Yes Prime Minister on stage is a theatrical play following the famous 1980s sitcom. The familiar characters face new challenges in a fun play on stage. Here’s my Yes Prime Minister on stage theatre review.
My Yes Prime Minister on stage theatre review will first give a short overview of the play, including its history and also a plot synopsis. I’ll then talk about what I liked and didn’t like about the play. I saw a revival of Yes Prime Minister on stage in 2026.
The history of Yes Prime Minister on stage
The stage version of Yes, Prime Minister was written by Antony Jay and Jonathan Lynn, the creators of the original BBC television series. It premiered at the Chichester Festival Theatre in 2010. It then transferred to the Gielgud Theatre in London in 2011 and later toured the UK in 2012. The play updates the political setting to 2010, but keeps the characters were all know and love from the BBC series. There’s Prime Minister Jim Hacker, Cabinet Secretary Sir Humphrey Appleby, and Principal Private Secretary Bernard Woolley. The stage version applies the same satirical framework used in the television series to modern political issues – although a lot of the issues remain the same!
Since the UK tour in 2021, the stage version of Yes Prime Minister has been revived several times locally. I saw a production in 2026 at the Barn Theatre in Cirencester.
Plot synopsis of Yes Prime Minister on stage
Jim Hacker faces a significant political and economic challenge. The UK is experiencing rising debt, increasing unemployment, and instability within the coalition cabinet. A potential solution emerges in the form of a proposed oil pipeline agreement with Kumranistan, an oil‑rich nation offering a multi‑trillion‑pound loan. The Prime Minister and his team begin assessing the feasibility of the deal, recognising its importance for national finances and cabinet unity.
At a summit at Chequers, the Prime Minister (along with Sir Humphrey and Bernard, of course, and Jim Hacker’s political advisor) host foreign leaders to talk about the deal. Things seem to be going well, until the evening, when the US Secretary of State makes an unexpected request to Bernard. He asks Bernard to find him an escort for the night – with it later transpiring that he actually wants three young women.
Jim Hacker, Sir Humphrey and Bernard all grapple with the ethical considerations while evaluating the impact of the request. It seems that if the US Secretary of State doesn’t get what he wants that night, then the oil pipeline deal will be off the table. The three men, and political advisor Claire, explore possibilities – including using a Royal RAF helicopter, or involving the Cook who has recently been exposed as an illegal immigrant – while being terrified of the political implications if anyone ever found out, but not wanting to lose the deal.
The situation escalates once the chairman of the BBC gets involved, wanting a live interview with Hacker. And there are threats of leaks to the papers about the situation. But as always, Sir Humphrey and Jim Hacker save the day – acknowledging that the oil pipeline deal can no longer happen, but managing to spin the story in the BBC interview to mean it was a triumph for global warming.
What I liked about Yes Prime Minister on stage
I really enjoyed Yes Prime Minister on stage. It was a fun show, and my cheeks were aching from smiling and laughing. The production I saw at the Barn Theatre was very professional, with brilliant acting. It’s amazing how they could all remember so many lines – especially Sir Humphrey’s long, rambling speeches.
The characters on stage
Yes Prime Minister on stage manages to perfectly capture the magic from the TV series. The three main characters are portrayed perfectly. I was particularly impressed by Sir Humphrey. His delivery of the long speeches was perfect. Jim Hacker was the perfect bumbling Prime Minister, and Bernard was just like Bernard in the show – the same facial expressions, and the same perfectly-time inputs and corrections into the conversations.
The humour in Yes Prime Minister on stage
There’s so much humour in this show. The dialogue is funny, especially when they’re grappling with the ethical dilemmas. It’s hilarious that they’re genuinely thinking about whether it’s justifiable to use the Royal RAF helicopter to take three prostitutes to Chequers, just to save the oil pipeline deal. And it’s funny because you could actually believe that it could be true, with the focus that politicians will put on getting a deal they can announce to the press. And then all the conversations about what would happen if it got leaked to the press that they did that. It was all very funny.
There’s a great joke near the beginning, when they’re first talking about the oil pipeline deal. They show a map of the proposed route. It’s the most illogical, inefficient route possible from Kumranistan to the UK – because every country in Europe wants it to pass through their country. It’s just funny because it could so easily be true – the fight between logic and politics.
I also found it really funny when the three suddenly tried to be ‘casual’, when the US Ambassador walked in in his pyjamas. Bernand took off his jacket and threw is over his shoulder, Jim Hacker loosened his tie. And all Sir Humphrey did was push down his pocket square. It was so funny, especially when the gag was repeated again later in the show when the US Ambassador came in again. It’s just moments like this that make the show so funny.
The same political issues…still…
It’s also so funny how so many of the political issues are the same. These issues were first joked about in the 1980s, and then this was written in 2010. But in 2026, it’s all still so true. I don’t know if that’s hilarious or depressing! All the jokes about the economy failing, rising inflation, political parties getting rid of their leaders, unrest in the Middle East… It’s all still so relevant. In 2026, Keir Starmer has just been replaced as Prime Minister, inflation is hitting the news weekly with the ‘cost of living crisis’, and there are constant headlines about the US and Iran, and the price of oil. It’s all so relevant still. And just shows that nothing actually changes.
What I wasn’t so sure about
I really enjoyed Yes Prime Minister on stage. I found it funny, and I thought the acting and performance was brilliant.
My only slight reservation is that I’m not sure if some of the jokes landed so well in 2026. Nowadays, we’re all a lot more cautious about what we joke about. While I absolutely want theatre shows to be pushing the boundaries on this, I’m just not sure if I found some of the content and the jokes a little bit jarring, in today’s world.
The way the main characters were talking about the escorts felt just a bit derogatory. And the way they were joking about the US Secretary of State wanting three from different ethnicities, and the jokes about ‘at least it’s equal opportunities’, felt a little bit jarring. And then when Claire approached the Cook’s 18 year old daughter – again, that felt a bit jarring, especially coming from a woman. They even referenced Prince Andrew and Epstein Island – which didn’t land particularly well, now the audience knows a lot more context about this.
There were also some jokes near the beginning about global warming, and how it was in question about whether it was to be believed or not. I can’t fully remember whether that was still debated in 2010. But today, it feels like that’s not really up for debate or something to be joked about.
I can’t quite decide if these jokes felt jarring, or whether it was good to be laughing about it in the spirit the play intended. This absolutely doesn’t take away from the performance itself – that was brilliant. But maybe times have just moved on a bit for some of these more out-there jokes.
Would I recommend going to see Yes Prime Minister on stage
I really enjoyed Yes Prime Minister on stage so I would definitely recommend going to see it. I loved the TV series, and this stage version kept all of the magic. Even if the jokes maybe felt jarring at times, I still found it really funny. It was a great show.
Hope you enjoyed my Yes Prime Minister on stage theatre review! Check out my other theatre reviews for more shows in the West End, across the UK and the world.
