The Kite Festival of “music and ideas” has announced a bizarre summer line-up including Nineties band Suede and former PM Sir John Major. Bands such as Hot Chip and the Pretenders will also be alternating appearances with Tony Blair’s former spin doctor Alastair Campbell and the shadow chancellor, Rachel Reeves.
The festival, organised by Tortoise Media, has been dubbed “Glastonbury for centrist dads” by some. “Centrist dads” is shorthand for middle-aged men who yearn for a return to the era of Britpop and consensus politics. (Of course there is already a Glastonbury for centrist dads: it is called Glastonbury.)
They’re a lucrative market. The Rest Is Politics, the centrist dad podcast hosted by Campbell, left, and former Tory MP Rory Stewart, tops the audio charts and holds sell-out live events. We hope centrist mums get a look-in before tickets, priced around £170, sell out.
Boris and Trump make their West End debut (in puppet form)
Spitting Image is coming to the West End in the form of a musical. The puppet show’s impressionist maestro Matt Forde tells us he is currently mastering the singing voices of Donald Trump (“Does he sing in the shower?”) and Boris Johnson (“bawdy rugby songs”).
Forde, who also hosts interview podcast The Political Party, says “sitting opposite someone and interviewing them for an hour means you get to see them up close and notice all their movements — you’re getting their voice and mannerisms aimed directly at you. I interviewed Sir Keir Starmer recently and my version of him has definitely improved since!”
Pondering which politicians might get tickets for the show, which opens in May, Forde says: “The ones who star in the show will probably have mixed feelings. Having a Spitting Image puppet is proof you’ve arrived, but then you’ve got to sit in a theatre and hear everyone laughing at you. It’s Spitting Image so well as being silly and rude, it’s also brutal in places. I guess those truly capable of laughing at themselves should come, those who can’t should absolutely stay away.”
Dame Judi Dench is ready for coronation celebrations
Dame Judi Dench is in high spirits ahead of the Coronation in May. “It should be a time, I think, for celebration,” she says. Before the big day Dame Judi, right, will be supporting the Coronation Champion Awards, which recognise the work of volunteers across the country. “It’s wonderful the work that young people are doing,” she says. “We should be celebrating at the same time as we have a new king.”
Charities sure are cross with William Shawcross
The Government has been told by 200 charities and community groups to withdraw its review of the Prevent counter-terror scheme. Why the fuss? Though described as independent, its author, William Shawcross, has close ties to the Tories and his findings have been described by opponents as “ideologically motivated”. He once headed a Right-wing think-tank and his daughter Eleanor is a top adviser to Rishi Sunak. Small world.
A toast to the birthday hosts
West End star Beverley Knight and art director Kim Sion hosted their birthdays last night, though not together. Sion partied with husband Jarvis Cocker at Tramp, while Knight posed and performed at Lafayette. Louise Redknapp was among the guests at Knight’s bash. Across town, actors Chris Pine and Regé-Jean Page attended the Dungeons & Dragons premiere afterparty, while singer-songwriter Griff was at The British Museum for the Succession premiere.
