Matt Forde Adds Kemi Badenoch and Michael Gove to West End Political Party Residency Line-up

Hot on the heels of announcing his return to the West End stage with his acclaimed Political Party, Matt Forde adds Kemi Badenoch and Michael Gove to the guest line-up for the residency, which opened to a packed house this week with the Chancellor Rachel Reeves. Badenoch and Gove join a previously announced heavyweight political line-up that continues with Alastair Campbell, Anthony Scaramucci and Wes Streeting.

On the 9th June, Matt is joined by Kemi Badenoch, Leader of the Conservative Party and the first ever black leader of any major UK political party. Known for her no-nonsense leadership style, Kemi is a unique politician who’s led a fascinating life. Having served as Business Secretary under Rishi Sunak and International Trade Secretary under Liz Truss, she has been at the top of recent Conservative politics and has a unique perspective on the challenges facing both government and opposition. She’ll also be outlining her plans to defeat both Labour and Reform at the next general election.

On the 14th  July, Matt will sit down with Michael Gove, former Housing Secretary to Rishi Sunak, and a prominent figure in British politics for decades. A transformational Education Secretary, he was always prepared to think the unthinkable. As was his then trusted advisor, Dominic Cummings. As well as reminiscing about his time in government and of running Vote Leave with his frenemy Boris Johnson, Michael will also give his assessment on the state of right-wing politics. As editor of The Spectator he still plays an active role in shaping opinion on the right. What’s his assessment of how well Reform can do? And can the Tory Party survive?

These guests join a lineup of previously announced figures, including:

On the 10th March, Matt will sit down with Alastair Campbell, former Communications Director to Tony Blair and a central figure in British politics for decades. With a wealth of experience navigating the corridors of power and bold views on both domestic and international issues, Campbell always delivers a lively evening.

On the 31st March, Matt talks to Anthony Scaramucci, whose brief but high-profile tenure as White House Communications Director catapulted him into the global spotlight. Known for his outspoken personality and unique perspective on American politics, Scaramucci offers a fascinating contrast to traditional political discourse.

On the 12th May, Matt speaks to Wes Streeting, the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care. As a key figure in the Labour government, Streeting has been at the forefront of tackling the NHS crisis and implementing ambitious healthcare reforms. Known for his pragmatic approach and direct communication style, he is set to offer a unique perspective on the challenges facing the UK's health system and the wider political landscape.

The Political Party transferred to the West End's Duchess Theatre in 2021, after over 70 sold out shows at Westminster's The Other Palace, for a thrice extended fortnightly residency. He has brought Parliament to life with his stand-up and debate with some of politics' most powerful figures including Keir Starmer, Nicola Sturgeon, Tony Blair, Eddie Izzard, Jacob Rees-Mogg, Angela Rayner, Michael Heseltine, Anthony Scaramucci, Alastair Campbell, Gordon Brown and Gary Neville. The Political Party has over 11 million downloads, received numerous nominations from award bodies including the British Podcast Awards and Chortle Awards, and is regularly highlighted as a top podcast pick in the press.

After enduring what he thought was sciatica during the 2023 Edinburgh Festival Fringe, Matt was diagnosed with cancer. A few weeks later he was having the base of his spine removed. Learning to walk again last year, Matt returned to work on his acclaimed Political Party (remotely), British Scandal and Down The Dog podcasts, alongside hosting Absolute Radio's Rock 'n' Roll Football Show. Following his triumphant return to the Edinburgh Festival Fringe with The End of An Era Tour, heralded as the best-reviewed comedy show out of 1,638 by the British Comedy Guide, Matt is now on his biggest tour to date, which will culminate in his fourth London performance at the Bloomsbury Theatre on Friday 4th April.

Matt wrote and voiced characters for Spitting Image (BritBox/ITV) including Boris Johnson, Keir Starmer and Donald Trump. Spitting Image delivered record subscribers for BritBox UK, the BBC and ITV created streaming platform, as well as picking up huge critical acclaim. Across official social media channels, series content has been hugely popular with over 200 million views globally, three No. 1 trending videos on YouTube and achieved praise across political the political divide.

Idiots Assemble: Spitting Image The Musical, written by a tour de force comedy team made up of Forde, Al Murray and Sean Foley, transferred to the West End's Phoenix Theatre last year. Described by The Daily Telegraph as a five star "Lavish extravaganza" and "dazzling ...a stunning technical achievement" by The Times, the musical introduced by Master of Ceremonies Sir Ian McKellen, featured a stellar line-up of over 100 puppets of the great and the not so good.

In 2019 alone, Matt hosted the Alternative News Desk for Channel 4's election night coverage, chaired the One Nation Conservative leadership hustings and debated Britain's withdrawal from the EU with Tony Blair for the Institute of Global Change.

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