14 – 18 November
The world premiere production of I’m Sorry, Prime Minister, I Can’t Quite Remember tours to the Theatre Royal Bath from Tuesday 14th to Saturday 18th November starring Clive Francis and Christopher Bianchi as Sir Humphrey Appleby and Jim Hacker, alongside Michaela Bennison as Hacker’s carer Sophie and Andy Hawthorne as High Court judge Sir David Knell.
Holed up in his 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.
Following the sad passing of Antony Jay, his long-time writing partner in 2016, Jonathan Lynn has returned once more to the much-loved characters Jim Hacker and Sir Humphrey Appleby, as he writes and directs this final chapter of the series which sees the pair in their old age facing up to life after their exit from public service.
Clive Francis stars as Sir Humphrey Appleby, marking his tenth production in Bath since 1985, a list which has most recently included Enron in 2010, The Reluctant Debutante in 2011 and The Madness of George III as part of The Peter Hall Company 2011 Season. His extensive screen credits range from playing Francis Poldark in the 1975 Poldark series to Stanley Kubrick’s A Clockwork Orange, The Crown and, most recently, The Larkins. Clive also played a guest role in the Yes, Prime Minister television series in 1986. On stage he has performed at the National Theatre, the Royal Shakespeare Company and in the West End on numerous occasions. His one-man production of A Christmas Carol has taken him across the UK and to Ireland, France and Singapore. Clive is also a successful caricaturist, illustrator and playwright.
Christopher Bianchi, who stars as Jim Hacker, recently appeared in Barn Theatre’s world premiere production of Waiting for Anya by Michael Morpurgo. He has performed with The Peter Hall Company in King Lear, The Provok’d Wife, The Seagull and Filumena. In the South West, Christopher has starred in numerous productions at Bristol’s Tobacco Factory and Bristol Old Vic, performed at the Theatre Royal Bath and The Egg, and toured with Theatre Alibi, Instant Wit and Travelling Light theatre companies. His television credits include The Outlaws, The Pale Horse, Casualty and Historyonics for BBC and The Café for Sky.
Sophie is played by Michaela Bennison whose recent credits include Measure for Measure for Moving Stories and Antic Disposition’s A Christmas Carol at Middle Temple Hall. Michaela’s many touring stage credits include performances at the Theatre Royal Bath in 2021 in The Dresser in the Main House and in Josephine at The Egg.
Andy Hawthorne plays the role of Sir David Knell. His West End credits include Hamlet, Hay Fever, This House, The Country Girl, Plague Over England and The Mousetrap. Andy has performed in Standing at the Sky’s Edge and Cleo, Camping, Emmanuelle and Dick at the National Theatre and toured the UK in many theatre productions.
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 sixteen episodes from 1986 to 1988. A hugely successful stage play entitled Yes, Prime Minister received its premiere 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, the television series Yes Minister followed the ministerial career of Jim Hacker, played by Paul Eddington. His various struggles to formulate and enact policy or effect departmental changes were 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.
Following its premiere at the Barn Theatre in Cirencester, I’m Sorry, Prime Minister, I Can’t Quite Remember tours exclusively to Theatre Royal Bath and The Arts Theatre, Cambridge. The production is directed by Jonathan Lynn, with Nadia Papachronopoulou as Resident Director, Lee Newby as Designer, Adam Foley as Lighting Designer and Sam Glossop as Sound Consultant.
I’m Sorry, Prime Minister, I Can’t Quite Remember appears at the Theatre Royal Bath from Tuesday 14th to Saturday 18th November. To purchase tickets contact the Theatre Royal Bath Box Office on 01225 448844 or book online at www.theatreroyal.org.uk
Listings Information:
Venue: Theatre Royal Bath, Sawclose, Bath, BA1 1ET
Dates: Tuesday 14th November to Saturday 18th November 2023
Performances: Evenings at 7.30pm; Matinees at 2.30pm on Wednesday, Thursday & Saturday
Tickets: £10 – £44.50 (Booking fee applies)
Box Office: 01225 448844, www.theatreroyal.org.uk
Photo credit: Alex Tabrizi
