Jonathan Lynn’s new political comedy I’m Sorry, Prime Minister is transferring to the West End’s Apollo Theatre for a strictly limited season starring Griff Rhys Jones and Clive Francis.
I’m Sorry, Prime Minister will play the Apollo Theatre in London, from 30 January to 25 April 2026.
From the BAFTA Award-winning co-creator of Yes, Minister and Yes, Prime Minister, this sharply observed satire offers a final farewell to two of British comedy’s most enduring characters.
Written and directed by Jonathan Lynn, the production continues the story of former Prime Minister Jim Hacker and his old sparring partner, Sir Humphrey Appleby.
The production will star much-loved actor and presenter Griff Rhys Jones as Jim Hacker, and acclaimed actor Clive Francis (Bridgerton, The Crown) as Sir Humphrey Appleby.
Set in the fictional Oxford college named after Hacker himself, the retired politician finds his legacy under threat from a new generation of students and Fellows determined to evict him. In desperation, he turns once again to Sir Humphrey—but political manoeuvring isn’t what it used to be, and the world they once ruled has moved on.
Video: Griff Rhys Jones introduces I’m Sorry Prime Minister
A Timely West End Return
Originally produced by the Barn Theatre, Cirencester under the Built by Barn label, I’m Sorry, Prime Minister blends classic Westminster wit with reflections on ageing, relevance, and public life. The production retains the fast-paced repartee and bureaucratic spin that made the original TV series a staple of British satire, while exploring the poignancy of legacy in the digital age.
The play is billed as a touching and timely satire that mixes biting humour with poignancy, as two old adversaries reckon with legacy, relevance, and what it means to grow old in public life.
Jonathan Lynn, who co-wrote the original TV series with the late Antony Jay, brings these iconic characters full circle in what promises to be a hilarious and heartfelt new chapter. Fans of Yes, Prime Minister and political farce can expect a night of familiar scheming, sardonic wit, and sharply drawn satire—all live on stage in the heart of London’s West End.
Griff Rhys Jones said in a statement: “I am delighted and honoured to be stepping into the shoes of Jim Hacker in this the final, funny and poignant episode of his long career. The great TV series, and latterly the plays, are part of my architecture of British Comedy. They have always been the first and last word on the shenanigans that we call politics. (What Americans have taken to calling the swamp.) “Sorry, Prime Minister” is as acute and apposite as ever. It will be a hoot. What can the great comedy sparring partners make of what the modern world throws at them? I urge everybody – old fans, young fans and yet-to-be fans to come and join us at the Apollo to find out.”
Jonathan Lynn said: “I wanted to write the final chapter about Jim Hacker and Sir Humphrey Appleby, now in their 80s, discarded, ignored, watching today’s world with utter bewilderment. An elegiac play about old age and loss – loss of power, loss of influence, loss of friends, loss of family. The only play I’ve ever seen on this theme is King Lear. This will be funnier.”
?️ Tickets for I’m Sorry, Prime Minister at the Apollo Theatre (30 January – 25 April 2026) are now on sale. Stay tuned for booking links and full casting announcements.
Currently playing at the Apollo Theatre is Retrograde until 14 Juner 2025; followed by the return of John Cleese’s Fawlty Towers The Play from 24 June to 13 September 2025; James Graham’s Punch from 22 September to 29 November 2025; and Christmas Carol Goes Wrong from 6 December 2025 to 25 January 2026.
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