Eddington threatens strike over live audience issue

Press, 17 November 1987, Page 15

Eddington threatens strike over live audience issue

By

TONY VERDON,

London Correspondent Margaret Thatcher’s own favourite Prime Minister, Jim Hacker, could be going on strike. British actor Paul Eddington, who plays Jim Hacker in “Yes Prime Minister," is threatening not to make any more episodes. He and his two co-stars, Nigel Hawthorne and Derek Fowlds, want the 8.8. C. to make changes in the way the programmes are made. The trio, which has already made five series of the programmes, is fed up with recording in front of a live studio audience. Nigel Hawthorne, who plays the scheming Cabi-

net Secretary, Sir Humphrey Appleby, told the “Daily Mail.” “Between us, the three of us have become pretty powerful. “They could, of course, recast the programme, but as far as we are concerned we have come to the end of the line as far as doing the show in front of a live audience is concerned.”

The programme’s authors and producers claim the presence of an audience should give the actors inspiration and adrenalin.

But the trio says the spectators make the actors concentrate on keeping them entertained as well as the television cameras.

The fifth series of the programme begins screening on the 8.8. C. in Britain next month. It has alrady been recorded before a live audience. It is the second series portraying Jim Hacker as Prime Minister, and follows three series of "Yes Minister.” The 8.8. C. has already moved to try and defuse the row with the trio, saying it wants to make further series of the programme, which has been as popular on New Zealand screens as it has been in Britain. The head of comedy, Mr Gareth Gwenlan, told the “Mail” that he would be negotiating with the actors in the hope that the series could continue.