Michael McKean, Jefferson Mays in ‘Yes, Prime Minister’ at Geffen

The death of Margaret Thatcher this week has created renewed public interest -- and, for some, nostalgia -- for British politics during the 1980s. “Yes, Prime Minister,” the play based on the popular ‘80s sitcom that ran on the BBC, is scheduled to have its U.S. premiere at the Geffen Playhouse on June 12. The company announced Wednesday that the cast will feature Michael McKean, Jefferson Mays and Dakin Matthews.

“Yes, Prime Minister” ran on British television from 1986 to 1988 -- at the height of Thatcherism -- and was the sequel to the hit sitcom “Yes, Minister.” The shows were created by Antony Jay and Jonathan Lynn, who wrote the play. Lynn will direct the Geffen staging.

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McKean will take the role of Jim Hacker, a British official who is elevated to the post of prime minister. (The actor previously worked with Lynn on the popular 1985 movie “Clue,” based on the board game.) The part of Jim Hacker was originally played by Paul Eddington on TV.

Matthews will play the role of Sir Humphrey Appleby, played on TV by the late Nigel Hawthorne, and Mays will take Bernard Woolley, who was played by Derek Fowlds.

Mays recently appeared in “A Gentleman’s Guide to Love and Murder” at the Old Globe in San Diego. The actor won a Tony Award for his role in “I Am My Own Wife” on Broadway in 2004.

“Yes, Prime Minster” has run on London’s West End and has toured internationally, including Australia and New Zealand. The Geffen production is set to run from June 12 to July 14, with previews starting June 4.

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