The left/right divide is no longer a useful guide to interpreting modern Britain, Matt Forde tells us in Brexit Through the Gift Shop. The new distinction is: “Are you mad or not?” No guessing on which side of that divide Forde situates himself: the Unspun man is the least mad comedian imaginable, a rational surveyor of the political scene, impugning the sanity of everyone less sensible than he is.
The times, obviously, give him plenty of ammunition. Karen Bradley’s ignorance of Northern Ireland; Boris Johnson’s London-boroughs analogy for the Irish border issue – yes, these bespeak a deranged political moment. They’re also very well worn, comedically speaking. But this is Forde’s raw material, the stuff of the headlines: Dominic Raab’s Dover gaffe; Labour’s summer festival flop. Often, his jokes and his mimicry are very funny – when addressing Kate Osamor’s plagiarised speech, say, or the possibility of a 21st-century general strike. He’s good at illuminating policy by analogy, recasting Corbyn’s stance on Brexit as a visit to a cosmetic surgeon.
The Labour leader fares worse elsewhere, as Forde addresses antisemitism, branding Corbyn uniquely prejudiced in the pantheon of British political leaders. “This is a show for anyone,” Forde joked earlier, “as long as you agree” – and there are moments when his centrist assumptions grate. Everyone else’s arguments are wheedling or disingenuous – the Scottish independence campaign’s in particular. Forde’s opinions, meanwhile – backed up with windy phrases like “academics all say” – are offered as common sense.
But at least he’s got opinions, and a wealth of information about UK politics and the Brexit moment. Other political comics may be wilder (Nish Kumar), more radical (Mark Thomas), or more self-aware (Bridget Christie), but if you’re looking for urbane and accomplished current-affairs standup, and Radio 4’s on the blink, this is the show for you.
• At Camberley theatre, Surrey, on 1 February; then touring.
