Theatre News

Yes, Prime Minister Moves Back to Gielgud, 20 Sep

Whatsonstage.com Award-winning comedy Yes, Prime Minister, will move back to the Gielgud Theatre following its current season at neighbouring West End house, the Apollo, on Shaftesbury Avenue.

Adapted by the creators Antony Jay and Jonathan Lynn, the Chichester Festival Theatre production brings the classic BBC sitcom into the modern era and onto stage for the first time. The show originally ran at the Gielgud from September 2010 to January this year following its Chichester debut and tour last summer.

After its first West End run, it toured again and returned to London last month, opening at the Apollo on 7 July 2011 (previews from 6 July ) with a cast led by Simon Williams as civil servant Sir Humphrey and Richard McCabe as hapless Prime Minister Jack Hacker, who took over from original cast members Henry Goodman and David Haig.

The production, which won the 2011 Whatsonstage.com Award for Best New Comedy, will finish its current run at the Apollo on 17 September, reopening at the Gielgud on 20 September 2011.

Yes, Prime Minister fills a gap at the Gielgud left by the early closure of Lend Me a Tenor, which shutters tomorrow night (6 August 2011) after a two-month run. A new musical based on Ken Ludwig’s award-winning comedy, Lend Me a Tenor opened on 15 June 2011 (previews from 2 June) following a try-out at the Theatre Royal Plymouth last year.

The next production at the Gielgud has already been announced as Father Ted author Graham Linehan‘s new adaptation of 1955 Ealing film comedy The Ladykillers, which will open on 7 December 2011 (previews from 26 November) following a November run at Liverpool Playhouse.

Yes, Prime Minister will be followed at the Apollo by the West End return of Jez Butterworth‘s multi award-winning play Jerusalem, which transfers back to the theatre following a Tony Award-winning stint on Broadway. Mark Rylance and Mackenzie Crook reprise their roles in the Royal Court production, which played a sell-out West End run in spring 2010.