This was an interesting gig in numerous ways. The venue was packed, but not with hardcore comedy fans. Several seats were filled by workers from Westminster. Matt Forde’s monthly club features stand-up alongside interviews with heavyweight politicians — and we mean heavyweight. Tony Blair has pitched up with his security team.
Last night’s booking was less major but still intriguing. Jacob Rees-Mogg was as engaging as one would expect for anyone who has seen this Savile Row-suited Tory MP on television. Honest, if shrewd enough not to give too much away.
Before the serious stuff came the laughs. Forde’s opening monologue was peppered with topical quips. After skewering Iain Duncan Smith he homed in on Education Secretary Nicky Morgan being heckled by teachers and wondered why she did not say: “It’s your own time you are wasting.” After the interval Forde was joined by Rees-Mogg, who argued against the sugar tax and said that Brexit means retaining the benefits of trade with Europe with none of the negatives. This seemed too much for one audience member, whose snores could hilariously be heard on-stage. The miscreant woke and explained he had just returned from Moscow.
When asked about the next Tory leader, Forde’s guest was playfully illuminating. George Osborne may have been a front-runner before the budget, perhaps not now. Boris Johnson is “an extremely attractive character” though, he added: “It is never the person you most expect.”
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The only thing holding this show back was a whiff of identity crisis. Plenty of humour in the first half, not quite as much during the interview.
A curious night, but like Rees-Mogg, never dull.
The next show is on April 27 (0844 264 2140, mattforde.com)
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