The Assembly Rooms audience don’t know quite what to make of Stewart Lee. The Edinburgh Fringe veteran has spent the best part of the last two decades inspiring both a dedicated following and an equally ardent opposition with his divisive and heavily ironic brand of tongue-in-cheek intellectual comedy.
Luckily, the dramatic difference of opinion towards him is something Lee revels in. In his 2015 show “A Room With A Stew”, a testing-ground for material for his upcoming Comedy Vehicle series, he makes full use of the divide, turning his 70-minute slot into the comedic equivalent of a Mexican stand-off.
He shows his hand early on in the performance, explicitly warning anyone watching him for the first time that his act doesn’t always represent his own beliefs. Instead, he suggests, he prefers to create a fictionalised caricature of himself to run in parallel with the surface humour, creating a narrative arc with greater depth and complexity than you’d expect at a usual top-tier stand-up show.
That’s not the way to impress an audience half-filled with people who already think you’re too intellectual. But, more like a conjuror than a comedian, throughout the show Lee relentlessly pulls off that most impressive feat of telling his audience it’s all smoke and mirrors but making them believe it regardless.
“A Room With A Stew” bears all the hallmarks of a classic Stewart Lee show: there’s heavy irony, excessive repetition and obscure cultural references, meandering off-piste segments that somehow weave their way seamlessly back into the narrative fabric, and off-mic tirades of abuse at an audience he insists is simply too slow to understand quite how clever he and his jokes are.
Lee is unlikely to win any new fans tonight, but it doesn’t look like he wants to either. It’s the show of a comedian who knows exactly who he and his audience are, and he’s not going to change that just because it’s not his usual crowd tonight. Instead, he pushes his method to breaking point, leaving the majority of the crowd wondering whether it’s even supposed to be funny anymore.
As ever, Lee’s good jokes are met with applause rather than laughs, but the response to his finest moments in “A Room With A Stew” is most often a stunned silence. If there’s one thing that unifies the crowd tonight, it’s that both Stewart Lee’s admirers and detractors will go home with their pre-existing opinions reinforced, shaking a clenched fist and shouting: ‘I told you so!’
John Robins, Comedian
John Robins, Comedian
Stuart, Chortle
Stuart, Chortle
Cyberbloke, Twitter
Cyberbloke, Twitter
Guest, Dontstartmeoff.com
Guest, Dontstartmeoff.com
Jamespearse, Twitter
Jamespearse, Twitter
Patrick Kavanagh, Guardian.co.uk
Patrick Kavanagh, Guardian.co.uk
Microcuts 22, Twitter
Microcuts 22, Twitter
Bobby Bhoy, Twitter
Bobby Bhoy, Twitter
General Lurko 36, Guardian.co.uk
General Lurko 36, Guardian.co.uk
Dominic Cavendish, Telegraph
Dominic Cavendish, Telegraph
Richard Herring, Comedian
Richard Herring, Comedian
Etienne, Chortle.com
Etienne, Chortle.com
Guest1001, Youtube
Guest1001, Youtube
Joskins, Leeds Music Forum
Joskins, Leeds Music Forum
A D Ward, Twitter
A D Ward, Twitter
Iain, eatenbymissionaries
Iain, eatenbymissionaries
Coxy, Dontstartmeoff.com
Coxy, Dontstartmeoff.com
Anon, BBC Complaints Log
Anon, BBC Complaints Log
Genghis McKahn, Guardian.co.uk
Genghis McKahn, Guardian.co.uk
DVDhth's grandparents, Twitter
DVDhth's grandparents, Twitter
Danazawa, Youtube
Danazawa, Youtube
Tweeterkiryakou, Twitter
Tweeterkiryakou, Twitter
Aaron, comedy.co.uk
Aaron, comedy.co.uk
Dominic Cavendish, Daily Telegraph
Dominic Cavendish, Daily Telegraph
Secretdeveloper, Youtube
Secretdeveloper, Youtube
Idrie, Youtube
Idrie, Youtube
Syhr, breakbeat.co.uk
Syhr, breakbeat.co.uk
Wharto15, Twitter
Wharto15, Twitter
Z-factor, Twitter.
Z-factor, Twitter.
Kozzy06, Youtube
Kozzy06, Youtube
Alwyn, Digiguide.tv
Alwyn, Digiguide.tv
Chez, Chortle.com
Chez, Chortle.com
Lee Mack, Mack The Life, 2012
Lee Mack, Mack The Life, 2012
Someoneyoudon'tknow, Chortle.com
Someoneyoudon'tknow, Chortle.com
Johnny Kitkat, dontstartmeoff.com
Johnny Kitkat, dontstartmeoff.com
Mpf1947, Youtube
Mpf1947, Youtube
Esme Folley, Actress, cellist, Twitter
Esme Folley, Actress, cellist, Twitter
FBC, finalgear.com
FBC, finalgear.com
Sweeping Curves, Twitter
Sweeping Curves, Twitter
Brendon, Vauxhallownersnetwork.co.uk
Brendon, Vauxhallownersnetwork.co.uk
Pirate Crocodile, Twitter
Pirate Crocodile, Twitter
Anamatronix, Youtube
Anamatronix, Youtube
Maninabananasuit, Guardian.co.uk
Maninabananasuit, Guardian.co.uk
Keilloh, Twitter
Keilloh, Twitter
Emilyistrendy, Youtube
Emilyistrendy, Youtube
Brighton Argus
Brighton Argus
Len Firewood, Twitter
Len Firewood, Twitter
Tweeter Kyriakou, Twitter
Tweeter Kyriakou, Twitter
Neolab, Guardian.co.uk
Neolab, Guardian.co.uk
Mrdavisn01, Twitter
Mrdavisn01, Twitter
Dick Socrates, Twitter
Dick Socrates, Twitter
Lenny Darksphere, Twitter
Lenny Darksphere, Twitter
Carla, St Albans, Dailymail.co.uk
Carla, St Albans, Dailymail.co.uk
Lents, redandwhitekop.com
Lents, redandwhitekop.com
Lucinda Locketts, Twitter
Lucinda Locketts, Twitter
NevW47479, UKTV.co.uk
NevW47479, UKTV.co.uk
Al Murray, Comedian
Al Murray, Comedian
Alex Quarmby, Edfringe.com
Alex Quarmby, Edfringe.com
Dave Wilson, Chortle.com
Dave Wilson, Chortle.com
Anon, westhamonline.com
Anon, westhamonline.com
Gwaites, Digitalspy
Gwaites, Digitalspy
Ishamayura Byrd, Twitter
Ishamayura Byrd, Twitter
James Dellingpole, Daily Telegraph
James Dellingpole, Daily Telegraph
Sam Rooney, Youtube
Sam Rooney, Youtube
Peter Ould, Twitter
Peter Ould, Twitter
Tin Frog, Twitter
Tin Frog, Twitter
Deepbass, Guardian.co.uk
Deepbass, Guardian.co.uk
Pnethor, pne-online.com
Pnethor, pne-online.com
Joycey, readytogo.net
Joycey, readytogo.net
98rosjon, Twitter
98rosjon, Twitter
Nicetime, Guardian.co.uk
Nicetime, Guardian.co.uk
Slothy Matt, Twitter
Slothy Matt, Twitter
Robert Gavin, Twitter
Robert Gavin, Twitter
Bosco239, youtube
Bosco239, youtube
Stokeylitfest, Twitter
Stokeylitfest, 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
Shane, Beverley, Dailymail.co.uk
Shane, Beverley, Dailymail.co.uk
Anonymous, don'tstartmeoff.com
Anonymous, don'tstartmeoff.com
Borathigh5, Youtube
Borathigh5, Youtube
Frankie Boyle, Comedian
Frankie Boyle, Comedian
Tokyofist, Youtube
Tokyofist, Youtube
Fairy Pingu, Twitter
Fairy Pingu, Twitter
Joe, Independent.co.uk
Joe, Independent.co.uk
Anon, dontstartmeoff.com
Anon, dontstartmeoff.com
Cabluigi, Guardian.co.uk
Cabluigi, Guardian.co.uk
Zombie Hamster, Twitter
Zombie Hamster, Twitter
Foxfoxton, Youtube
Foxfoxton, Youtube
Rowing Rob, Guardian.co.uk
Rowing Rob, Guardian.co.uk
Rubyshoes, Twitter
Rubyshoes, Twitter
Funday’schild, youtube.
Funday’schild, youtube.
Sidsings000, Youtube
Sidsings000, Youtube
Pudabaya, beexcellenttoeachother.com
Pudabaya, beexcellenttoeachother.com
Visualiser1, Twitter
Visualiser1, Twitter
Lancethrustworthy, Youtube
Lancethrustworthy, Youtube
GRTak, finalgear.com
GRTak, finalgear.com
Henry Howard Fun, Twitter
Henry Howard Fun, Twitter
Contrapuntal, Twitter
Contrapuntal, Twitter
Meanstreetelite, Peoplesrepublicofcork
Meanstreetelite, Peoplesrepublicofcork
Peter Fears, Twitter
Peter Fears, Twitter
Peter Ould, Youtube
Peter Ould, Youtube
Shit Crit, Twitter
Shit Crit, Twitter
Birmingham Sunday Mercury
Birmingham Sunday Mercury
World Without End, Twitter
World Without End, Twitter
12dgdgdgdgdgdg, Youtube
12dgdgdgdgdgdg, Youtube
Spanner, dontstartmeoff.com
Spanner, dontstartmeoff.com
Neva2busy, dontstartmeoff.com
Neva2busy, dontstartmeoff.com
Pudabaya, Twitter
Pudabaya, Twitter
Gabrielle, Chortle.com
Gabrielle, Chortle.com
Carcrazychica, Youtube
Carcrazychica, Youtube
Horatio Melvin, Twitter
Horatio Melvin, Twitter
Anonymous, The Northfield Patriot
Anonymous, The Northfield Patriot
Rudeness, Youtube
Rudeness, Youtube
Jackmumf, Twitter
Jackmumf, Twitter
Karen Laidlaw, Edfringe. com.
Karen Laidlaw, Edfringe. com.
Gmanthedemon, bbc.co.uk
Gmanthedemon, bbc.co.uk
Fowkes81, Twitter
Fowkes81, Twitter
Yukio Mishima, dontstartmeoff.com
Yukio Mishima, dontstartmeoff.com
Mearecate, Youtube
Mearecate, Youtube
Tres Ryan, Twitter
Tres Ryan, Twitter
Leach Juice, Twitter
Leach Juice, Twitter
Hiewy, Youtube
Hiewy, Youtube
Cojones2, Guardian.co.uk
Cojones2, Guardian.co.uk
Aiden Hearn, Twitter
Aiden Hearn, Twitter
Dahoum, Guardian.co.uk
Dahoum, Guardian.co.uk
Whoiscuriousgeorge, Youtube
Whoiscuriousgeorge, Youtube
Clampdown59, Twitter.
Clampdown59, Twitter.
Mini-x2, readytogo.net
Mini-x2, readytogo.net
Meninblack, Twitter
Meninblack, Twitter
Liam Travitt, Twitter
Liam Travitt, Twitter