4 STARS, April 18-21. New rep company receives rapturous welcome with a revival of an 80s TV great, writes Jane McGowan
Yes, Prime Minister was the final instalment in the celebrated, award-winning comedy series by Antony Jay and Jonathon Lynn that ran on the BBC for more than a decade. The plot followed the career of the amiable but often incompetent politician Jim Hacker as he rose from junior minister to the top job, mainly thanks to the behind-the-scenes machinations of his mandarins – the all controlling Sir Humphrey and his inoffensive sidekick Bernard.
In this 2010 stage adaptation by the original writers, we witness PM Hacker’s growing frustration with his cabinet colleagues, his EU contemporaries and the seemingly omniscient Cabinet Secretary Sir Humphrey.
The action follows the trio (and the PM’s advisor Claire Sutton, a new addition for the stage version) as they negotiate a tricky EU conference, and a torturous weekend at Chequers, involving illegal immigrants, ambassadors and escorts. The satire of the first half descends into farce as the team considers scrambling the Queen’s helicopter to fly prostitutes from King’s Cross to the country retreat to satisfy the lustful leanings of the Kumranstani foreign minister.
All the actors perform with aplomb. William Hazell (who bears more than a passing resemblance to David Cameron) does a great job of capturing a man on the edge – his affability descending into hilarious despair as he falls on his knees to ask God to help him solve the prostitute problem. Keith Hill as Sir Humphrey received several rounds of applause for his ability to both dumbfound and dazzle during his many monologues. Although forever associated with the late, great Nigel Hawthorne, Hill’s performance is in no way an impersonation, finding depth and even a warmth in the rather stuffed shirt civil servant. Jack Mosedale shines as the baby-faced Bernard Woolley – the innocent stooge who often saves the day; while Katherine Mount as the sophisticated spin doctor (almost) remains cool as a cucumber while the menfolk flounder in a flurry of bustle and bluster.
The play was first performed during 2010 and while retaining a great amount of humour, the satire loses a little of its sparkle as we look back on the events with the benefit of hindsight. Although set just after the crash as the country teetered on the brink financial ruin, looking back it seems like a halcyon time, when the issues of Nigel Farage, Donald Trump and the interminable Brexit manoeuvrings were still the stuff of nightmares. However, that said, the Leatherhead Theatre audience certainly appreciated the jokes and gave the actors a very warm response throughout, and a resounding round of applause at the play’s close.
Finally, just a word about the Leatherhead Rep who are doing a fine job of bringing professional repertory theatre back to the Church Street venue after 30 years. This is the first play in the inaugural season which also includes the Alan Ayckbourn comedy Communicating Doors and a musical version of children’s classic, The Secret Garden. It’s great to see theatre of this calibre on our doorsteps at affordable prices – so if you get the chance pop down and check out what’s on.
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