Most comedians who consider themselves dangerous like to make an awful lot of fuss about it. They shout and scream and intimidate the audience with their angry, righteous indignation – after all, that’s what Bill Hicks did (sometimes), and he was damn good. But in life, the most dangerous things don’t telegraph themselves, their stealth being the most lethal of their weapons.
Which is where Stewart Lee comes in.
He makes no fuss. He saunters onto the stage, unconcerned about the audience’s presence. He speaks slowly, deliberately, unafraid of pausing, or silence or even appearing vulnerable. Yet under this placid exterior is possibly the most fearless, audacious and challenging comedian working today. He’s unafraid of taking stand-up into seriously uncomfortable areas, compelling the audience to laugh against their basic instincts of decency. Many shock-jock comics claim to say the unsayable, Lee actually delivers, and with a devastating understated style.
Lee, infamously, has been in a lot of hot water this year, not for his stand-up but for Jerry Springer: The Opera. A fun, well-constructed and impressively staged work playing with the ideas of heaven, hell and confessional chat shows. Most who saw it would have seen little to offend, except perhaps the profligate swearing, of which they were warned in advance. But he was persecuted by spiteful Christian organisations, received tens of thousands of death threats and saw a project of which he was proud – and considered theologically sound – evaporate.
This is his considered answer to them. And his response is certainly not to turn the other cheek. Instead, since you might just as well be hanged for a sheep as a lamb, he has produced the most disgustingly blasphemous routine you are likely to encounter, pushing even the most open-minded non-believer’s tolerance to breaking point. The daring is breathtaking as he elicits gales of guilty laughter from an unwilling audience who are surely condemning themselves to hell, too. Lee himself professes to be uneasy in performing this toughest of material, and it’s easy to see why. This is what makes him so astoundingly courageous, because he charges so valiantly beyond any reasonable person’s comfort zone, including his own.
It’s heavyweight stuff. Lee is not your ‘gateway drug’ into comedy, but a crack cocaine of an act for those who find they can no longer get a high from the softer comedy of Peter Kay, most the Jongleurs roster, or Joe Pasquale – Lee’s other bete noire, next to the Christian church. Even the more accessible early routines, before he tackles Jesus, trot through the July 7 bombings and his favourite topic, the death of a much-loved icon (last year, Diana, this year the Pope).
In these, relatively less inflammatory topics, he maintains a keen sense of the absurd, beautifully highlighted by his brilliantly paced delivery, which slowly and subtly peels away new layers of fine material. Among all the talk Lee inevitably attracts for his boundary-pushing content, the point is easily overlooked that his work is also powerfully hilarious – the perfect mix of heavyweight topics, expert timing and fantastic lines proving an irresistible force.
Such a combination is, literally breathtaking.
This is surely the most impressive, intelligent and shockingly funny stand-up on the Fringe, if not the world.
Dominic Cavendish, Daily Telegraph
Dominic Cavendish, Daily Telegraph
Hiewy, Youtube
Hiewy, Youtube
Alex Quarmby, Edfringe.com
Alex Quarmby, Edfringe.com
Aaron, comedy.co.uk
Aaron, comedy.co.uk
Joycey, readytogo.net
Joycey, readytogo.net
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Pudabaya, beexcellenttoeachother.com
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Genghis McKahn, Guardian.co.uk
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Guest1001, Youtube
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Chez, Chortle.com
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Lee Mack, Mack The Life, 2012
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Microcuts 22, Twitter
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Leach Juice, Twitter
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Yukio Mishima, dontstartmeoff.com
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Gmanthedemon, bbc.co.uk
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Richard Herring, Comedian
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Rudeness, Youtube
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Funday’schild, youtube.
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Deepbass, Guardian.co.uk
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Fairy Pingu, Twitter
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Tres Ryan, Twitter
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Mrdavisn01, Twitter
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Neolab, Guardian.co.uk
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Idrie, Youtube
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Dominic Cavendish, Telegraph
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James Dellingpole, Daily Telegraph
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General Lurko 36, Guardian.co.uk
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Contrapuntal, Twitter
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Kozzy06, Youtube
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Anon, dontstartmeoff.com
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FBC, finalgear.com
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Tweeter Kyriakou, Twitter
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Bosco239, youtube
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Iain, eatenbymissionaries
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Henry Howard Fun, Twitter
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Len Firewood, Twitter
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Coxy, Dontstartmeoff.com
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Anon, BBC Complaints Log
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Sam Rooney, Youtube
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Meninblack, Twitter
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Visualiser1, Twitter
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Lancethrustworthy, Youtube
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Stuart, Chortle
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Fowkes81, Twitter
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Cyberbloke, Twitter
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Whoiscuriousgeorge, Youtube
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NevW47479, UKTV.co.uk
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Peter Fears, Twitter
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Z-factor, Twitter.
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Mearecate, Youtube
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Maninabananasuit, Guardian.co.uk
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Ishamayura Byrd, Twitter
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Cojones2, Guardian.co.uk
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Anamatronix, Youtube
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Al Murray, Comedian
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Joskins, Leeds Music Forum
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Patrick Kavanagh, Guardian.co.uk
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Nicetime, Guardian.co.uk
Johnny Kitkat, dontstartmeoff.com
Johnny Kitkat, dontstartmeoff.com
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Carcrazychica, Youtube
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Wharto15, Twitter
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Stokeylitfest, Twitter
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Peter Ould, Youtube
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12dgdgdgdgdgdg, Youtube
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Shit Crit, Twitter
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Sidsings000, Youtube
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Borathigh5, Youtube
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DVDhth's grandparents, Twitter
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Slothy Matt, Twitter
Zombie Hamster, Twitter
Zombie Hamster, Twitter
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Dahoum, Guardian.co.uk
Meanstreetelite, Peoplesrepublicofcork
Meanstreetelite, Peoplesrepublicofcork
Rowing Rob, Guardian.co.uk
Rowing Rob, Guardian.co.uk
Liam Travitt, Twitter
Liam Travitt, Twitter
Pnethor, pne-online.com
Pnethor, pne-online.com
Shane, Beverley, Dailymail.co.uk
Shane, Beverley, Dailymail.co.uk
98rosjon, Twitter
98rosjon, Twitter
Bobby Bhoy, Twitter
Bobby Bhoy, Twitter
Anon, westhamonline.com
Anon, westhamonline.com
Pirate Crocodile, Twitter
Pirate Crocodile, Twitter
Foxfoxton, Youtube
Foxfoxton, Youtube
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Syhr, breakbeat.co.uk
GRTak, finalgear.com
GRTak, finalgear.com
Carla, St Albans, Dailymail.co.uk
Carla, St Albans, Dailymail.co.uk
Keilloh, Twitter
Keilloh, Twitter
Mini-x2, readytogo.net
Mini-x2, readytogo.net
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Guest, Dontstartmeoff.com
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Danazawa, Youtube
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Etienne, Chortle.com
Rubyshoes, Twitter
Rubyshoes, Twitter
Tin Frog, Twitter
Tin Frog, Twitter
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Gwaites, Digitalspy
Emilyistrendy, Youtube
Emilyistrendy, Youtube
Brighton Argus
Brighton Argus
BBC iPlayer edition of discussion of Stewart Lee on A Good Read
BBC iPlayer edition of discussion of Stewart Lee on A Good Read
Frankie Boyle, Comedian
Frankie Boyle, Comedian
John Robins, Comedian
John Robins, Comedian
Karen Laidlaw, Edfringe. com.
Karen Laidlaw, Edfringe. com.
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Birmingham Sunday Mercury
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Lucinda Locketts, Twitter
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Clampdown59, Twitter.
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Gabrielle, Chortle.com
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Sweeping Curves, Twitter
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Neva2busy, dontstartmeoff.com
Brendon, Vauxhallownersnetwork.co.uk
Brendon, Vauxhallownersnetwork.co.uk
Jamespearse, Twitter
Jamespearse, Twitter
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Esme Folley, Actress, cellist, Twitter
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Cabluigi, Guardian.co.uk
Anonymous, The Northfield Patriot
Anonymous, The Northfield Patriot
Tokyofist, Youtube
Tokyofist, Youtube
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Aiden Hearn, Twitter
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Spanner, dontstartmeoff.com
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Someoneyoudon'tknow, Chortle.com
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Anonymous, don'tstartmeoff.com
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Tweeterkiryakou, Twitter
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World Without End, Twitter
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Lents, redandwhitekop.com
Pudabaya, Twitter
Pudabaya, Twitter
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Jackmumf, Twitter
Peter Ould, Twitter
Peter Ould, Twitter
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Dick Socrates, Twitter
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Horatio Melvin, Twitter
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Mpf1947, Youtube
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Secretdeveloper, Youtube
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Robert Gavin, Twitter
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Alwyn, Digiguide.tv
Lenny Darksphere, Twitter
Lenny Darksphere, Twitter
A D Ward, Twitter
A D Ward, Twitter
Dave Wilson, Chortle.com
Dave Wilson, Chortle.com
Joe, Independent.co.uk
Joe, Independent.co.uk