It's time for my review of The Political Party.
"Matt Forde (Spitting Image, Have I Got News For You, The Royal Variety Performance, Mock the Week and Question Time) brings his hugely successful ‘Political Party’ night to London’s West End. The Political Party has sold out every show at The Other Palace theatre since 2013 and comes to The Garrick (24 & 25 May) and Vaudeville Theatres (2 June) for a special run of shows. Matt will be joined by a series of political heavyweights, including the Leader of the Opposition, for this strictly limited West End run."
The Political Party is hosted by Matt Forde, an English impressionist and television writer that many will know for his recent performances in the revival of Spitting Image. Whilst I was already aware that Forde was a skilled impressionist, I was most impressed with his hosting skills. He was extremely charismatic, and his comedic abilities were second to none. Throughout the evening, Forde hilariously poked fun at both sides of the political spectrum, telling jokes that found fault with both major parties. Beyond this, he is a talented interviewer, and was noticeably gifted at making his guests feel at ease. The conversational nature of the night helped to ensure that the answers given were truthful, which in turn helps the audience to gain a glimpse into the real personalities behind these big political figures. Forde seemed to enjoy good banter with both guests, and there was never any sign of bias. It really seemed that both he and the politicians were enjoying themselves, which helped make the show all the more entertaining. In addition to this, it should go without saying that Forde's impressionist skills were in fact excellent. In particular, his impression of Boris Johnson is hysterical; it may very well be the most accurate Johnson impression that I have heard to date. He is also rather skilled at impersonating Keir Starmer, and it was a treat to see him do the impression in front of the man himself.
At the performance I attended, the first guest to be interviewed was Conservative politician Andrea Leadsom. Leadsom served as Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy from 2019 to 2020, and has served as Member of Parliament for South Northamptonshire since 2010. Beyond that, she has twice run to become Leader of the Conservative Party, in 2016 and 2019. Rather interestingly, she wasn't necessarily what I had expected, and was a lot more entertaining than I had initially imagined. Regardless of how one views her ideological leanings, her love for politics was truly admirable. It was easy to tell that she thoroughly enjoys her occupation, and is extremely devoted to a career in politcs. She also had some very interesting stories to tell, particularly in relation to the two leadership contests. I particularly enjoyed Leadsom's summary of the 2019 leadership election, and it was fascinating to hear that sexism may have played a role in the downfall of her campaign. Leadsom notes that one Conservative colleague claimed that they were weary of choosing another female leader in the aftermath of Theresa May's premiership; an assertion which highlights that we still have a long way to go when it comes to gender equality in the world of politics.
The second guest was Labour politician and former lawyer Keir Starmer. Starmer has served as Leader of the Labour Party and Leader of the Opposition since 2020, and has been a Member of Parliament for Holborn and St Pancras since 2015. Similarly to Leadsom, Starmer's personality was quite different to what I had first envisaged. He was a lot less serious than he comes across in the media, and seemed to really enjoy his time at The Political Party. It is entirely possible that Starmer could one day be our next Prime Minister, so it was riveting to hear his thoughts and feelings on the current political scene. In particular, I enjoyed hearing his strategy for leading the Labour Party to success at the next general election. He claimed that he was keen to break away from traditional left and right categorisations, and instead wanted the party's message to focus on taking the country forward. This mindset felt very similar to that of former Prime Minister Tony Blair, which should come as no surprise considering that Starmer asserts that the two of them have often been in touch. He also had some very funny anecdotes to share about Prime Minister's Questions, and gave the audience a behind the scenes explanation of what it was like to take on Boris Johnson on a weekly basis. It was an excellent interview, and I only hope that we can see more of Starmer's comical side in the coming months.
Now for my final verdict on The Political Party. I give The Political Party...
The Political Party is one of the best nights out at the theatre I have had in quite some time. Every minute of it was utterly fascinating, and it is an event that I will likely remember for years to come.
Agree with my rating? Think it should have got a lower rating? If so comment below.
Thanks for reading!
-The Basic Theatre Reviewer
No comments:
Post a Comment