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I Could Run This Country

 
Elanor Parker Review by Elanor Parker 3 Published: 19 May 2026 Comedy at the Caxton Show Dates: 15 May 2026-17 May 2026

Deciding to book a politically themed comedy show during Brighton Fringe is a safe bet. After all, there’s always something to poke fun at. However, Charlotte Madden — host of I Could Run This Country! — could hardly have hoped for a better week of political turmoil as the country reels from the fallout after divisive local and devolved election results and leadership debates. After all, everyone is comfortable being a backseat driver when it comes to what the government should do, but if they had to take the reins, would it really be so easy?

A show that is sure to win your vote

Tonight’s guest comedians — sorry, politicians — are Harrison Thomas, leader of the AAAAH party; Jade Gebbie, head of the People Pleasing party; and Joe Williams, who was voted this evening’s PM, as leader of the F.A.G.S. party. Each dressed in party rosettes, they take to the (invisible) lectern to give their party political broadcasts, debate political scenarios ranging from potholes to the ridiculous 'we've discovered that football is made up', as well as answer audience questions in the carefully named ‘Query Time’ segment.

Each of the comedians brings a well-defined character to the table. Thomas is Boris Johnson-esque: silver-tongued, but barking mad, with wild hair and eyes to match. His speech takes a turn for the surreal. One of his proposed policies, designed to stop the fear of our trousers falling down, suggests that after banning trousers we’ll be assigned a genital obscuring device at 18, only for its removal to later ‘become an emotional part of the funeral process’.

Gebbie is a flip-flopping people pleaser, dressed in bright yellow dungarees and a purple rosette, accidentally cosplaying as a UKIP candidate. Her choice of character is a clever strategy as it means she gets the most sparring time with the audience as she seeks — and very often wins — their validation.

Williams dispenses with policies — his argument being that they ‘sound too much like police’ — and instead adopts a manifesto of ‘false promises’ inspired by his exes that includes public holidays on the birthdays of gay icons such as Cher and Cilla Black.

The overall premise is somewhat confused; although billed as an opportunity for the audience to get involved in political situations, there isn’t actually much space for audience interaction. Paddles with instructions are left on seats and audience members are requested to lift them at any point, prompting the performer to make left-field arguments, right hook swings, and U-turns.

The scripted speeches are very funny, but as with all improv, the quality of the unscripted segments varies. Of course, when a sharp line or witty point of view is delivered, it receives extra hearty laughs to reward the successful spontaneity. Madden is a generous host, allowing her guest stars to take most of the spotlight. Her character could have been bigger and bolder in order to give the conversation a firmer steer. After all, besides one question from the audience asking Thomas if he’d take part in a Manchester mayoral election, the format didn’t take full advantage of the external political chaos that is so ripe to be satirised. The paddles also meant that the pacing of the show was patchy, with paddles deployed left, right, and centre. Performers were sometimes disrupted midflow before reaching a punchline and other times were left floundering when paddles and inspiration ran dry.

With some polishing, this could be a format that runs and runs. Certainly, if all the performers are as good as Madden and her guest stars were this evening, this is a show that is sure to win your vote.

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The Blurb:

New for Brighton Fringe 2026, join our host Charlotte Madden and a panel of hilarious comedians for a chaotic hour of political decision making. Ever thought you could run the country better than our government? Well join us to find out. This is a high energy, chaotic hour where the audience gets involved in solving political situations so unbelievable they might be real. Come join the (political) party.