Nobody is watching the on-going saga of Tony Blair's planned departure from Number 10 closer than Laurence Marks and Maurice Gran.

When the figurehead of New Labour closes the black front door for the last time, the two writers behind The New Statesman will start frantically scribbling rewrites for that night's production of the touring show.

Laurence says: "It happened during the filming of the third series. We were in America when we got a phone call from Rik Mayall saying that it looked like there would be a challenge to (then Prime Minister Margaret) Thatcher.

"The first two episodes of that series had to be re-written when Thatcher stepped down and John Major became Prime Minister."

The New Statesman began with a chance meeting in 1986 between star Rik Mayall, who plays the nefarious MP Alan B'Stard, and the writing team.

After a couple of false starts the trio got together to discuss the creation of a new character for Rik, who was enjoying fame with alternative comedy masterpiece The Young Ones.

Laurence says: "He said, 'I like being really terrible, beating people up, killing people if possible, ruthless people.' One or other of us said: 'So you want to be a Conservative back-bencher then?'"

Mayall's Alan B'Stard got into the Commons with a landslide majority after his two main Tory opponents were involved in a mysterious head-on car crash.

The New Statesman began at a time when the Conservative party and Margaret Thatcher had just won their third election in a row.

Laurence says: "We thought there was only one way for her to go - down."

The historic third term for New Labour was the spur for bringing B'Stard back to public attention after a 13-year gap.

Alan is one of the small group of people who made money on Black Wednesday when the country very nearly went bankrupt.

Realising Labour had no chance of ever winning an election and getting bored with John Major, Alan decides to start New Labour with his cash windfall and install a smiling ex-pop star called Blair as its figurehead.

Alan lives at Number Nine Downing Street, exerting total control over what goes on, including hiding Saddam's weapons of mass destruction so no-one else can find them. But it doesn't stop him being probably the most popular politician New Labour has at the moment.

Laurence says: "One thing that B'Stard isn't is a hypocrite. He may be evil, but if he murders someone he will tell you about it and there is always a reason for him doing it. He wouldn't murder a poor person because it's hardly worth the bother!"

Laurence and writing partner Gran are keeping the show topical with regular weekly updates, meaning it will be different from the show that opened here last year.

Laurence says: "It is a slightly different plot, the people who went to see it last year won't be seeing the same play."

There are talks now of planting The New Statesman in the West End.

"ITV would love us to bring it back but stage is where it belongs now."

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