one4review | On 14, Aug 2024

Matt Forde has for years now always been a top-rated political comedian, who wickedly observes, mimics and definitely satirises every colour of the political spectrum both home and abroad. Of course recently there has been a surfeit of potential victims to come under his microscope it must be hard to decide which not to do within his tight hour.
Since last Fringe, Forde has been diagnosed with spinal cancer, surgery that has left him with life changing results, he now uses a walking stick on stage, but while opening with the story, does not make the show all about the situation he finds himself in. no, there have been other changes, this time politically and he is on it.
His uncannily accurate impressions of major political players is if anything better than ever. Obvious targets such as Bo Jo, Blair, Sunak rub shoulders with Starmer, Angela Rayner, speaker Lindsay Hoyle, Ed Miliband, Rees-Mogg are there, obviously, but George Galloway, Lee Anderson and the inevitable Nigel Farage all come in for the Forde treatment as well
And he doesn’t miss other nations too. John Swinney is frighteningly accurately lampooned, Sturgeon gets a mention, but possibly the biggest crowd pleaser was when he crossed the Atlantic and got stuck into his Trump material, which brought the house down.
Drawing the hilarity to a conclusion Matt returns briefly to his treatment thanking the NHS care for not only saving his life, but enabling him to return to the stage once more, a sentiment the whole audience would agree with.
*****
Reviewed by Geoff
Pleasance Beyond
20.00 to 21.00
Until 25th August