Mhairi Black: Politics Isn’t for Me – Gilded Ballon

This show is an absolute joy. Tumultuous applause greets Mhairi Black’s entrance. From then until the show ends 70 minutes later, she captivates the audience with her humour, insights and brilliant storytelling. Unsurprisingly the show’s sold out. Try very hard to get a return for one of the best shows at this year’s Fringe.

It’s now nine years since Mhairi Black became an SNP MP, overturning a huge Labour majority. Black was part of the SNP landslide in 2015 when the party won 56 of the 59 Scottish seats at the General Election. Aged only 20, she became the youngest MP since the early 1800s. Still a student at Glasgow University, Black took her final exam after the election, gaining a first-class honours degree in Politics. An impressive speaker, she became deputy leader of the SNP at Westminster, but decided to step down as an MP at this year’s General Election, slamming the ‘toxic’ environment at Westminster.

Black’s father-in-law suggested the show, saying that we all like ‘curtain twitching’. She offers a peep behind the curtains at Westminster. But it’s not just about strange happenings at the ‘Palace of Varieties’ aka Westminster. Black also tells us a lot about her family, friends, colleagues and herself.

Her brother has a mischievous sense of humour. Black was once approached by cyber security people saying her wikipedia page was under attack. It turned out it was her brother. His milder inventions had included a claim that she had a collection of antique candle holders. Sometimes the claims were more outrageous.

Black says she doesn’t think of herself as a nationalist. She’s not one of those people who goes around reenacting the Battle of Bannockburn. She supports Scottish Independence because she wants Scotland to be a progressive, socialist republic.

She shows us photos of herself as a child, always looking animated. She often wore a kilt (including to communion) and we see photos of her as a toddler waving the satire. But jokingly Black reiterates “I’m not a nationalist”.

You will enjoy the show whether or not you’re interested in politics. And it doesn’t matter whether you agree or disagree with Black’s politics.

Unlike many politicians, Black does not blow her own trumpet and is often self-deprecating. She tells us we might remember her as that young sweary one who likes a drink sometimes.

Black makes frequent use of photos and videos. At one point she shows us a viral clip of her apparently rubbing her gums in the House of Commons. This led to fevered speculation, but Black tells us what she was really doing. And it had nothing to do with cocaine!

Black pokes fun gently at some MPs. Jim Shannon of the DUP congratulated her when she got married even though he’s opposed to equal marriage. Black wondered if he thought she’d married a man.

Black mentions that David Cameron, when asked about the House of Commons, said it was a bit like school. Mhairi said it wasn’t like her school. But when she was invited to give a talk at Eton, she noticed that even the formal clothes worn by the senior boys were similar to those worn by Westminster staff. The Headmaster showed her a painting of a familiar character – Jacob Rees Mogg, aged 15.

Black explains why the Palace of Westminster is not fit for purpose. There aren’t even enough seats in the Commons for the 650 MPs. The voting system is antiquated. It takes 20 minutes for MPs to vote (compared to one minute in the Scottish Parliament). Black has the audience in fits of laughter as she explains some of the shenanigans in the voting lobbies. On one occasion she even found herself sharing a toilet with a female Tory MP. The conversation was rather strained.

Black came to see Westminster as a metaphor for the UK. The building is not fit for purpose and is falling to bits. Black illustrates this by showing us photos including one of a notice pinned to a door saying that “beyond this door the floor is either missing or uneven”.  The building is home to many mice and rats. There are droppings everywhere. We are shown a photo of mice droppings. Black says that anywhere else would have been closed down long ago on health and safety grounds.

Mhairi Black has a low key, chatty style. She’s an astute observer, a brilliant raconteur and very witty. The audience hangs on her every word as she glides from one subject to another.  We’d all love to spend an evening down the pub with Mhairi – even the teetotallers!

Mhairi Black: Politics Isn’t for Me runs until 25th August. Tickets from https://tickets.edfringe.com/whats-on/mhairi-black-politics-isn-t-for-me

Reviewer: Tom Scott

Reviewed: 15th August 2024

North West End UK Rating: