Election soon come. It is next year but already our ministers, MLAs and would be ones are making plans and doing the rounds.

Our Caribbean terminology “soon come” means “it will come soon, but not too soon”.

Although the expression does not relate to the British it certainly relates to the British Government who are at the mercy of the British Civil Servants.

One of our ministers spoke to me the other day saying he had seen the current Cayman Drama Society production at The Prospect Playhouse, “Yes Minister” and could find some similarities with what happens here.

The stage play “Yes Minister”, written by Chuck & Barrie Quappe is adapted from the BBC television series of the same name by Sir Antony Jay and Jonathan Lynn that ran from 1980 to 1984.

Having seen all the “Yes Minister” TV shows and its sequel “Yes, Prime Minister”, I can vouch the CDS production faithfully follows the two BBC shows it is based on and includes a scene or two from other ones to make the whole show longer.

The PBS channel used to show ““Yes Minister” on the local cable network but has been replaced by “One Foot In The Grave”. Incidentally PBS always showed the first episode of their ““Yes Minister” series with the second episode of the Yes, Prime Minister” that I found very strange.

For those of you who have no idea what it is all about and are hesitant of going to see it here it is as described very well on Wikipedia:

“Set principally in the private office of a British Cabinet minister in the fictional Department of Administrative Affairs in Whitehall, Yes Minister follows the ministerial career of the Rt Hon Jim Hacker MP, played by Paul Eddington. His various struggles to formulate and enact legislation or effect departmental changes are opposed by the British Civil Service, in particular his Permanent Secretary, Sir Humphrey Appleby, played by Sir Nigel Hawthorne. His Principal Private Secretary Bernard Woolley, played by Derek Fowlds, is usually caught between the two. The sequel, Yes, Prime Minister, continued with the same cast and followed the events of the premiership of Jim Hacker after his unexpected elevation to Number 10 upon the resignation of the previous Prime Minister.”

The three principle roles in the CDS production are Adam Roberts (Jim Hacker), Dominic Wheaton (Sir Humphrey Appleby) and Mike Bishop (Bernard Woolley). All play their roles remarkably well with Dominic having the hardest part with the long winded explanations to the reasons why the Minister cannot do what he wants to do that makes no sense at all but work because of the confusion he wants to make. Very difficult to remember all of them without stuttering. Well done Dominic.

I must make mention of the fourth important role of Frank Wiesel, Hacker’s political adviser. It is played here by Michael McLaughlin and honestly he plays it very differently and far better, in my humble opinion, than the TV actor Neil Fitzwilliam. So much so I had difficulty in remembering there was a political adviser. He only lasted five episodes and I believe if Michael had been cast he would have made the whole 22 episodes. That’s the impact he made on the play.

Also, Fay Anne de Freitas does a great job in the role of the suffering wife of Jim Hacker.

Full marks to Barrie Quappe’s directing and managing to get all those scenes staged and changed so quickly by the hard working back-stage crew.

This is the last week you can see it and I urge you to go. It is a fun filled show and there is even a live band to keep you happy during the scene changes with music included from “Magna Carta: the Musical Trial of King John”, also written by Chuck & Barrie. See if you recognise it?

I did, immediately!!

If not, soon come, Yes Minister.