Review: YES, PRIME MINISTER, Barn Theatre
Photo credit: Alex Tabrizi
Political comedy takes centre stage at the Barn Theatre with Yes, Prime Minister, a slick and impressively put together production which proves you do not need any prior knowledge of the much-loved television series to get caught up in the chaos of British politics.
Newly appointed Prime Minister Jim Hacker (Jay Villiers) is spending a tense weekend at Chequers, faced with a struggling economy, problems within his own party and a potentially vital loan which could help get the country out of trouble. Alongside him is Cabinet Secretary Sir Humphrey Appleby (Clive Hayward), and it soon becomes clear that navigating the people, supposedly there to help him, might be just as difficult as dealing with the crisis itself.
This is a very dialogue-heavy play, with much of the action taking place through lengthy conversations, political negotiations and increasingly complicated attempts to find a way out of an impossible situation. At times, this does make it feel a little hard going, particularly when the dialogue becomes dense, but Charlotte Westenra’s slick direction keeps the production moving and ensures that the various twists and turns remain easy enough to follow.
Despite being billed as a comedy, this is not necessarily a hilarious, laugh-out-loud evening. There are certainly funny moments and plenty of clever exchanges, but the humour tends to come from the ridiculousness of the situations that the characters find themselves in and the way that political decisions are made behind closed doors, rather than from constant punchlines. Even without any familiarity with the original series, there is plenty to recognise in its depiction of politicians attempting to balance what is right with what is politically convenient.
The cast are excellent across the board and handle an enormous amount of dialogue with ease. Villiers is a commanding presence as Jim Hacker, capturing a Prime Minister becoming increasingly overwhelmed by the situation unfolding around him, while Hayward is fantastic as Sir Humphrey, delivering some incredibly lengthy and complicated speeches with such confidence that they appear effortless. William Owen is equally strong as Bernard Wooley, with Ruth Gibson as Claire Sutton, Maurey Richards as the American Ambassador and Mark Stratton as Jeremy Burnham completing a strong ensemble.
Anna Kelsey’s set is another real highlight and immediately gives the production a sense of scale and quality. The interior of Chequers is beautifully realised and provides an impressive backdrop to the political manoeuvring, complemented by Kelsey’s costume design, Jodie Underwood’s lighting and Elizabeth Purnell’s sound.
Yes, Prime Minister is perhaps a little too dialogue-heavy to maintain its momentum throughout and may not provide quite as many big laughs as expected, but this is nevertheless a strong piece of theatre. With excellent performances, a fantastic set and slick direction, it is an impressively polished production that works even for those coming to these characters and their particular brand of political chaos for the first time.
**** Four stars
Reviewed by: Tara Whenray