Review: THE REST IS POLITICS LIVE, Royal Albert Hall

 

 

If you have a passing interest in podcasts then you will have heard of The Rest Is Politics, the wildly successful podcast featuring the unlikely duo of ex-MP Rory Stewart and New Labour spin-doctor Alistair Campbell. The show only began in March this year, so it is testament to its popularity that a show like this can sell out in a matter of moments.

The show regularly tops the download chart and so it must have been logical for the show to dip its toe into the world of live shows. After appearing at the Winter Gardens in Blackpool, it seems that London was calling.

For those expecting much of a deviation from the podcast will have been disappointed; the first half featured discussions about Russia, the problems with the current political system and how the podcast came to be. The second half was an entertaining question and answer section, with questions submitted by the audience.

The show was billed as an end-of year round-up, and gave a passing mention to Sue Grey, Chris Pincher, Johnson's resignation, Liz Truss and Rishi Sunak in a VT piece, but it felt more could have been done with this theme.

For regular listeners, who must have made up most of the audience, several stories were re-told, such as Tony Blair's terrible choice of coat when he met with President Putin and Stewart's opinion of having both Boris Johnson and Liz Truss as his boss. It seemed a shame that we weren't treated to anything that felt really exclusive to a live show, except a few VT injects.

However, fans will not care; the pair were cheered on by an enthusiastic crowd who whooped and applauded at Campbell decrying Brexit and Eton and for declaring the country to be broken, as he does in nearly every episode. Regular listeners will know of Stewart's inclination to call everything "extraordinary" and were not left wanting here.

The pair make a point of covering news and politics, both domestic and abroad, and were as natural on stage as they are in their podcast. Both men have worked at the heart of government, are erudite, well-informed and make something of an art of disagreeing agreeably.

Contrast is vital in podcasts; there is little more tedious than two people agreeing with each other about every subject. There is no doubt this is an odd coupling, (Campbell mentioned that the initial suggestion was that he partnered up with Dominic Cummings) but it really does work. There were some tasty jibes from Campbell saying Stewart lacked "killer instinct" as an MP and Stewart questioning Stewart's odd affection for his old boss Robert Maxwell. Most content was more agreeable discussion and very slickly produced it was too.

The chemistry between the two men really works and the show felt like a natural extension of the podcast. This is thoughtful discussion, occasionally very funny and certainly appeals to a crowd who tended to share Campbell's politics.

Parent company Goalhanger, formed by former England striker Gary Lineker, Tony Pastor and former BBC podcast executive Jack Davenport, produce a growing number of very successful podcasts such as The Rest Is History, and Match of the Day: Top Ten. To give an idea of the reach of these programmes: along with The Rest Is Politics, these three shows have collective monthly downloads of around 5 million.

There is a reason why podcasts have exploded in popularity in the past few years: you can do something else at the same time. If a little more interaction and new content were added, the show would feel less like a recording and more like a dynamic, live stage show.

The Rest Is Politics Live will be at the London Palladium on 21 and 22 March 2023

Photo Credit: Jamie Lucas

 

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