Red boxes take to the stage once more…
‘Yes, Prime Minister’ (by Antony Jay and Jonathan Lynn) is the stage version of the popular TV comedy of the same name, which takes a withering look at the practice of government in the UK.
It features the three main characters from the show and its ‘Yes, Minister’ forerunner: Prime Minister Jim Hacker, Cabinet Secretary Sir Humphrey Appleby, and Bernard Woolley, Principal Private Secretary to the PM.
The play is set over a weekend at the PM’s country residence, Chequers.
It features the UK in crisis: spiralling debt, rising unemployment, and Hacker’s fragile coalition cabinet at breaking point. Is salvation available from a complex pipeline deal with oil-rich Kumranistan that would entail a multi-trillion-pound loan?
But when the Kumranistan Foreign Secretary makes a shocking request to Bernard, moral considerations collide with the nation’s economic future. How will Jim and his team reconcile the two?
The Cast
Bob Beale is handling a box in two of the photos, who played Prime Minister Hacker – ever fearful of losing his spot at the top of the political greasy pole – in the Nailsea production.
Bob first took to the amateur stage in North Somerset in 1981 and has since taken roles regularly for Tickenham Drama Group, Clevedon Players, and Nailsea Little Theatre. He found Hacker to be a challenging part, but it was also great fun. He says: ‘It reflected some of my views on certain aspects of Government!’.
Bob adds: ‘When you’re playing a part like the PM, it’s useful to have every possible aid to get yourself into the role. Having the red boxes on stage with us helped. ‘just seeing them there made the study at Chequers look and feel something like it must be – and we all felt the benefit as we got into character.’
Tony Sutcliffe, who played the famously verbose Cabinet Secretary Sir Humphrey Appleby, stands alongside Bob in the final photo.
Tony has been appearing on stage for some 20 years, mainly for the Portishead Players and Nailsea Little Theatre. He says: ‘Sir Humphrey turned out to be one of my favourite roles. He is an iconic character who suited my acting style.
‘BHG loaned us not just one, but four boxes plus the appropriate folders inside them. They all contributed to making a real impact on the audience. ‘The boxes added an extra level of authenticity to the set and the feel of the performance. They made a real difference.’
The Production
Nailsea Little Theatre’s ‘Yes, Prime Minister’ – an amateur production presented by arrangement with Concord Theatricals Ltd on behalf of Samuel French Ltd www.concordtheatricals.co.uk – ran from 3 to 9 November 2024. It was the first show in the Little Theatre’s 62nd season, directed by Steve Harrison.