For one night only the people of Bristol were granted an audience with top spin-doctor and former Prime Minister’s aid Alastair Campbell. This exciting event gave Bristolians the opportunity not only listen to Campbell’s anecdotes but to put their questions to the former journalist who has been so influential in the running of our country.

The audience was a delightful mix - those with strong political views on local governments, weapons of mass destruction, the war in Iraq and George Bush - others there for an unusual and compelling evening out. All still seemed to have their own burning questions such as what Alastair’s beauty routine is and if his early routes in journalism writing about sex were based on personal experience!

I am of no political persuasion, if I’m honest I don’t really care about politics, yes I know they govern me and my life, but I have no strong view either way. But Campbell being the fantastic promoter for the Labour Party made me leave thinking for the first time about politics and how I can get involved, what I should think about…he made politics not only accessible and entertaining but interesting.  

How exactly does he do this? His show is structured in a simple yet effective formula. Joining him was Kwame Kwei Armagh from Casualty and Celebrity Fame Academy (and no he didn’t sing!) as chairman. Kwame’s job was to pick out people to ask questions and to keep things running -  and boy did he do well. Not only did he put up a fight with Alistair against some roudy audience members who were determined to have there view heard, but Kwame also showed his intellectual views on world affairs and politics as he butted in and put some taxing questions to Campbell, which the audience applauded. He was the perfect chairman, keeping the audience in tow, appealing and personable…just like Mr Campbell himself!

A hugely fascinating man who was likeable and charming, no matter what you think of him, if you are a Daily Mail reader then you’ll think he’s the devil, a Labour Party member then you’ll think he’s God, or if you don’t really care, you can’t help but like and admire Alastair. His anecdotes during the first act were not only humorous giving you a fascinating insight into his life and the workings of the Labour Party but they also really got you thinking about him as a man, no matter what the press has said and no matter what he now thinks of journalists…by the way he doesn’t like the Daily Mail although you’d have never guessed it with the hundreds of scathing remarks towards them in the show!!

The second act formed a Q&A session, with Alastair handing out his own t-shirts from marathons he has run to raise money for Leukaemia Research. People had the chance to question the man on anything and everything, he answered every question like the world’s greatest politician, you could see glimmers of Tony Blair in his style but to be fair he answered with conviction, integrity, truth and showed he really cared about what you thought. He is a passionate speaker who engages the audience on a level which really does make politics something real, something attractive and something, which seems like whole load of fun. Throughout the show he kept getting messages from his son to tell him the Burnley score, the football team he is fanatical about. This touch of real life, reminded you that this is just a man, like you, like me, like your father that made him all the more charming.

The slight downsides to the evening were a few audience members who wanted their say a bit too much, but of course the man who has been interviewed so many times had no trouble in handling them. During the first act the house lights stayed up, which made it rather distracting for audience members and the show could have done with a bit more theatrics. After all this isn’t a political debate, it’s an entertaining evening out in a theatre.  

That said I left feeling invigorated by politics, and the audience surly agreed that this is one hell of an interesting and entertaining evening out. Catch it if you can.

By the way final score, Burnley 2, Wimbledon 0….. Alastair Campbell 2, Bristol Audience 0. He’s a winner all the way!

4 out of 5

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