Yes Prime Minister to go on Australian Tour 2012
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Press Release
Mark Goucher, Wimpole Theatre and Matthew Byam Shaw for Playful Productions present

Yes, Prime Minister
• Anger reported in Downing Street as rival political comedy
moves in nearby.
• 'Yes, Prime Minister' brings politics back to Whitehall at the
Trafalgar Studios from June 6th 2012

Comedy double act David Cameron and Nick Clegg are reportedly furious that a competing political comedy 'Yes, Prime Minister' has moved in to the Trafalgar Studios theatre on Whitehall - less than 400 yards from their own venue on Downing Street.

A source close to Cameron and Clegg – also known by their stage name 'The Coalition' – said that they were 'fuming'. A friend of the pair added "David and Nick have spent two years perfecting their comic double act, and to have another political comedy muscle in on their turf is galling in the extreme."

Cameron and Clegg were unavailable for comment, but unofficial sources have denied that The Coalition's recent shift into broad farce is designed to pre-empt the more sophisticated comedy of Yes, Prime Minister.

Antony Jay and Jonathan Lynn, the original writers of the classic TV series Yes, Minister and Yes, Prime Minister have reunited for this anniversary production which has received universal critical and public acclaim on tour and during both its initial season at Chichester Festival Theatre and two previous West End runs at the Gielgud and Apollo Theatres.

The production now makes a triumphant return to the West End, bringing politics back to Whitehall with an open-ended run at Trafalgar Studios – formerly the Whitehall Theatre.

As British troops are now out of Iraq and the war in Afghanistan is winding down, the focus has shifted towards Prime Minister Jim Hacker's desperate fight to avoid Sarkozy's fate as he battles the Europeans over greater austerity, the collapsing euro, assassinations by drones and serious diplomatic misbehaviour influenced by Silvio Berlusconi and Dominique Strauss Kahn. Sir Humphrey is in favour of greater austerity
for ordinary people but not for senior civil servants.

Casting to be announced.

Yes Prime Minister is returning to TV in a new six-part series ordered by UKTV's Gold channel

Here is the press release from UKGold:

Gold has recently committed to fund a slate of original programming. Yes Prime Minister will be scripted by the writers from the original series Antony Jay and Jonathan Lynn.

The series will be based on the recent successful stage revival of the situation comedy. It will be filmed this summer in front of a live audience. It is expected to be co-directed by Mr Lynn alongside producer Gareth Gwenlan, and will to star David Haig, who played Hacker in the ongoing stage production and Henry Goodman, who plays Sir Humphrey.

The series, initially called Yes Minister, began life in 1980. It ran for three series on BBC Two, repeated on BBC One. Its successor Yes Prime Minister ran for two series from 1986. It starred Paul Eddington as politician Jim Hacker, Nigel Hawthorne as permanent secretary Sir Humphrey Appleby and Derek Fowlds as Hackers principal private secretary Bernard Woolley.

UKTV director of commissioning Jane Rogerson said, "I'm thrilled that Gold has enticed Jonathan Lynn and Antony Jay to pen a brand new series, and can't wait to see this constitutional treasure back on screens across the country. "The quality of their writing is wonderful. You can only get that tight use of English and humour from the calibre of Antony and Jonathan. Their scripts are more prediction than fiction."

COMEDY RULES - new book by Jonathan Lynn
published by Faber and Faber in August, 2011

In Comedy Rules, Lynn sheds light on how it's done with 150 rules covering such vexed topics as:

• Inspiration, collaboration and the Seven Deadly Sins
• The perils of unmotivated comic business
• Sexist jokes, taboos and bad taste
• Pitching screenplays in LA
• Writing outside your experience
• Avoiding lunch with the Inland Revenue

'A terrific read, a masterclass in comedy. To anyone starting out, writing, performing, or producing, Comedy Rules! is a gem. It is also a very engaging memoir of such a productive, creative, and successful career. Finally, perhaps most importantly, it is absolutely hilarious. Terribly funny.'
Robbie Coltrane

Read more »

Comedy Rules comes out in paperback in April.
Available at Amazon. Why not order it now?

Interview: Meet the Author: Jonathan Lynn, BBC News Entertainment and Arts, Sep. 17 2011

Interview with Jonathan Lynn on Front Row, BBC Radio 4 (begins after 1 min 8 sec) »

AFTER 36 WEEKS IN THE WEST END, YES PRIME MINISTER OPENS A SECOND UK TOUR AND PREMIERES IN AUSTRALIA

After opening in Melbourne, Australia, it will play a season on all of Australia's major cities.

Yes Prime Minister wins WHATS ON STAGE/THEATRE GOERS CHOICE AWARD for BEST NEW COMEDY

The commercial theatre's only true popular awards: a real celebration of the most popular theatre productions of the year voted by the people who actually pay for their own tickets and for shows they really want to see.

Jonathan Lynn and Antony Jay reunited after 24 years to write a bang up-to-date Yes Prime Minister for the stage.
Website: www.yesprimeminister.co.uk

Read more »

The West End production of Yes, Prime Minister recouped the entire cost of its run less than five weeks after its first performance. Among the distinguished guests from the world of politics and beyond were the Chancellor George Osborne, the Home Secretary Theresa May, former Home Secretary David Blunkett and King Constantine II of Greece.

In recognition of the exceptional (and shockingly under-paid) job done by this country's Members of Parliament, and the recent cruel reduction in their expense accounts, all MPs will be admitted free of charge to Yes, Prime Minister, on production of valid ID. Unfortunately, producer Mark Goucher has confirmed that due to a recent spate of thefts, no more than two MPs will be admitted at any one time.

From broadwayworld.com