Jonathan Lynn will direct the American premiere of Yes, Prime Minister, co-written by Lynn and AnTony Jay, one of the most successful London West End plays in a decade, at the Gil Cates Theater at the Geffen Playhouse, opening Wednesday, June 12 (previews begin June 4.) The award-winning British comedy of political power and intrigue has played three sold-out London West End seasons with rave reviews as well as international tours (currently New Zealand and Australia).
The cast features Stephen Caffrey (Cinema Verite, The Constant Wife), Brian George (A Perfect Wedding, Stuff Happens), Dakin Matthews (Lincoln, True Grit), Jefferson Mays (Geffen Alum I Am My Own Wife, Tony, Lucille Lortel, Drama Desk and Obie winner), Academy Award nominee Michael McKean (A Mighty Wind, Best in Show, This is Spinal Tap), Tara Summers (Boston Legal), and Time Winters (Camelot National Tour, LADCC nominee). McKean starred in the film Clue, which was directed and co-written by Lynn.
This riotous, timely and sharply satirical new take on the British corridors of power is set against the backdrop of the collapsing Euro and austerity measures in a world of 24-hour news, smart phones, and 'sexed up' dossiers. Writers AnTony Jay and Jonathan Lynn also penned the award-winning BBC television series of the same name. Lynn directed the West End production.
"Although the play is about the British government, I'm hopeful that US audiences will appreciate it just as much as they did in London," said Lynn. "British and American democracies are based on the same fundamental principle: if no one knows what you are doing, no one knows what you're doing wrong."
Join a hilarious cast of characters, ranging from the scheming Cabinet Secretary, Sir Humphrey Appleby, to the morally confused Principal Private Secretary, Bernard Woolley, and the ruthless Head of the PM's Policy Unit, Claire Sutton, as they lurch from crisis to crisis, trying to survive a disastrous weekend that teeters on the edge of catastrophe, despite their best (and worst) intentions. Will they manage to save the Euro from collapsing, resolve the energy crisis, solve the debt crisis, hide an embarrassing illegal immigrant, control the media and avoid public humiliation? Brits and Yanks alike can bank on the laughs in the American premiere of this uproarious satire fresh from its acclaimed West End run.
Yes, Prime Minister begins previews in the Gil Cates Theater at the Geffen Playhouse on Tuesday,
June 4, with the official opening on Wednesday, June 12. Tickets are available in-person at the Geffen Playhouse box office, via phone at 310-208-5454 or online at www.geffenplayhouse.com
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