Stewart Lee is feeling chatty. It’s notable that Lee, famous for his deadpan, languid delivery, is smiling much more these days. That may have something to do with him being a new father, or, perhaps he’s feeling more comfortable in his clown shoes, having been placed at No. 41 in Channel 4’s 100 Greatest Comedians Of All Time poll.
Despite a relentless mocking of the ridiculousness of lists like this, Lee has chosen to embrace it as fact, while at the same time putting a gentle two fingers up to his quilt-loving mum who prefers cruise ship gag merchants.
He uses the conceit to question approval, why it matters and from whom we should seek it.
Lee’s obviously sore that he was commissioned by BBC 2 out of nowhere, only to be dropped equally out of the blue, but any bitterness is so deftly delivered that he never endangers his top bloke persona.
No one matches Lee’s powers of comic deconstruction and the only thing that stops him getting five stars is that 90s Comedian from 2005 was better.
Until Aug 27 (not 15), Udderbelly’s Pasture (V300), 7.30pm. www.udderbelly.co.uk
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Neolab, Guardian.co.uk
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Dave Wilson, Chortle.com
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Al Murray, Comedian
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Anon, BBC Complaints Log
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Richard Herring, Comedian
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BBC iPlayer edition of discussion of Stewart Lee on A Good Read
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Karen Laidlaw, Edfringe. com.
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NevW47479, UKTV.co.uk
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Esme Folley, Actress, cellist, Twitter
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Anon, dontstartmeoff.com
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Gmanthedemon, bbc.co.uk
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Joycey, readytogo.net
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Gabrielle, Chortle.com
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Dominic Cavendish, Daily Telegraph
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Johnny Kitkat, dontstartmeoff.com
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James Dellingpole, Daily Telegraph
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Brighton Argus
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Deepbass, Guardian.co.uk
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Alex Quarmby, Edfringe.com
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Neva2busy, dontstartmeoff.com
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Dahoum, Guardian.co.uk
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Genghis McKahn, Guardian.co.uk
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Patrick Kavanagh, Guardian.co.uk
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Borathigh5, Youtube
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Joe, Independent.co.uk