This week at The Theatre Royal is the premiere of I’m Sorry Prime Minister, I Can’t Quite Remember.
Christopher Bianchi as Jim, Michaela Bennison as Sophie and Clive Francis as Sir Humphrey | Photo © Alex Tabrizi
Written and directed by Jonathan Lynn, this is a curious piece designed for a specific age group and audience.
Harking back slightly to the hit TV series of years gone by “Yes, Minister”, the play features the ageing Jim Hacker (Chris Bianchi) and Sir Humphrey Appleby (Clive Hall) as they have to tackle life after public service.
The emphasis is on their inability to adapt to the way the world has changed as they’ve aged and what exactly is next for them.
The script is predictable and their interactions with the stellar graduate Sophie (Michaela Bennison) as their care worker are trite and dull.
Discussing the presence of a black, LGBT married woman brings every stereotypical conversation possible into the script, which becomes laboured and perfunctory.
There are some moments which are a welcome nod to the folly of the situation in the Lords, payments for doing absolutely nothing and the characters understandably both revel in their privilege which conflicts with the situation of Sophie.
The performances are good, the characters are fairly two dimensional but lovers of the original TV series enjoy the nods to those who are missing or the moments of reminiscing of times gone by.
Many of the full house found the humour and clearly enjoyed the show.
This is aimed at a specific audience but it is an important moment for the brilliant Barn Theatre Team in Cirencester to be breaking into the Theatre Royal programming.
Known for creating excellent work in a short space of time it bodes well to be able to anticipate further work from this exciting company.
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Reviewer: Petra Schofield
