Review Round-Up: I'M SORRY PRIME MINISTER at the Apollo Theatre

Shehrazade Zafar-Arif 13 February, 2026, 12:54

Reviews are coming in for I’m Sorry Prime Minister at the Apollo Theatre, and while London's theatre critics were largely full of praise for Rhys Jones and Francis's performances as the iconic characters of Jim Hacker and Humphrey Appleby, they were less convinced by Lynn's attempts to modernise the story and humour in light of contemporary politics and concerns about political correctness and 'wokeness'. Many also found the plot to be scattershot, though the majority agreed the humour would land well with long-time devotees of the show.

im sorry prime minister west end extension Griff Rhys Jones and Clive Francis in I'M SORRY PRIME MINISTER. Image courtesy of production.

I'm Sorry, Prime Minister is the final chapter and stage sequel to the popular political satire sitcom Yes, Minister. It is written and directed by one of the original writers, BAFTA Award-winning Jonathan Lynn. Griff Rhys Jones and Clive Francis (reprising his role) star as ex-Prime Minister Jim Hacker and his former Cabinet Secretary Sir Humphrey Appleby, both now in their eighties - a bit put out and bewildered by the way the world around them has changed. This transfer follows runs at the Barn Theatre, Theatre Royal Bath, and Cambridge Arts Theatre

What are critics saying about I’m Sorry Prime Minister?

The Telegraph

“Yes Minister returns to tackle dementia, trigger warnings and the woke brigade”

★★★★

Reviewer: Dominic Cavendish

“No performers could match the hallowed memory of Paul Eddington and Nigel Hawthorne in the leads (a photo of them gets its own round of applause at the curtain-call). Still, there is something winning about Rhys Jones’s portrayal, which sees him hobbling madly about, boggling for Britain in exasperation, and constantly chortling in a cajoling attempt to laugh off serious situations and dismiss criticism. For his part, Francis is impeccably beady as the wily, erudite Sir Humphrey, as prone as ever to tactical prolixity.”

Read the review here.

TimeOut

“Griff Rhys Jones stars in the disarmingly elegiac final chapter of the ‘Yes, Minister’ saga”

★★★

Reviewer: Tom Wicker

“A blustering Rhys Jones is amusing as Hacker, playing up his Churchillian delusions of self-importance while surrounded by boxes of his unsold memoirs. But Humphrey is the truly compelling character here – a creature of the civil service who is finally speaking his mind now inscrutability is no longer relevant. Francis delivers his lines with the same acidly snobby, guillotine-sharp dryness as Nigel Hawthorne did as Humphrey in the TV series but strikingly mixed with flashes of anger and frailty. What works less well is Lynn’s attempts to confront Hacker and Humphrey with today’s landscape of de-colonisation, no-platforming and campus protests.”

Read the review here.

im sorry prime minister Griff Rhys Jones and Clive Francis in I'M SORRY PRIME MINISTER. Image courtesy of production.

The Evening Standard

“Amuses despite the misplaced star casting”

★★★

Reviewer: Nick Curtis

“Here we have a baggy, old-fashioned stage finale to a 46-year-old political sitcom that amuses despite the misplaced star casting of Griff Rhys Jones in the role of ex-Prime Minister Jim Hacker. Always untroubled by subtlety, the comedian’s constant mugging and whinnying, guffawing, meandering delivery of every single line here stand in stark contrast to the sharp timing and comic physical precision of Clive Francis as Hacker’s sparring partner, former cabinet secretary Sir Humphrey Appleby.”

Read the review here.

The Times

“Jim Hacker in the age of woke”

★★★

Reviewer: Clive Davis

“In what’s billed as the final chapter in the politician’s progress on the Establishment’s greasy pole, Jonathan Lynn presents us with a gentle comedy that only occasionally rekindles the ultra-sharp satire of his classic sitcom collaboration with Antony Jay. The production at the Apollo lands a little more briskly than the version premiered at The Barn in Cirencester in 2023, thanks to the presence of Griff Rhys Jones, who gives Hacker an extra layer of dufferish imbecility. But unlike the insider machinations depicted on the small screen, the plotting is haphazard.”

Read the review here.

The Independent

“The Yes Minister universe has finally lost the plot”

★★

Reviewer: Alice Saville

“If this were TV, you'd be sure that Sir Humphrey had some kind of ingenious plan to save Hacker from his enraged adversaries. Unfortunately, this two hour show has less plot than your average 30-minute episode. The first half feels like an elaborate, fiddly set-up for something that's taking far too long to happen. Then, the second half seems to completely abandon the idea of knocking over its dominoes– settling instead for a daytime telly chat show feel where the characters ask each other softball questions about their views on various political issues.”

Read the review here.

There are plenty of new shows opening in London this year, but also many old ones going away. Don't miss your chance to catch some of the most popular and beloved plays and musicals that are leaving the West End - check out our list of London Theatre Shows Closing in 2026.