The TV series Yes, Minister and sequel, Yes, Prime Minister, were pivotal situation comedies of their time; garnering support and praise from politicians to critics to the man on the street. Running collectively through the best part of the 1980s whilst Margaret Thatcher was in Number 10 Downing Street, this satirical and cynical take on British political society was impeccably written and performed. It achieved an almost cult status with sharp writing and performances from Paul Eddington, Nigel Hawthorne and Derek Fowlds.

The stage play of the latter series had its premiere in 2010 at the Chichester Festival Theatre. Set at the Prime Minister’s country home, Chequers, the story concerns the failing popularity of the PM and the need for his civil servants to find a way to boost it by fair means of foul. When a rogue Foreign Minister from an Eastern European nation makes an unusual request; the PM and his team’s minds work overtime to try and resolve the issues they face.

The opening music of the original TV series plays out and we are suddenly in familiar territory; the characters of Jim Hacker, Sir Humphrey Appleby and Bernard Woolley are like old friends (to those of a certain age). The famous bi-play between the characters with the convoluted word play and acidic asides fly as the scene is set. The incidental, incredibly topical subject matters, as well as the depiction of a hopeless government in crisis could convince some that this is fact, not fiction.

However, what was an enormous success as a 30-minute television programme does struggle when it is stretched out to two hours. The sub plot about the Kumranistan Minister rather jars with the continual references to prostitution and the laughs dry up considerably when this rears its head; the second half of the play seems to suggest a running out of ideas and a lurch into the coarse and the ridiculous. Much of the xenophobic jokes will also not find the favour they might have done some years ago; too much appears to be stuck in the 1980s.

All that being said, there is something rather comforting to be reacquainted with the main characters; director, Rob McWhir, has ensured that there is no slavish recreation of the original trio and so there is a freshness about the portrayals. As Jim Hacker, the beleaguered Prime Minister out to save his own skin, Richard Stemp is fantastic, his increasing frustration and desperation is built to perfection. James Pellow has the unenviable job of dealing with the tongue-twisting, verbal acrobatics of Sir Humphrey and does so with a sneer here and a smirk there; the extraordinary speech given in Act One fully deserves its own round of applause. With a mixture of schoolboy enthusiasm and wide-eyed outrage, Brendan Matthew offers a wonderfully drawn version of Bernard. The PM now has a ‘special advisor’ in the guise of efficient (but as ineffectual as her civil service counterparts) Claire Sutton, a slick performance from Bridget Lambert. Excellent support comes from Yannick Budd, very suave, as the Kumranistan Ambassador; Mark Laverty as the manipulative BBC boss and Rhys Cannon as the wily TV interviewer.

The pace of the play will no doubt improve as the run continues, but the ultra-wordy script, though undeniably clever, just holds the action back and the laughs just don’t survive the whole length. This is, though, an entertaining and topical production, with much to enjoy and with high ticket sales, it  is proving a real magnet for the Summer Play Festival.

Cast

Jim Hacker – Richard Stemp

Sir Humphrey Appleby – James Pellow

Bernard Woolley – Brendan Matthew

Claire Sutton – Bridget Lambert

Kumranistan Ambassador – Yannick Budd

Jeremy Burnham – Mark Laverty

Simon Chester – Rhys Cannon

Creatives

Writer – Antony Jay & Jonathan Lynn

Director – Rob McWhir

Design – Andrew Beckett

Lighting & Sound Operation – Mark Rose

Costume Designer – Jan Huckle

Set Builders – Rhys Cannon & James Prendergast

Props Supervisor - James Prendergast

Artistic Director - Paul Taylor-Mills

Season Associate Producer – Andrew Beckett