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I’m Sorry Prime Minister I Can’t Quite Remember.

 
Tom Shortland Review by Tom Shortland 2 Published: 23 Nov 2023 Cambridge Arts Theatre Show Dates: 21 Nov 2023-25 Nov 2023

There are four strong performances in I’m Sorry Prime Minister I Can’t Quite Remember at the Cambridge Arts Theatre, written and directed by Jonathan Lynn, following the passing of his co-writer of the the original series, Antony Jay. It’s a production courtesy of Built by Barn that's transferred from the Barn Theatre, Cirencester.

Enough laughs, witty dialogue and nostalgic references to keep you interested

Clive Francis, who appeared as a guest star in an episode of Yes Prime Minister, plays Sir Humphrey Appleby, opposite a skilful and hilarious performance by Christopher Bianchi as Jim Hacker. A new character is introduced in the form of Sophie, Hacker’s young care worker, played by Michaela Bennison. Between them there are some golden moments of physical comedy.

This final instalment in the saga of Hacker and Appleby is set in Hacker’s new residence, the master’s lodge at the fictional Hacker College, Oxford. Through the windows we can see a garden, rather unconvincingly displayed on LED screens. Instead of conveying mood or atmosphere, this is a generic scene of foliage with weather effects, communicating nothing that isn’t already said in the dialogue.

Lynn’s satire, which was so pertinent and sharp in its jabs at the government during the run of the TV series, now attempts to engage with present-day conversations about race, colonialism and LGBT rights. However, the dialogue meanders around the topics without saying anything new and with weak arguments all round.

When Hacker uses a deeply offensive slur, he is only lightly admonished by the stereotyped woke character of Sophie, a poorly-researched and reductive caricature, who simply comes off as annoying and overly sensitive and leaves us too shocked to laugh. It’s one of those moments that calls into question why this additional episode was thought to be a good idea. It seems as if Lynn is so concerned with being allowed to say whatever he wants that he doesn’t stop to question whether it’s actually worth saying.

The show aims to make the final chapter of two beloved long-running comedy characters a moving one, as well as funny. There is an undercurrent of the existential dread that comes with approaching the age of ninety, which is quite touching at points, but it never reaches the point of being truly compelling or heartbreaking.

Strangely, even as a live show in a theatre, it feels more like a sitcom than a play. Its structure is weak and there is no satisfying sense of resolution at the end. There are enough laughs, witty dialogue and nostalgic references to sustain interest but ultimately it lacks substance.

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The Blurb:

In celebration of the razor-sharp political satire Yes, Minister, the BAFTA Award-winning Jonathan Lynn, one of the original writers of the hit series, has penned a brand-new stage production, I’m Sorry Prime Minister I Can’t Quite Remember.

A “Built by Barn” production, by the Barn Theatre, Cirencester, the final hilarious chapter in the classic Yes, Prime Minister series continues its biting satire on the political classes and provides a fitting farewell to the Hacker years.

Former Prime Minister, Jim Hacker, longs to see out his days from his grand Master’s Lodge at Hacker College, Oxford. The College Fellowship and students have very different ideas and eviction looms large.

Holed up in his new home, 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.

Can Sir Humphrey Appleby, the PM’s former Cabinet Secretary, save the day one last time? Will it be Yes, Prime Minister or I’m Sorry, Prime Minister?