How far can you take a joke? That’s the premise of Stewart Lee’s latest DVD, in which he tests not only how far he can go with bad taste, but also how long he can drag out a single gag. And the answer to both is: much further than you think.
The keynote routine revolves around the Top Gear trio, taking their reactionary stance against ‘political correctness’ and turning it back on themselves to see if they can take a cruel joke as well as deliver one. Lee gets a laugh when he explains this single obsession will take around 40 minutes – but it turns out not far short. And despite the trademark repetitions, there’s very little fat on this daring routine.
The forewarning is typical of Lee’s deconstruction, throwing open the curtain to reveal the tricks and mechanics of stand-up. He expects his audience to have at least a casual grasp of the language of comedy – better yet if they’re fluent – and if he feels they are slipping behind, he patiently but patronisingly tells them off, like a teacher chiding a slow pupil.
Not that the Glasgow crowd are passive in all this, especially the stubborn punter Lee engages with in his early routine about his coffee-shop loyalty card. But while the awkward, terse encounter threatens to derail the routine, its inclusion captures the unpredictability of a live gig in a way most DVDs don’t.
It also feeds perfectly into Lee’s persona of a comedian frustrated with the expectations of his artform. Sparked by Frankie Boyle’s assertion that no one over 40 should do stand-up, Lee is trying to do an accessible Roadshow-style observational routine from the perspective of a grumpy middle-aged man, but somehow it all turns out much more bitter and bleak. The audacious – even epic – show ends with him shouting from the balconies in frustration at a cider ad. Here his repeated stressing of the same point could test your patience, but the affected psychosis is mesmerising.
Again, his clambering through the audience gives this DVD – the first to be released on the Comedy Central label – a distinctive feel; and while many stand-up titles will gather dust after their Christmastime viewing, the richness and depth of Lee’s magnum opus will have you coming back.
Stewart Lee: If You Prefer A Milder Comedian, Please Ask For One
Recorded at: Citizens Theatre, Glasgow
Running time: 105 mins
Extras: Interview with Kevin Eldon (a revealing and insightful 51 mins); Nick Pynn short (2mins introducing Lee’s accompanist); Trailer (1min); Press and tour photos
Released by: Comedy Central, out now
Price: £19.99. Click
here to buy from Amazon at £11.99
Cyberbloke, Twitter
Cyberbloke, Twitter
Sweeping Curves, Twitter
Sweeping Curves, Twitter
A D Ward, Twitter
A D Ward, Twitter
Tres Ryan, Twitter
Tres Ryan, Twitter
NevW47479, UKTV.co.uk
NevW47479, UKTV.co.uk
GRTak, finalgear.com
GRTak, finalgear.com
Meninblack, Twitter
Meninblack, Twitter
Guest1001, Youtube
Guest1001, Youtube
Someoneyoudon'tknow, Chortle.com
Someoneyoudon'tknow, Chortle.com
Shit Crit, Twitter
Shit Crit, Twitter
Sidsings000, Youtube
Sidsings000, Youtube
Chez, Chortle.com
Chez, Chortle.com
Anonymous, don'tstartmeoff.com
Anonymous, don'tstartmeoff.com
Spanner, dontstartmeoff.com
Spanner, dontstartmeoff.com
Contrapuntal, Twitter
Contrapuntal, Twitter
Patrick Kavanagh, Guardian.co.uk
Patrick Kavanagh, Guardian.co.uk
Wharto15, Twitter
Wharto15, Twitter
Idrie, Youtube
Idrie, Youtube
Pudabaya, beexcellenttoeachother.com
Pudabaya, beexcellenttoeachother.com
Rudeness, Youtube
Rudeness, Youtube
Genghis McKahn, Guardian.co.uk
Genghis McKahn, Guardian.co.uk
Aaron, comedy.co.uk
Aaron, comedy.co.uk
Visualiser1, Twitter
Visualiser1, Twitter
Microcuts 22, Twitter
Microcuts 22, Twitter
Gwaites, Digitalspy
Gwaites, Digitalspy
Anon, dontstartmeoff.com
Anon, dontstartmeoff.com
Carcrazychica, Youtube
Carcrazychica, Youtube
Joycey, readytogo.net
Joycey, readytogo.net
Dominic Cavendish, Daily Telegraph
Dominic Cavendish, Daily Telegraph
Horatio Melvin, Twitter
Horatio Melvin, Twitter
Cabluigi, Guardian.co.uk
Cabluigi, Guardian.co.uk
Dave Wilson, Chortle.com
Dave Wilson, Chortle.com
DVDhth's grandparents, Twitter
DVDhth's grandparents, Twitter
Liam Travitt, Twitter
Liam Travitt, Twitter
Foxfoxton, Youtube
Foxfoxton, Youtube
John Robins, Comedian
John Robins, Comedian
Z-factor, Twitter.
Z-factor, Twitter.
Gmanthedemon, bbc.co.uk
Gmanthedemon, bbc.co.uk
Etienne, Chortle.com
Etienne, Chortle.com
Aiden Hearn, Twitter
Aiden Hearn, Twitter
Bosco239, youtube
Bosco239, youtube
Sam Rooney, Youtube
Sam Rooney, Youtube
Karen Laidlaw, Edfringe. com.
Karen Laidlaw, Edfringe. com.
Nicetime, Guardian.co.uk
Nicetime, Guardian.co.uk
Alex Quarmby, Edfringe.com
Alex Quarmby, Edfringe.com
Yukio Mishima, dontstartmeoff.com
Yukio Mishima, dontstartmeoff.com
Fowkes81, Twitter
Fowkes81, Twitter
Joskins, Leeds Music Forum
Joskins, Leeds Music Forum
Peter Ould, Youtube
Peter Ould, Youtube
Lenny Darksphere, Twitter
Lenny Darksphere, Twitter
Anon, westhamonline.com
Anon, westhamonline.com
Maninabananasuit, Guardian.co.uk
Maninabananasuit, Guardian.co.uk
Coxy, Dontstartmeoff.com
Coxy, Dontstartmeoff.com
Alwyn, Digiguide.tv
Alwyn, Digiguide.tv
Peter Ould, Twitter
Peter Ould, Twitter
Funday’schild, youtube.
Funday’schild, youtube.
Iain, eatenbymissionaries
Iain, eatenbymissionaries
Lancethrustworthy, Youtube
Lancethrustworthy, Youtube
Lee Mack, Mack The Life, 2012
Lee Mack, Mack The Life, 2012
Mpf1947, Youtube
Mpf1947, Youtube
Dahoum, Guardian.co.uk
Dahoum, Guardian.co.uk
Danazawa, Youtube
Danazawa, Youtube
Stokeylitfest, Twitter
Stokeylitfest, Twitter
Clampdown59, Twitter.
Clampdown59, Twitter.
Ishamayura Byrd, Twitter
Ishamayura Byrd, Twitter
Henry Howard Fun, Twitter
Henry Howard Fun, Twitter
Guest, Dontstartmeoff.com
Guest, Dontstartmeoff.com
Robert Gavin, Twitter
Robert Gavin, Twitter
Peter Fears, Twitter
Peter Fears, Twitter
Leach Juice, Twitter
Leach Juice, Twitter
Lents, redandwhitekop.com
Lents, redandwhitekop.com
Lucinda Locketts, Twitter
Lucinda Locketts, Twitter
Anonymous, The Northfield Patriot
Anonymous, The Northfield Patriot
Cojones2, Guardian.co.uk
Cojones2, Guardian.co.uk
Fairy Pingu, Twitter
Fairy Pingu, Twitter
Birmingham Sunday Mercury
Birmingham Sunday Mercury
Syhr, breakbeat.co.uk
Syhr, breakbeat.co.uk
Meanstreetelite, Peoplesrepublicofcork
Meanstreetelite, Peoplesrepublicofcork
Rubyshoes, Twitter
Rubyshoes, Twitter
Secretdeveloper, Youtube
Secretdeveloper, Youtube
12dgdgdgdgdgdg, Youtube
12dgdgdgdgdgdg, Youtube
Mini-x2, readytogo.net
Mini-x2, readytogo.net
Gabrielle, Chortle.com
Gabrielle, Chortle.com
Rowing Rob, Guardian.co.uk
Rowing Rob, Guardian.co.uk
Jackmumf, Twitter
Jackmumf, Twitter
Pirate Crocodile, Twitter
Pirate Crocodile, Twitter
World Without End, Twitter
World Without End, Twitter
98rosjon, Twitter
98rosjon, Twitter
Kozzy06, Youtube
Kozzy06, Youtube
Johnny Kitkat, dontstartmeoff.com
Johnny Kitkat, dontstartmeoff.com
Joe, Independent.co.uk
Joe, Independent.co.uk
BBC iPlayer edition of discussion of Stewart Lee on A Good Read
BBC iPlayer edition of discussion of Stewart Lee on A Good Read
Pudabaya, Twitter
Pudabaya, Twitter
Anon, BBC Complaints Log
Anon, BBC Complaints Log
Hiewy, Youtube
Hiewy, Youtube
Whoiscuriousgeorge, Youtube
Whoiscuriousgeorge, Youtube
Neva2busy, dontstartmeoff.com
Neva2busy, dontstartmeoff.com
Keilloh, Twitter
Keilloh, Twitter
Carla, St Albans, Dailymail.co.uk
Carla, St Albans, Dailymail.co.uk
Len Firewood, Twitter
Len Firewood, Twitter
Neolab, Guardian.co.uk
Neolab, Guardian.co.uk
Richard Herring, Comedian
Richard Herring, Comedian
Dominic Cavendish, Telegraph
Dominic Cavendish, Telegraph
Mearecate, Youtube
Mearecate, Youtube
Tokyofist, Youtube
Tokyofist, Youtube
Shane, Beverley, Dailymail.co.uk
Shane, Beverley, Dailymail.co.uk
Borathigh5, Youtube
Borathigh5, Youtube
Emilyistrendy, Youtube
Emilyistrendy, Youtube
Pnethor, pne-online.com
Pnethor, pne-online.com
James Dellingpole, Daily Telegraph
James Dellingpole, Daily Telegraph
Brighton Argus
Brighton Argus
Tweeterkiryakou, Twitter
Tweeterkiryakou, Twitter
Mrdavisn01, Twitter
Mrdavisn01, Twitter
Bobby Bhoy, Twitter
Bobby Bhoy, Twitter
Brendon, Vauxhallownersnetwork.co.uk
Brendon, Vauxhallownersnetwork.co.uk
Tweeter Kyriakou, Twitter
Tweeter Kyriakou, Twitter
Tin Frog, Twitter
Tin Frog, Twitter
Stuart, Chortle
Stuart, Chortle
Anamatronix, Youtube
Anamatronix, Youtube
Deepbass, Guardian.co.uk
Deepbass, Guardian.co.uk
Esme Folley, Actress, cellist, Twitter
Esme Folley, Actress, cellist, Twitter
Dick Socrates, Twitter
Dick Socrates, Twitter
Al Murray, Comedian
Al Murray, Comedian
Zombie Hamster, Twitter
Zombie Hamster, Twitter
General Lurko 36, Guardian.co.uk
General Lurko 36, Guardian.co.uk
Slothy Matt, Twitter
Slothy Matt, Twitter
Jamespearse, Twitter
Jamespearse, Twitter
FBC, finalgear.com
FBC, finalgear.com
Frankie Boyle, Comedian
Frankie Boyle, Comedian