion the roles of Prime Minister Jim Hacker and Cabinet Secretary Sir Humphrey Appleby will be played by Richard McCade and Simon Williams.
The plot brings modern day themes to the mix, with the ministers forced to deal with current problems from the financial crisis to the controversy surrounding the war in Iraq. As the country seems to head towards catastrophe, the only hope of salvation seems to come from an unlikely source – and it is not the country with whom we have a ‘special relationship’.
Henry Goodman, who reprised Nigel Hawthorne’s role of Sir Humphrey Applebyin 2010, is a respected actor whose screen and stage appearances have earned him much in the way of admiration. Audiences might recognise him from films like “The Damned United” and television shows like “The Bill”, whilst London theatre crowds may see a familiar face if they have witnessed the likes of “Assassins” in 1993 - for which he won a Laurence Olivier Award.
The role of Prime Minister Jim Hacker was in safe hands with David Haig, following a career that has seen him takes on roles on television, movies and stage productions. In the latter category he appeared in “Life x3” at the Savoy Theatre, “The Country Wife” at the Theatre Royal Haymarket” and “Journey’s End” at the Comedy Theatre, with screen roles in the likes of “The Thick of It” for the BBC.
After a sell out season in 2010, this brilliant political play makes a return to the West End at the Apollo Theatre from 6th July to 17th September 2011.
