An audience with the PM

One of the staple must-watch TV series of my youth was definitely Yes, Minister and later Yes, Prime Minister.

These BBC sitcoms written by Antony Jay and Jonathan Lynn were definitely my cup of tea with their witty remarks and cleverly engineered situations.

Fast forward many years later and theatre company Mellow Drama is putting on the stage adaptation, written by the original authors, at the Manoel Theatre.

It has a brilliant cast made upof Alan Montanaro as Prime Minister Jim Hacker, John Montanaro as his Permanent Secretary Sir Humphrey Appleby, Steve Casaletto as his principal private secretary Bernard Wooley and Jo Caruana as new character Claire Sutton who is his special policy adviser. It also features Colin Fitz and Barry Calvert (there’s also me in a cameo which I am enjoying immensely!)

“Yes, Prime Minister works perfectly on a variety of levels,” says director James Calvert. “If you were a fan of the original television series then this will obviously be right up your street. But even if the BBC show was before your time and you are not familiar with the characters, it is still a cracking story. And of course we shouldn’t forget our Maltese obsession with politics which gives it even more appeal to local theatregoers. As we get closer to opening night things are really starting to come together and that is the most satisfying part of any production,” he says. Colin Fitz can hardly contain his excitement in being part of the team of Yes, Prime Minister: “I am overjoyed at being involved,” he said.

“The series has always been one of my favourites. I remember the very first episode broadcast on a Sunday night on TVM just before the weekly sports programme. “Since then I have been a massive fan, buying the books and the series, first on video then DVD, and looking out for the actors in other productions. It has helped shape my Anglophile tendencies and my own comedic approach to writing/broadcasting, so to be involved in this updated revival is a dream come true.”

The play is set in the present day and deals with the euro crisis, the price of oil, illegal immigration and so on. Most importantly, it clearly exposes the real reasons decisions are taken in the corridors of power.

John Montanaro says that his main challenge is to live up to the genius that was Nigel Hawthorne who played the iconic role of Sir Humphrey on TV.

“The delivery of the lines has to be spot on for this part,” he tells me, “and the fact that expectations will be high adds on to the pressure. However, to be brutally honest, I am loving every bit of this production – we are a great team and we are having a fantastic time in rehearsals. And the fact that we all have a deep love for the series is a big plus.”

Jo Caruana has also been having a blast at rehearsals, except for learning all her lines: “There’s lots of them!” she laughs, “Aside from that, it’s hard to get into the mindset of a lifestyle that I don’t know much about, not having spent much time with the UK Prime Minister, you see.

“That said, as his right-hand advisor, I suddenly feel that I should have the right to rule the country… I’m working on that!

“Yes, Prime Minister is such a well-loved show, and it’s always brilliant to watch that come to life on stage – a live art form which is often so much more rewarding than TV.”

• Yes, Prime Minister is being staged at the Manoel Theatre on February 10-12 and 17-19. For tickets call: 2124 6389, e-mail: bookings@teatrumanoel.com.mt or visit: www.teatrumanoel.com.mt