The last time I went to a big comedy gala type evening was last year at the Edinburgh fringe. There were about twelve of the most popular current stand-ups all on the same bill, doing around eight minutes each, and I remember thinking at the time that many of them could have happily exchanged acts with each other, so similar was much of the material.
This is not an accusation you can throw at any of the veteran performers from Stewart Lee’s celebration of the early days of alternative comedy: At Last! The 1981 Show. Norman Lovett is never going to dress up as Lenin and rant about muesli, any more than Stewart Lee would do a naked balloon dance or Alexei Sayle would stick a firework up his arse. Not all of it is especially hilarious, and some of it is nauseatingly grotesque, but what it can boast is an endless stream of variety, audacity, and most uniquely of all, imagination.
The show is split up into three sections, the first hosted by Arthur Smith, a good choice in many respects as he has been performing material he first wrote in 1981 for his entire career. Tonight he even does a pun about Marathon bars, the original name for Snickers prior to 1990! However, what he lacks in topicality he more than compensates for with wit and personality, most obviously on display during his joyous revival of the old chant: “Maggie, Maggie, Maggie, Out! Out! Out!”
Also featuring in this first section is a welcome return of Saturday Live favourites, The Oblivion Boys, performing a routine that wouldn’t have seemed out of place in the music halls, filled as it is with witty wordplay and unashamedly corny gags. Norman Lovett’s ten minutes consist of him playing with bubble wrap, bags and shower caps, as well as delivering his unique and genuinely inventive offbeat material in as deadpan a fashion as possible. The section is rounded off by The Greatest Show on Legs doing a brilliant sketch about mime artists, littered with great visual gags, followed by the truly horrific naked balloon dance.
The act I’m most excited about is Alexei Sayle, and he comperes the second third of the show. The few flashes of stand-up he grants us remind everyone of just how great a performer he was, and he appears to really enjoy the return to the stage. He also gets to introduce his fellow early Comedy Store compere, Arnold Brown, who proves he’s still a master of dry one-liners. Other highlights of this section are a surreal sketch about Lenin, Pauline Melville as Edie the Radical Housewife doing some surprisingly incisive and cutting political gags, and Nigel Planer reviving Neil from The Young Ones, looking genuinely intimidated by a whistling audience member.
The final section sees Stewart Lee take to the stage. Even though back in 1981 he was actually only thirteen years old, he still fits seamlessly into the line-up, so influenced is his style by the era’s sensibilities. This is most obvious when he introduces Kevin McAleer, a comic who gets big laughs simply by standing silently in front of a picture of some startled owls for about five minutes, the sort of thing only a stand-up like Lee would attempt today. The show then comes to an end with Japanese cabaret act Frank Chickens, and Chris Lynam inserting a firework inside his anus.
I’m not sure I’d want to see all of these acts if they were doing their own full length show, but in the context of this evening, they all work really well. It was a real pleasure to see a comedy show where you honestly didn’t know what was going to happen next, and it would be great if more acts would emerge on the current scene that were willing to be as daring and individual as the performers we saw tonight.
12dgdgdgdgdgdg, Youtube
12dgdgdgdgdgdg, Youtube
Al Murray, Comedian
Al Murray, Comedian
Aiden Hearn, Twitter
Aiden Hearn, Twitter
Rubyshoes, Twitter
Rubyshoes, Twitter
Jackmumf, Twitter
Jackmumf, Twitter
Nicetime, Guardian.co.uk
Nicetime, Guardian.co.uk
Iain, eatenbymissionaries
Iain, eatenbymissionaries
Cabluigi, Guardian.co.uk
Cabluigi, Guardian.co.uk
Shit Crit, Twitter
Shit Crit, Twitter
Joskins, Leeds Music Forum
Joskins, Leeds Music Forum
Brendon, Vauxhallownersnetwork.co.uk
Brendon, Vauxhallownersnetwork.co.uk
Etienne, Chortle.com
Etienne, Chortle.com
Clampdown59, Twitter.
Clampdown59, Twitter.
Frankie Boyle, Comedian
Frankie Boyle, Comedian
Tweeterkiryakou, Twitter
Tweeterkiryakou, Twitter
Cojones2, Guardian.co.uk
Cojones2, Guardian.co.uk
Tweeter Kyriakou, Twitter
Tweeter Kyriakou, Twitter
A D Ward, Twitter
A D Ward, Twitter
FBC, finalgear.com
FBC, finalgear.com
DVDhth's grandparents, Twitter
DVDhth's grandparents, Twitter
Anonymous, don'tstartmeoff.com
Anonymous, don'tstartmeoff.com
Danazawa, Youtube
Danazawa, Youtube
Someoneyoudon'tknow, Chortle.com
Someoneyoudon'tknow, Chortle.com
Johnny Kitkat, dontstartmeoff.com
Johnny Kitkat, dontstartmeoff.com
Henry Howard Fun, Twitter
Henry Howard Fun, Twitter
Neva2busy, dontstartmeoff.com
Neva2busy, dontstartmeoff.com
Gabrielle, Chortle.com
Gabrielle, Chortle.com
Joe, Independent.co.uk
Joe, Independent.co.uk
Peter Ould, Youtube
Peter Ould, Youtube
Dick Socrates, Twitter
Dick Socrates, Twitter
Borathigh5, Youtube
Borathigh5, Youtube
Secretdeveloper, Youtube
Secretdeveloper, Youtube
Contrapuntal, Twitter
Contrapuntal, Twitter
Idrie, Youtube
Idrie, Youtube
Stuart, Chortle
Stuart, Chortle
Peter Ould, Twitter
Peter Ould, Twitter
James Dellingpole, Daily Telegraph
James Dellingpole, Daily Telegraph
Alex Quarmby, Edfringe.com
Alex Quarmby, Edfringe.com
Carcrazychica, Youtube
Carcrazychica, Youtube
Dominic Cavendish, Telegraph
Dominic Cavendish, Telegraph
Rowing Rob, Guardian.co.uk
Rowing Rob, Guardian.co.uk
Z-factor, Twitter.
Z-factor, Twitter.
Sidsings000, Youtube
Sidsings000, Youtube
Sweeping Curves, Twitter
Sweeping Curves, Twitter
Aaron, comedy.co.uk
Aaron, comedy.co.uk
Liam Travitt, Twitter
Liam Travitt, Twitter
Sam Rooney, Youtube
Sam Rooney, Youtube
Peter Fears, Twitter
Peter Fears, Twitter
Meninblack, Twitter
Meninblack, Twitter
Mearecate, Youtube
Mearecate, Youtube
Kozzy06, Youtube
Kozzy06, Youtube
John Robins, Comedian
John Robins, Comedian
Alwyn, Digiguide.tv
Alwyn, Digiguide.tv
Birmingham Sunday Mercury
Birmingham Sunday Mercury
Robert Gavin, Twitter
Robert Gavin, Twitter
BBC iPlayer edition of discussion of Stewart Lee on A Good Read
BBC iPlayer edition of discussion of Stewart Lee on A Good Read
Anon, dontstartmeoff.com
Anon, dontstartmeoff.com
Ishamayura Byrd, Twitter
Ishamayura Byrd, Twitter
Deepbass, Guardian.co.uk
Deepbass, Guardian.co.uk
Slothy Matt, Twitter
Slothy Matt, Twitter
Foxfoxton, Youtube
Foxfoxton, Youtube
Shane, Beverley, Dailymail.co.uk
Shane, Beverley, Dailymail.co.uk
Dominic Cavendish, Daily Telegraph
Dominic Cavendish, Daily Telegraph
Karen Laidlaw, Edfringe. com.
Karen Laidlaw, Edfringe. com.
Coxy, Dontstartmeoff.com
Coxy, Dontstartmeoff.com
Zombie Hamster, Twitter
Zombie Hamster, Twitter
98rosjon, Twitter
98rosjon, Twitter
Maninabananasuit, Guardian.co.uk
Maninabananasuit, Guardian.co.uk
Esme Folley, Actress, cellist, Twitter
Esme Folley, Actress, cellist, Twitter
Tokyofist, Youtube
Tokyofist, Youtube
Lents, redandwhitekop.com
Lents, redandwhitekop.com
Hiewy, Youtube
Hiewy, Youtube
Jamespearse, Twitter
Jamespearse, Twitter
Bosco239, youtube
Bosco239, youtube
Brighton Argus
Brighton Argus
Pudabaya, beexcellenttoeachother.com
Pudabaya, beexcellenttoeachother.com
Joycey, readytogo.net
Joycey, readytogo.net
Wharto15, Twitter
Wharto15, Twitter
Bobby Bhoy, Twitter
Bobby Bhoy, Twitter
Anon, westhamonline.com
Anon, westhamonline.com
Gwaites, Digitalspy
Gwaites, Digitalspy
Pudabaya, Twitter
Pudabaya, Twitter
Richard Herring, Comedian
Richard Herring, Comedian
Visualiser1, Twitter
Visualiser1, Twitter
Lee Mack, Mack The Life, 2012
Lee Mack, Mack The Life, 2012
Anon, BBC Complaints Log
Anon, BBC Complaints Log
General Lurko 36, Guardian.co.uk
General Lurko 36, Guardian.co.uk
Anonymous, The Northfield Patriot
Anonymous, The Northfield Patriot
Lancethrustworthy, Youtube
Lancethrustworthy, Youtube
Rudeness, Youtube
Rudeness, Youtube
Meanstreetelite, Peoplesrepublicofcork
Meanstreetelite, Peoplesrepublicofcork
Tin Frog, Twitter
Tin Frog, Twitter
Spanner, dontstartmeoff.com
Spanner, dontstartmeoff.com
Syhr, breakbeat.co.uk
Syhr, breakbeat.co.uk
Emilyistrendy, Youtube
Emilyistrendy, Youtube
Lenny Darksphere, Twitter
Lenny Darksphere, Twitter
Neolab, Guardian.co.uk
Neolab, Guardian.co.uk
Guest1001, Youtube
Guest1001, Youtube
Cyberbloke, Twitter
Cyberbloke, Twitter
Horatio Melvin, Twitter
Horatio Melvin, Twitter
Pnethor, pne-online.com
Pnethor, pne-online.com
Anamatronix, Youtube
Anamatronix, Youtube
Whoiscuriousgeorge, Youtube
Whoiscuriousgeorge, Youtube
Patrick Kavanagh, Guardian.co.uk
Patrick Kavanagh, Guardian.co.uk
Keilloh, Twitter
Keilloh, Twitter
Yukio Mishima, dontstartmeoff.com
Yukio Mishima, dontstartmeoff.com
Dave Wilson, Chortle.com
Dave Wilson, Chortle.com
Dahoum, Guardian.co.uk
Dahoum, Guardian.co.uk
Funday’schild, youtube.
Funday’schild, youtube.
Microcuts 22, Twitter
Microcuts 22, Twitter
Stokeylitfest, Twitter
Stokeylitfest, Twitter
Mrdavisn01, Twitter
Mrdavisn01, Twitter
Fairy Pingu, Twitter
Fairy Pingu, Twitter
Lucinda Locketts, Twitter
Lucinda Locketts, Twitter
Leach Juice, Twitter
Leach Juice, Twitter
Len Firewood, Twitter
Len Firewood, Twitter
Guest, Dontstartmeoff.com
Guest, Dontstartmeoff.com
GRTak, finalgear.com
GRTak, finalgear.com
Pirate Crocodile, Twitter
Pirate Crocodile, Twitter
NevW47479, UKTV.co.uk
NevW47479, UKTV.co.uk
World Without End, Twitter
World Without End, Twitter
Fowkes81, Twitter
Fowkes81, Twitter
Carla, St Albans, Dailymail.co.uk
Carla, St Albans, Dailymail.co.uk
Gmanthedemon, bbc.co.uk
Gmanthedemon, bbc.co.uk
Tres Ryan, Twitter
Tres Ryan, Twitter
Genghis McKahn, Guardian.co.uk
Genghis McKahn, Guardian.co.uk
Chez, Chortle.com
Chez, Chortle.com
Mini-x2, readytogo.net
Mini-x2, readytogo.net
Mpf1947, Youtube
Mpf1947, Youtube