By Aline Mahrud

WORTH A LOOK?: ***

WHEN?: Saturday 31 January (matinee), opens 12 February and runs through 9 May 2026

Yes, Minister and its sequel Yes, Prime Minister was a BBC political satirical comedy starring Paul Eddington and Nigel Hawthorne lifting the lid on the relationship between politicians and Government that was hugely popular in the 80s.

• Read on for reasons including how the attempt to do something interesting creatively feels like a missed opportunity

Eddington who played populist politician Jim Hacker died aged just 68 in 1995 and Hawthorne as civil servant Sir Humphrey Appleby at 72 in 2001.

Famously it was the favourite television programme of then prime minister Margaret Thatcher and its success lay in the apparent hilarious accuracy of politician and civil servant scheming against each other to achieve their goals including promotion for Hacker and status quo for Appleby.

Almost 2 years ago at this very venue we gave a 5* review to John Cleese’s Fawlty Towers – The Play which was essentially a 3-episode mash-up of the much-loved TV seaside hotel farce.

I’m Sorry, Prime Minister is an attempt to do something more ambitious – to write the final chapter of a beloved comedy with its stars now older, lacking the power they once had and with Hacker seeking Appleby’s help as the Oxford College bearing the former PM’s name is seeking to both cancel and oust him from his job and home for politically incorrect comments.

Yes, Minister was written by Sir Antony Jay, who died in 2016, and Jonathan Lynn, still with us at 82, with the latter now holding the pen here.

The set up sees Hacker interviewing for a care worker and hiring Stephanie Levi-John’s black lesbian Sophie who challenges Hacker’s long-held views and encourages him to seek Appleby’s help.

The best thing about this new play is the portrayal of Clive Francis as Sir Humphrey because he still manages to verbally dazzle as Hawthorne did to pull the wool over Hacker’s eyes with his comic over-exaggerated attempts at explanation.

Griff Rhys Jones (pictured below at the curtain, The Miser, Garrick Theatre) as Hacker is a comedy genius, of course, but is less funny as the former PM.

Brexit is explored a lot with Hacker partly blaming himself for a populist, anti EU, pro-British sausage speech fans of the TV series may remember and yet the ramifications of severing the UK’s economic links with Europe seem far less fertile ground for comedy than its 80s seedbed of taking an axe to bureaucracy.

Fans of Yes, Minister can still delight in it on YouTube and the attempt to do something interesting creatively with it rather than focussing on its greatest hits as John Cleese’s Fawlty Towers – The Play did feels like a missed opportunity to crowdplease that Hacker would kick himself for.

• Main pictures via Facebook courtesy I’m Sorry, Prime Minister  Tickets
• Have you seen a Griff Rhys Jones show before and what did you think of it? Let us know what you thought in the comments below
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