The Patron of the Arts
Encyclopedia
"The Patron of the Arts" is the fourteenth episode of the BBC
comedy series Yes, Prime Minister
and was first broadcast 14 January 1988.
is in a quandary. Upon the recommendation of his Press Secretary
, Bill Pritchard, he has accepted an invitation as guest of honour at the annual British Theatre Awards dinner. However, the size of next year's grant to the Arts Council
is less than expected and, as the event is to be televised live with a potential audience of 12 million, the Prime Minister
is concerned that he will be ridiculed in the speech to be given by Simon Monk, managing director of the National Theatre
. He asks Sir Humphrey Appleby
for his advice, and it transpires that the Cabinet Secretary
has a vested interest as he is on the National Theatre's
board of governors. He tells Hacker that there is no point in trying to ingratiate himself with those from the arts because, as Prime Minister, most believe he is there to be mocked. When Hacker asks why he should give them money in the first place, Sir Humphrey replies that despite the fact that nobody is interested in them, the arts are part of the nation's heritage and "as long as they're going on, you can feel part of a civilised nation." The PM suggests that Sir Humphrey has a quiet word with Monk, the managing director of the National Theatre.
Sir Humphrey dines with Monk, who wishes to know the amount of the grant. Sir Humphrey refuses to disclose it in advance but manages to reveal it by strategically moving quantities of breadsticks around the table. This equates to only £1.5 million for the National Theatre from only £6 million for the Arts Council as a whole. Monk is exasperated and asks for Sir Humphrey's help. The mandarin responds that he is there to represent the PM's interests and that there are certain things that could upset him. Sir Humphrey goes into great detail, lest they should be referred to "by mistake" in Monk's speech — and he is only too pleased to make a note of them.
Hacker hosts a large cocktail party at 10 Downing Street
in the hope of gaining some support. His Minister for the Arts
advises him to increase the grant, but the PM is against it. Meanwhile, Simon Monk is with Sir Humphrey, wondering if he ought not to wait for the amount to be published before lobbying Hacker. The Cabinet Secretary advises the opposite: if the figure is published, the government would be committed to it and could not change it thereafter. The PM finds himself cornered by a group of guests, who waste no time in politely quizzing him on his theatrical knowledge (or lack of it). Bernard
spots that Hacker is besieged and Sir Humphrey steps in to rescue him. He introduces the PM to Simon Monk, who takes the opportunity to state his intentions regarding the awards dinner. He lists examples of wasteful government expenditure that he will refer to in a humorous vein in his speech if his grant is not increased.
Hacker meets with Bernard and his political advisor, Dorothy Wainwright, to try and find a solution. The latter suggests calling Monk's bluff and selling the site of the National Theatre on London
's South Bank
, on the grounds that nearly half of its annual grant is spent on the upkeep of the buildings. This would release finance to be spent on productions that could then be staged all over Britain, thus making it a truly National Theatre, Monk himself having claimed that theatre should be "about plays and actors not about bricks and mortar". Hacker is delighted with this idea and gloats that They wouldn't be able to call me the Philistine in 10 Downing Street, then, on which claim Dorothy Wainwright observes that it would also be necessary that they not have met him.
At the awards dinner, Hacker uses Dorothy's advice as a veiled threat to Monk if he continues with his planned speech. Monk is incensed as he feels there must be a base for the National Theatre. Sir Humphrey calls the whole thing "barbarism", but the PM knows that since he is making his own speech after Monk's, he can choose to refer to the scheme or not according to what Monk has to say to the audience.
The awards dinner goes ahead, and Monk refrains from criticising Hacker, instead expressing his gratitude for such a grant at a time of "national stringency". He then proposes a toast to the Patron of the Arts, the Prime Minister, who subsequently tears up the offer from the developers for the site.
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
comedy series Yes, Prime Minister
Yes Minister
Yes Minister is a satirical British sitcom written by Antony Jay and Jonathan Lynn that was first transmitted by BBC Television between 1980–1982 and 1984, split over three seven-episode series. The sequel, Yes, Prime Minister, ran from 1986 to 1988. In total there were 38 episodes—of which all but...
and was first broadcast 14 January 1988.
Plot
Jim HackerJames Hacker
James George Hacker, Baron Hacker of Islington, KG, PC, B. Sc. , Hon. D. C. L. was a fictional British politician. He was the Minister of the fictional Department of Administrative Affairs, and later the Prime Minister, in the 1980s British sitcom Yes Minister and its sequel, Yes, Prime Minister...
is in a quandary. Upon the recommendation of his Press Secretary
Press secretary
A press secretary or press officer is a senior advisor who provides advice on how to deal with the news media and, using news management techniques, helps their employer to maintain a positive public image and avoid negative media coverage....
, Bill Pritchard, he has accepted an invitation as guest of honour at the annual British Theatre Awards dinner. However, the size of next year's grant to the Arts Council
Arts Council of Great Britain
The Arts Council of Great Britain was a non-departmental public body dedicated to the promotion of the fine arts in Great Britain. The Arts Council of Great Britain was divided in 1994 to form the Arts Council of England , the Scottish Arts Council, and the Arts Council of Wales...
is less than expected and, as the event is to be televised live with a potential audience of 12 million, the Prime Minister
Prime Minister of the United Kingdom
The Prime Minister of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is the Head of Her Majesty's Government in the United Kingdom. The Prime Minister and Cabinet are collectively accountable for their policies and actions to the Sovereign, to Parliament, to their political party and...
is concerned that he will be ridiculed in the speech to be given by Simon Monk, managing director of the National Theatre
Royal National Theatre
The Royal National Theatre in London is one of the United Kingdom's two most prominent publicly funded theatre companies, alongside the Royal Shakespeare Company...
. He asks Sir Humphrey Appleby
Humphrey Appleby
Sir Humphrey Appleby, GCB, KBE, MVO, MA , is a fictional character from the British television series Yes, Minister and Yes, Prime Minister. He was played by Sir Nigel Hawthorne. In Yes Minister, he is the Permanent Secretary for the Department of Administrative Affairs...
for his advice, and it transpires that the Cabinet Secretary
Cabinet Secretary
A Cabinet Secretary is almost always a senior official who provides services and advice to a Cabinet of Ministers. In many countries, the position can have considerably wider functions and powers, including general responsibility for the entire civil service...
has a vested interest as he is on the National Theatre's
Royal National Theatre
The Royal National Theatre in London is one of the United Kingdom's two most prominent publicly funded theatre companies, alongside the Royal Shakespeare Company...
board of governors. He tells Hacker that there is no point in trying to ingratiate himself with those from the arts because, as Prime Minister, most believe he is there to be mocked. When Hacker asks why he should give them money in the first place, Sir Humphrey replies that despite the fact that nobody is interested in them, the arts are part of the nation's heritage and "as long as they're going on, you can feel part of a civilised nation." The PM suggests that Sir Humphrey has a quiet word with Monk, the managing director of the National Theatre.
Sir Humphrey dines with Monk, who wishes to know the amount of the grant. Sir Humphrey refuses to disclose it in advance but manages to reveal it by strategically moving quantities of breadsticks around the table. This equates to only £1.5 million for the National Theatre from only £6 million for the Arts Council as a whole. Monk is exasperated and asks for Sir Humphrey's help. The mandarin responds that he is there to represent the PM's interests and that there are certain things that could upset him. Sir Humphrey goes into great detail, lest they should be referred to "by mistake" in Monk's speech — and he is only too pleased to make a note of them.
Hacker hosts a large cocktail party at 10 Downing Street
10 Downing Street
10 Downing Street, colloquially known in the United Kingdom as "Number 10", is the headquarters of Her Majesty's Government and the official residence and office of the First Lord of the Treasury, who is now always the Prime Minister....
in the hope of gaining some support. His Minister for the Arts
Minister for the Arts
In the United Kingdom government, the Minister for the Arts is a ministerial post, usually a low to middle-ranking minister to the much senior Secretary of State, who runs the entire department and is ultimately responsibility for the department's brief....
advises him to increase the grant, but the PM is against it. Meanwhile, Simon Monk is with Sir Humphrey, wondering if he ought not to wait for the amount to be published before lobbying Hacker. The Cabinet Secretary advises the opposite: if the figure is published, the government would be committed to it and could not change it thereafter. The PM finds himself cornered by a group of guests, who waste no time in politely quizzing him on his theatrical knowledge (or lack of it). Bernard
Bernard Woolley
Sir Bernard Woolley GCB is one of the three main fictional characters of the 1980s British sitcom Yes Minister and its sequel, Yes, Prime Minister. He was portrayed by Derek Fowlds.-Character:...
spots that Hacker is besieged and Sir Humphrey steps in to rescue him. He introduces the PM to Simon Monk, who takes the opportunity to state his intentions regarding the awards dinner. He lists examples of wasteful government expenditure that he will refer to in a humorous vein in his speech if his grant is not increased.
Hacker meets with Bernard and his political advisor, Dorothy Wainwright, to try and find a solution. The latter suggests calling Monk's bluff and selling the site of the National Theatre on London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
's South Bank
South Bank
South Bank is an area of London, England located immediately adjacent to the south side of the River Thames. It forms a long and narrow section of riverside development that is within the London Borough of Lambeth to the border with the London Borough of Southwark and was formerly simply known as...
, on the grounds that nearly half of its annual grant is spent on the upkeep of the buildings. This would release finance to be spent on productions that could then be staged all over Britain, thus making it a truly National Theatre, Monk himself having claimed that theatre should be "about plays and actors not about bricks and mortar". Hacker is delighted with this idea and gloats that They wouldn't be able to call me the Philistine in 10 Downing Street, then, on which claim Dorothy Wainwright observes that it would also be necessary that they not have met him.
At the awards dinner, Hacker uses Dorothy's advice as a veiled threat to Monk if he continues with his planned speech. Monk is incensed as he feels there must be a base for the National Theatre. Sir Humphrey calls the whole thing "barbarism", but the PM knows that since he is making his own speech after Monk's, he can choose to refer to the scheme or not according to what Monk has to say to the audience.
The awards dinner goes ahead, and Monk refrains from criticising Hacker, instead expressing his gratitude for such a grant at a time of "national stringency". He then proposes a toast to the Patron of the Arts, the Prime Minister, who subsequently tears up the offer from the developers for the site.
Episode cast
| Actor | Role |
|---|---|
| Paul Eddington Paul Eddington Paul Eddington CBE was an English actor best known for his appearances in popular television sitcoms of the 1970s and 80s: The Good Life, Yes Minister and Yes, Prime Minister.-Early life:... |
Jim Hacker |
| Nigel Hawthorne Nigel Hawthorne Sir Nigel Barnard Hawthorne, CBE was an English actor, perhaps best remembered for his role as Sir Humphrey Appleby, the Permanent Secretary in the 1980s sitcom Yes Minister and the Cabinet Secretary in its sequel, Yes, Prime Minister. For this role he won four BAFTA Awards during the 1980s in the... |
Sir Humphrey Appleby |
| Derek Fowlds Derek Fowlds Derek Fowlds is an English actor, known for playing Bernard Woolley in popular British television comedies Yes, Minister and Yes, Prime Minister and Oscar Blaketon in the long-running ITV police drama Heartbeat.... |
Bernard Woolley |
| John Bird John Bird (actor) John Bird is an English satirist, actor and comedian.-Early life:Born in Bulwell, Nottingham, England, and educated at High Pavement Grammar School, Nottingham, Bird briefly joined the Socialist Party of Great Britain, while still at school... |
Simon Monk |
| Deborah Norton Deborah Norton Deborah Norton is an English actress best known for her appearances in Yes, Prime Minister and A Bit of Fry and Laurie.- Personal life :... |
Dorothy Wainwright |
| Antony Carrick | Bill Pritchard |
| Diana Hoddinott Diana Hoddinott Diana Hoddinott is an English actress. She was born to Winifred Doris, née Dibble and Alan Hoddinott , who married in 1934 in Langport.... |
Annie Hacker |
| Geoffrey Beevers Geoffrey Beevers Geoffrey Beevers is a British actor who has appeared in many different television roles.Beevers has worked extensively at the Orange Tree Theatre in Richmond upon Thames, both as an actor ; and as an adaptor/director of George Eliot's novel Adam Bede , for which he won a Time Out Award, and Balzac's... |
Minister for the Arts |
| Martin Milman | Party Guest |
| Myfanwy Talog Myfanwy Talog Myfanwy Talog was a Welsh actress, best known to the media as the long-term partner of Sir David Jason.-Personal life:... |
Party Guest |
| David Rose | Party Guest |