Focus Birmingham

For me one of the most enduring TV comedies is Yes, Minister (and subsequently Yes, Prime Minister), which starred the late Paul Eddington as the Cabinet Minster and later PM, Jim Hacker, and the late Nigel Hawthorne as Sir Humphrey Appleby. Fans of these iconic series will share my enthusiasm for the fact that Anthony Jay and Jonathan Lynn have collaborated to produce a new Yes Prime Minister production, this time for the stage, and I was luck enough to see the audio-described matinee on Saturday 4 June, during its week at the Birmingham Hippodrome.

Prime Minister Jim Hacker and Cabinet Secretary Sir Humphrey Appleby face a country in financial meltdown. The only prospect of salvation comes from morally dubious allies – leading to riotously comic consequences. Although the story line was very contemporary with references for instance to ‘Blackberrys’ and ‘Spin,’ I am delighted to say that we were still able to enjoy the entertaining elements of the original TV productions with, for example, that clever ‘Manderin speak’ of Whitehall
Civil Servants. Not surprisingly the dialogue tells the story but, without the skilfully timed ‘live’ commentary of Jonathan Nash and Julia Grundy, I suspect that, like me, fellow visually impaired patrons would have missed out on some of the more subtle humour, reflected in gestures and facial expressions.

The pre-show touch tour was a particular treat this time and, accompanied by the Theatre’s Education Officer, Rachel Sharpe, Julia and Jonathan took us onto the stage and into what was a lavish study/library/drawing room in the Prime Minister’s official residence of Chequers. As we walked across very plush carpet we were told that pictures of 12 Prime Ministers up to, and including Tony Blair, looked down on us. The layout of the room with its elegant furniture, classic literary tomes on the bookshelves, and cut glass decanter and glasses and even the view through the back window depicting the country residence’s garden was described in great detail.

The next audio-described production at the Birmingham Hippodrome will be the musical Dreamboats and Petticoats on the afternoon of 2 July and details for tickets, places on the touch tour and headsets can be obtained as usual from the box office on 0844 3385000 .