I had wanted to start this review with the old Bob Monkhouse gag: ‘Everyone laughed when I said I wanted to be a comedian. They’re not laughing now’.
This was because Lee was the knowingly intelligent, metropolitan liberal whose deep analysis of the method of comedy allied to strongly-held political views would simply lead to two hours of sermonising.
It was also because he would be a man stridently complaining about things, a man creating friction between him and the Poole audience and a man railing at everyone else in the room for not being intelligent enough to understand him.
And it was because he would just rant at various other comedians, look aghast when supposedly humorous lines fell flat and be uncomfortable when the diverse nature of the audience didn’t fit his tribe.
He was all that, obviously, but sadly for the accurate use of the aforementioned Monkhouse line, he was also hilariously funny.
Lee’s shtick is this very grumpy persona he has created for himself, a stage character he uses for his stand-up routine and (in his own words) a deluded man who believes he’s a comic. Of course, it’s all an act.
In the current tour, Content Provider, he sets his sights on our throwaway digital age, our minute attention span and the very lack of substance in today’s instant world.
But he also finds time to chew up Brexit, Trump, Game of Thrones, the under-40s, Gary Lineker, Eamon Holmes, Russell Brand, Russell Howard, Dara O Briain and even his own brother-in-law.
The stage was littered with piles of other comedians’ DVDs ‘bought for a penny on e-Bay’ and the backdrop was a rather underused white screen– an elaborate set-up for his finale.
Not everything was hilarious, some flabby parts dragged a bit (although repetition is his big trademark), but even if he’d only done the ‘you’ve never had it so good’ bondage in the 1930s routine involving hessian sacks and dripping, it would still have been worth the ticket price.
Richard Herring, Comedian
Richard Herring, Comedian
Brendon, Vauxhallownersnetwork.co.uk
Brendon, Vauxhallownersnetwork.co.uk
Ishamayura Byrd, Twitter
Ishamayura Byrd, Twitter
NevW47479, UKTV.co.uk
NevW47479, UKTV.co.uk
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Hiewy, Youtube
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Microcuts 22, Twitter
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Funday’schild, youtube.
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Sidsings000, Youtube
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Secretdeveloper, Youtube
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Robert Gavin, Twitter
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Rowing Rob, Guardian.co.uk
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Aiden Hearn, Twitter
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John Robins, Comedian
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Tweeterkiryakou, Twitter
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Contrapuntal, Twitter
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Meanstreetelite, Peoplesrepublicofcork
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Joskins, Leeds Music Forum
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Mrdavisn01, Twitter
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Dahoum, Guardian.co.uk
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Anon, BBC Complaints Log
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A D Ward, Twitter
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Syhr, breakbeat.co.uk
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Gwaites, Digitalspy
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Slothy Matt, Twitter
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General Lurko 36, Guardian.co.uk
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GRTak, finalgear.com
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Rudeness, Youtube
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Johnny Kitkat, dontstartmeoff.com
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Dave Wilson, Chortle.com
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Sweeping Curves, Twitter
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Etienne, Chortle.com
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Jamespearse, Twitter
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Pudabaya, beexcellenttoeachother.com
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Cojones2, Guardian.co.uk
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Nicetime, Guardian.co.uk
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Frankie Boyle, Comedian
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Idrie, Youtube
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Pnethor, pne-online.com
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Dominic Cavendish, Daily Telegraph
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Henry Howard Fun, Twitter
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Lancethrustworthy, Youtube
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Jackmumf, Twitter
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Dominic Cavendish, Telegraph
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Maninabananasuit, Guardian.co.uk
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Sam Rooney, Youtube
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Yukio Mishima, dontstartmeoff.com
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Deepbass, Guardian.co.uk
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Lucinda Locketts, Twitter
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Gmanthedemon, bbc.co.uk
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Spanner, dontstartmeoff.com
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Rubyshoes, Twitter
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Iain, eatenbymissionaries
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Visualiser1, Twitter
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World Without End, Twitter
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Cabluigi, Guardian.co.uk
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James Dellingpole, Daily Telegraph
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Tweeter Kyriakou, Twitter
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Pudabaya, Twitter
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Dick Socrates, Twitter
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Patrick Kavanagh, Guardian.co.uk
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FBC, finalgear.com
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Horatio Melvin, Twitter
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Lee Mack, Mack The Life, 2012
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Lenny Darksphere, Twitter
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Karen Laidlaw, Edfringe. com.
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98rosjon, Twitter
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Anon, westhamonline.com
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Fowkes81, Twitter
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Tin Frog, Twitter
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Meninblack, Twitter
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Anon, dontstartmeoff.com
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Mpf1947, Youtube
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Chez, Chortle.com
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Bosco239, youtube
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Carla, St Albans, Dailymail.co.uk
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Clampdown59, Twitter.
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Leach Juice, Twitter
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Keilloh, Twitter
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Birmingham Sunday Mercury
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Bobby Bhoy, Twitter
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Peter Fears, Twitter
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Anonymous, don'tstartmeoff.com
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Wharto15, Twitter
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Z-factor, Twitter.
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Carcrazychica, Youtube
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Neolab, Guardian.co.uk
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Mearecate, Youtube
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Joycey, readytogo.net
Lents, redandwhitekop.com
Lents, redandwhitekop.com
Alex Quarmby, Edfringe.com
Alex Quarmby, Edfringe.com
Genghis McKahn, Guardian.co.uk
Genghis McKahn, Guardian.co.uk
Al Murray, Comedian
Al Murray, Comedian
Neva2busy, dontstartmeoff.com
Neva2busy, dontstartmeoff.com
Joe, Independent.co.uk
Joe, Independent.co.uk
Emilyistrendy, Youtube
Emilyistrendy, Youtube
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Anamatronix, Youtube
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Stokeylitfest, Twitter
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Gabrielle, Chortle.com
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Zombie Hamster, Twitter
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Shane, Beverley, Dailymail.co.uk
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Anonymous, The Northfield Patriot
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Mini-x2, readytogo.net
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Guest1001, Youtube
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Tres Ryan, Twitter
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Borathigh5, Youtube
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Danazawa, Youtube
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Whoiscuriousgeorge, Youtube
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Esme Folley, Actress, cellist, Twitter
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Foxfoxton, Youtube
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Shit Crit, Twitter
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Guest, Dontstartmeoff.com
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Someoneyoudon'tknow, Chortle.com
Aaron, comedy.co.uk
Aaron, comedy.co.uk
Fairy Pingu, Twitter
Fairy Pingu, Twitter
Brighton Argus
Brighton Argus
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Peter Ould, Twitter
Peter Ould, Youtube
Peter Ould, Youtube
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Coxy, Dontstartmeoff.com
Stuart, Chortle
Stuart, Chortle
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Pirate Crocodile, Twitter
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Cyberbloke, 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
12dgdgdgdgdgdg, Youtube
12dgdgdgdgdgdg, Youtube
Kozzy06, Youtube
Kozzy06, Youtube
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Alwyn, Digiguide.tv
Tokyofist, Youtube
Tokyofist, Youtube
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DVDhth's grandparents, Twitter
Liam Travitt, Twitter
Liam Travitt, Twitter
Len Firewood, Twitter
Len Firewood, Twitter