“No one is equipped to review me,” Stewart Lee declares near the beginning of this work-in-progress show, referring to the multiple layers of irony and self-awareness that exist between him and his audience. Feigning contempt for the audience and the recognition his television work has brought him is, he explains, something he does “for a laugh – which is within the remit of this job”.
Relentless scrutiny of what is within the remit of comedy underpins all Lee’s standup; he will test a set piece to destruction, stretching it almost past the limit of the audience’s patience, until the repetition itself becomes the source of the laughter. In the first half, this begins with the offhand remark that Graham Norton’s chatshow beat him to the Bafta for comedy this year, and spirals into a beautifully controlled piece of demagoguery about the state of television entertainment. His targets are deliberately obvious – Russell Brand, Live at the Apollo – but he wrongfoots us by turning his scorn on our responses to the material. After a heavily flagged-up piece of reincorporation, he rounds furiously on the audience: “Don’t clap. You’re applauding your own ability to remember things.”
In the second half he has a lot of sport with the Edinburgh audience, blaming them for the lukewarm reception of a joke and, by extension, the suicides of great comics whose material was never fully appreciated. At one point, he tells any young comics in to watch and learn from him. As with most of what he says, it’s tongue-in-cheek, but it’s good advice: even in a work in progress that includes some familiar material, Lee remains one of the most technically skilled and thought-provoking comics you’ll see at the fringe.
NevW47479, UKTV.co.uk
NevW47479, UKTV.co.uk
Funday’schild, youtube.
Funday’schild, youtube.
Carcrazychica, Youtube
Carcrazychica, Youtube
Tin Frog, Twitter
Tin Frog, Twitter
Chez, Chortle.com
Chez, Chortle.com
Keilloh, Twitter
Keilloh, Twitter
DVDhth's grandparents, Twitter
DVDhth's grandparents, Twitter
Patrick Kavanagh, Guardian.co.uk
Patrick Kavanagh, Guardian.co.uk
Zombie Hamster, Twitter
Zombie Hamster, Twitter
Tweeter Kyriakou, Twitter
Tweeter Kyriakou, Twitter
Aiden Hearn, Twitter
Aiden Hearn, Twitter
John Robins, Comedian
John Robins, Comedian
Joycey, readytogo.net
Joycey, readytogo.net
12dgdgdgdgdgdg, Youtube
12dgdgdgdgdgdg, Youtube
Secretdeveloper, Youtube
Secretdeveloper, Youtube
BBC iPlayer edition of discussion of Stewart Lee on A Good Read
BBC iPlayer edition of discussion of Stewart Lee on A Good Read
Gwaites, Digitalspy
Gwaites, Digitalspy
Coxy, Dontstartmeoff.com
Coxy, Dontstartmeoff.com
Jackmumf, Twitter
Jackmumf, Twitter
Alex Quarmby, Edfringe.com
Alex Quarmby, Edfringe.com
Hiewy, Youtube
Hiewy, Youtube
Fairy Pingu, Twitter
Fairy Pingu, Twitter
Anonymous, don'tstartmeoff.com
Anonymous, don'tstartmeoff.com
Neolab, Guardian.co.uk
Neolab, Guardian.co.uk
Shane, Beverley, Dailymail.co.uk
Shane, Beverley, Dailymail.co.uk
Pudabaya, beexcellenttoeachother.com
Pudabaya, beexcellenttoeachother.com
Idrie, Youtube
Idrie, Youtube
Syhr, breakbeat.co.uk
Syhr, breakbeat.co.uk
Richard Herring, Comedian
Richard Herring, Comedian
Johnny Kitkat, dontstartmeoff.com
Johnny Kitkat, dontstartmeoff.com
Peter Ould, Twitter
Peter Ould, Twitter
Pudabaya, Twitter
Pudabaya, Twitter
Rowing Rob, Guardian.co.uk
Rowing Rob, Guardian.co.uk
Alwyn, Digiguide.tv
Alwyn, Digiguide.tv
Sidsings000, Youtube
Sidsings000, Youtube
Dick Socrates, Twitter
Dick Socrates, Twitter
Iain, eatenbymissionaries
Iain, eatenbymissionaries
Tweeterkiryakou, Twitter
Tweeterkiryakou, Twitter
Len Firewood, Twitter
Len Firewood, Twitter
Kozzy06, Youtube
Kozzy06, Youtube
Z-factor, Twitter.
Z-factor, Twitter.
Wharto15, Twitter
Wharto15, Twitter
Joe, Independent.co.uk
Joe, Independent.co.uk
Tres Ryan, Twitter
Tres Ryan, Twitter
Stuart, Chortle
Stuart, Chortle
Gabrielle, Chortle.com
Gabrielle, Chortle.com
Brendon, Vauxhallownersnetwork.co.uk
Brendon, Vauxhallownersnetwork.co.uk
Pirate Crocodile, Twitter
Pirate Crocodile, Twitter
Clampdown59, Twitter.
Clampdown59, Twitter.
Rudeness, Youtube
Rudeness, Youtube
James Dellingpole, Daily Telegraph
James Dellingpole, Daily Telegraph
Liam Travitt, Twitter
Liam Travitt, Twitter
Anamatronix, Youtube
Anamatronix, Youtube
Bobby Bhoy, Twitter
Bobby Bhoy, Twitter
Joskins, Leeds Music Forum
Joskins, Leeds Music Forum
Mrdavisn01, Twitter
Mrdavisn01, Twitter
Robert Gavin, Twitter
Robert Gavin, Twitter
Dave Wilson, Chortle.com
Dave Wilson, Chortle.com
Lancethrustworthy, Youtube
Lancethrustworthy, Youtube
Lee Mack, Mack The Life, 2012
Lee Mack, Mack The Life, 2012
Frankie Boyle, Comedian
Frankie Boyle, Comedian
Microcuts 22, Twitter
Microcuts 22, Twitter
Rubyshoes, Twitter
Rubyshoes, Twitter
Aaron, comedy.co.uk
Aaron, comedy.co.uk
General Lurko 36, Guardian.co.uk
General Lurko 36, Guardian.co.uk
Cabluigi, Guardian.co.uk
Cabluigi, Guardian.co.uk
Al Murray, Comedian
Al Murray, Comedian
Nicetime, Guardian.co.uk
Nicetime, Guardian.co.uk
Yukio Mishima, dontstartmeoff.com
Yukio Mishima, dontstartmeoff.com
Henry Howard Fun, Twitter
Henry Howard Fun, Twitter
Mpf1947, Youtube
Mpf1947, Youtube
Jamespearse, Twitter
Jamespearse, Twitter
Cyberbloke, Twitter
Cyberbloke, Twitter
Mearecate, Youtube
Mearecate, Youtube
Neva2busy, dontstartmeoff.com
Neva2busy, dontstartmeoff.com
Cojones2, Guardian.co.uk
Cojones2, Guardian.co.uk
Visualiser1, Twitter
Visualiser1, Twitter
Anon, dontstartmeoff.com
Anon, dontstartmeoff.com
Meninblack, Twitter
Meninblack, Twitter
Dominic Cavendish, Telegraph
Dominic Cavendish, Telegraph
Emilyistrendy, Youtube
Emilyistrendy, Youtube
98rosjon, Twitter
98rosjon, Twitter
Dominic Cavendish, Daily Telegraph
Dominic Cavendish, Daily Telegraph
Mini-x2, readytogo.net
Mini-x2, readytogo.net
Danazawa, Youtube
Danazawa, Youtube
Esme Folley, Actress, cellist, Twitter
Esme Folley, Actress, cellist, Twitter
Slothy Matt, Twitter
Slothy Matt, Twitter
Lenny Darksphere, Twitter
Lenny Darksphere, Twitter
Contrapuntal, Twitter
Contrapuntal, Twitter
Bosco239, youtube
Bosco239, youtube
Anonymous, The Northfield Patriot
Anonymous, The Northfield Patriot
Ishamayura Byrd, Twitter
Ishamayura Byrd, Twitter
Gmanthedemon, bbc.co.uk
Gmanthedemon, bbc.co.uk
Karen Laidlaw, Edfringe. com.
Karen Laidlaw, Edfringe. com.
Lucinda Locketts, Twitter
Lucinda Locketts, Twitter
Peter Fears, Twitter
Peter Fears, Twitter
Meanstreetelite, Peoplesrepublicofcork
Meanstreetelite, Peoplesrepublicofcork
Maninabananasuit, Guardian.co.uk
Maninabananasuit, Guardian.co.uk
Birmingham Sunday Mercury
Birmingham Sunday Mercury
Whoiscuriousgeorge, Youtube
Whoiscuriousgeorge, Youtube
Dahoum, Guardian.co.uk
Dahoum, Guardian.co.uk
Etienne, Chortle.com
Etienne, Chortle.com
Spanner, dontstartmeoff.com
Spanner, dontstartmeoff.com
Borathigh5, Youtube
Borathigh5, Youtube
Fowkes81, Twitter
Fowkes81, Twitter
Tokyofist, Youtube
Tokyofist, Youtube
GRTak, finalgear.com
GRTak, finalgear.com
A D Ward, Twitter
A D Ward, Twitter
Stokeylitfest, Twitter
Stokeylitfest, Twitter
Guest1001, Youtube
Guest1001, Youtube
Anon, BBC Complaints Log
Anon, BBC Complaints Log
Guest, Dontstartmeoff.com
Guest, Dontstartmeoff.com
FBC, finalgear.com
FBC, finalgear.com
Sweeping Curves, Twitter
Sweeping Curves, Twitter
Peter Ould, Youtube
Peter Ould, Youtube
Shit Crit, Twitter
Shit Crit, Twitter
Genghis McKahn, Guardian.co.uk
Genghis McKahn, Guardian.co.uk
Foxfoxton, Youtube
Foxfoxton, Youtube
Brighton Argus
Brighton Argus
Deepbass, Guardian.co.uk
Deepbass, Guardian.co.uk
Anon, westhamonline.com
Anon, westhamonline.com
Someoneyoudon'tknow, Chortle.com
Someoneyoudon'tknow, Chortle.com
Horatio Melvin, Twitter
Horatio Melvin, Twitter
World Without End, Twitter
World Without End, Twitter
Sam Rooney, Youtube
Sam Rooney, Youtube
Pnethor, pne-online.com
Pnethor, pne-online.com
Lents, redandwhitekop.com
Lents, redandwhitekop.com
Leach Juice, Twitter
Leach Juice, Twitter
Carla, St Albans, Dailymail.co.uk
Carla, St Albans, Dailymail.co.uk