The Barn Theatre in Cirencester is announces principal casting for the world premiere of I’m Sorry, Prime Minister, I Can’t Quite Remember. Martin Jarvis will play ex-Prime Minister Jim Hacker and Clive Francis will play his former Permanent Secretary Sir Humphrey Appleby. They are joined by Michaela Bennison who will play Hacker’s carer Sophie and Christopher Bianchi as High Court judge Sir David Knell. The production will take place this autumn, previewing from 25 September and running until 4 November. The play is written and directed by Jonathan Lynn.
Martin Jarvis will play Jim Hacker. Martin was recently seen in Maggie and Ted at the Garrick Theatre. His other stage work includes the West End, ‘older’ revival of The Importance of Being Earnest at the Pinter Theatre and Pinter’s Other Places (both with Judi Dench).
Clive Francis plays Sir Humphrey Appleby. Clive has performed at the National Theatre (A Small Family Business, Tis Pity She’s A Whore, Never So Goodand Les Blancs) and at the RSC (Three Hours after Marriage, Troilus and Cressida, and A Christmas Carol).
Michaela Bennison (Sophie) recently appeared as Provost in Measure for Measure (Moving Stories), The Ghost of Christmas Past in A Christmas Carol (Middle Temple Hall) and Luciana in A Comedy of Errors and in The Dresser (Theatre Royal Bath).
Christopher Bianchi (Sir David Knell) recently appeared as Henry is the Barn Theatre’s world premiere production of Waiting For Anya. Christopher has also performed in the English Touring Theatre’s Othello and many times as Bristol Old Vic (The Boy Who Cried Wolf, No Loud Bangs series, The Rivals, Penetrator, Aesop’s Fables).
Following the sad passing of Antony Jay, his longtime writing partner, in 2016, Jonathan Lynnreturns once more to the much loved characters Jim Hacker and Sir Humphrey Appleby in this final chapter of the series which sees the pair in their old age facing up to life after their exit from public service. Holed up in his new home at Hacker College, Oxford, Jim finds himself, as ever, in the midst of a set of problems mainly of his own making. Unsure of how to cope, he calls on his old and not so loyal Permanent Secretary Sir Humphrey Appleby. What ensues carries all the hallmark comedy of this classic partnership as well as being a touching portrait of two old sparring partners trying desperately to figure out the modern world and work out what their place is in it. In doing so they discover friendship and empathy as well as learning a few hard lessons about life.
Yes Minister is a British political satire sitcom written by Antony Jay and Jonathan Lynn. Comprising three seven-episode series, it was first transmitted on BBC2 from 1980 to 1984. A sequel, Yes, Prime Minister, ran for 16 episodes from 1986 to 1988. A hugely successful stage play entitled Yes, Prime Minister was premiered at Chichester Festival Theatre in May 2010. The production transferred to the West End where it played at three different theatres and also toured the UK twice to great acclaim.
Set principally in the private office of a British cabinet minister in the fictional Department of Administrative Affairs in Whitehall, Yes Minister follows the ministerial career of Jim Hacker, played by Paul Eddington. His various struggles to formulate and enact policy or effect departmental changes are opposed by the British Civil Service, in particular his Permanent Secretary, Sir Humphrey Appleby, played by Nigel Hawthorne. The series received several BAFTAs and in 2004 was voted sixth in the Britain’s Best Sitcom poll. It was the favourite television programme of the then Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, Margaret Thatcher.
Full listings and ticket information can be found here
