Smart political satire from the nicest man in comedy
Matt Forde is one of the UK’s foremost political satirists, with his podcast recording live throughout the Edinburgh festival. This latest stand-up hour taking in the state of British politics has plenty to get its teeth into: yet another new prime minister; Nigel Farage on the ropes; and Trump continuing to make headlines that seemed unimaginable only a decade ago. With his characteristic intelligence and ability to see the bigger picture, Forde skewers today’s political news, asking: what planet are these politicians from?
Project Holy Moly feels bang up to date, opening with a polished 20 minutes on Andy Burnham. Forde notices him forever asking questions of himself (“We need to increase productivity. Don’t we?” and similar), and distinguishes a dramatic Blair pause from Andy’s flinching, insecure facsimile.
Forde backs these discussions with genuine political analysis, rewarding the audience not just with laughs but also insight. The “Number 10 of the North” is recognised as both gesture and symbol, but no less important for that. He argues that we’re currently in our clubcard era for Burnham – receiving lots of exciting offers without having to pay the price. At times, Forde could afford to be more unsparing in his takedowns: anyone coming in already fed up with the state of politics is unlikely to be converted.
Alongside his dissections, Forde offers an outstanding range of impressions. They are always in service of a punchline, rather than being the joke themselves. His Donald Trump in particular has the intonation and rhythm down pat, and it’s easy to find opportunities to use it. A highlight is an imagined interaction between Angela Rayner and the MAGA chief himself. Ed Miliband, Nicola Sturgeon, and Lee Anderson also are impersonated excellently. Forde shows some vulnerability here, opening up his initial uncertainty at impersonating a black woman in Kemi Badenoch.
This is the first of several more personal moments across the hour. By way of an analogy about the SNP’s governance through hope, Forde also provides an update on his cancer journey. This very funny routine – he’s recently had surgery to relieve stress incontinence – also provides a strong callback to bring the show to a close. Perhaps unsurprisingly following the World Cup, Forde’s love of football gets a few minutes as well, delivering jokes that this non-fan could follow.
In many ways, Project Holy Moly confirms Forde as the BBC of stand-ups: he informs his audience about what’s happening, educates them in how to think about it in the bigger picture, and entertains them with impressively intelligent punchlines. Also like the BBC, a bit more fire in his belly might just do him the world of good.
Show Listing: https://www.edfringe.com/tickets/whats-on/matt-forde-project-holy-moly
LISTINGS INFORMATION
Venue: Beyond, Pleasance Courtyard
Dates: Aug 5th–30th
Time: 20:00 (60 mins)
Ticket prices: £18.50–£21.50 / concessions £17.50–£20.50
Fringe box office: 0131 226 0000 / www.edfringe.com
Suitable for 14+