“You’ve worked me out… I’m just looking at an object and being sarcastic about it,” says Stewart Lee, breaking down his set to a finely tuned analytical degree, having just looked at and been sarcastic about both Franklyn Ajaye’s 1974 album I’m A Comedian, Seriously and Chris Moyles’ autobiography The Tough Second Book. “And I’ve made a decent twenty-year career out of doing that.”
Of course, Lee has done much more than take cheap shots at minor celebrities. Much more. This is the man who gave the world Jerry Springer: The Opera and incurred the wrath of the God-squad; the man whose set 90s Comedian is heralded as an all-time classic; and the man who can stretch a single joke out across an hour and keep a room full of people doubled over in laughter. In short, Stewart Lee is one of the finest comedians that Britain has ever produced.
This year’s set is another exemplary hour of wonderful stand-up-cum-social-commentary. Lee is an immaculate performer: self-aware, varied, intelligent and relevant. His material combines an analysis of the mundane while fitting it expertly into a wider social context. His apparently disparate set is finally tied together under the grander theme of railing against a society that is culturally and intellectually in rapid decline. And the reason that he is so important is that his target is a valid one – in our market-economy, where the consumer is king, Lee does not lazily blame politicians. He knows who is really at fault. Us.
Lee’s genius, though, is in never being preachy, condescending or even particularly overt. The stories he tells early on plant the seed of an idea and it’s not until the set’s climax that you understand the full picture that he is trying to show – that you see each set-piece in its relation to the whole. This is a stunningly affecting, memorable performance from one of the few comic greats in Edinburgh this year.
Tweeter Kyriakou, Twitter
Tweeter Kyriakou, Twitter
Karen Laidlaw, Edfringe. com.
Karen Laidlaw, Edfringe. com.
Microcuts 22, Twitter
Microcuts 22, Twitter
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GRTak, finalgear.com
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Brighton Argus
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Pudabaya, Twitter
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Shit Crit, Twitter
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Wharto15, Twitter
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Kozzy06, Youtube
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Fairy Pingu, Twitter
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Danazawa, Youtube
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James Dellingpole, Daily Telegraph
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Liam Travitt, Twitter
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Clampdown59, Twitter.
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Cojones2, Guardian.co.uk
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Chez, Chortle.com
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Sam Rooney, Youtube
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Joskins, Leeds Music Forum
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Ishamayura Byrd, Twitter
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Alwyn, Digiguide.tv
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Cabluigi, Guardian.co.uk
Stuart, Chortle
Stuart, Chortle
Neva2busy, dontstartmeoff.com
Neva2busy, dontstartmeoff.com
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Henry Howard Fun, Twitter
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Johnny Kitkat, dontstartmeoff.com
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Tokyofist, Youtube
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Leach Juice, Twitter
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Lucinda Locketts, Twitter
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Lancethrustworthy, Youtube
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Pudabaya, beexcellenttoeachother.com
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Meninblack, Twitter
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Anonymous, don'tstartmeoff.com
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Mrdavisn01, Twitter
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Zombie Hamster, Twitter
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A D Ward, Twitter
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Shane, Beverley, Dailymail.co.uk
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Anonymous, The Northfield Patriot
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Esme Folley, Actress, cellist, Twitter
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DVDhth's grandparents, Twitter
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Richard Herring, Comedian
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Sidsings000, Youtube
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Pirate Crocodile, Twitter
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Anon, dontstartmeoff.com
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Gabrielle, Chortle.com
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Dave Wilson, Chortle.com
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Robert Gavin, Twitter
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Gwaites, Digitalspy
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Anon, westhamonline.com
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Syhr, breakbeat.co.uk
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John Robins, Comedian
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Rowing Rob, Guardian.co.uk
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Sweeping Curves, Twitter
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Carla, St Albans, Dailymail.co.uk
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Funday’schild, youtube.
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Nicetime, Guardian.co.uk
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Rudeness, Youtube
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Anamatronix, Youtube
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Bosco239, youtube
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Tweeterkiryakou, Twitter
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Horatio Melvin, Twitter
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Lents, redandwhitekop.com
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Aaron, comedy.co.uk
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Etienne, Chortle.com
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Frankie Boyle, Comedian
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Peter Fears, Twitter
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Peter Ould, Youtube
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Patrick Kavanagh, Guardian.co.uk
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Contrapuntal, Twitter
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Meanstreetelite, Peoplesrepublicofcork
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Iain, eatenbymissionaries
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Bobby Bhoy, Twitter
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Secretdeveloper, Youtube
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Maninabananasuit, Guardian.co.uk
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Jackmumf, Twitter
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Aiden Hearn, Twitter
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Deepbass, Guardian.co.uk
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Dominic Cavendish, Telegraph
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Tres Ryan, Twitter
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Mpf1947, Youtube
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Anon, BBC Complaints Log
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Joycey, readytogo.net
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World Without End, Twitter
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Dahoum, Guardian.co.uk
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Keilloh, Twitter
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Cyberbloke, Twitter
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Idrie, Youtube
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Foxfoxton, Youtube
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Yukio Mishima, dontstartmeoff.com
12dgdgdgdgdgdg, Youtube
12dgdgdgdgdgdg, Youtube
Birmingham Sunday Mercury
Birmingham Sunday Mercury
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Emilyistrendy, Youtube
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Borathigh5, Youtube
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Gmanthedemon, bbc.co.uk
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Visualiser1, Twitter
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Brendon, Vauxhallownersnetwork.co.uk
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Coxy, Dontstartmeoff.com
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Rubyshoes, Twitter
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Len Firewood, Twitter
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Fowkes81, Twitter
Neolab, Guardian.co.uk
Neolab, Guardian.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
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98rosjon, Twitter
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Z-factor, Twitter.
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Tin Frog, Twitter
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Mearecate, Youtube
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Peter Ould, Twitter
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Guest1001, Youtube
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Guest, Dontstartmeoff.com
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Lenny Darksphere, Twitter
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Genghis McKahn, Guardian.co.uk
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Jamespearse, Twitter
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Stokeylitfest, Twitter
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Pnethor, pne-online.com
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Dick Socrates, Twitter
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Hiewy, Youtube
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General Lurko 36, Guardian.co.uk
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Carcrazychica, Youtube
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NevW47479, UKTV.co.uk
FBC, finalgear.com
FBC, finalgear.com
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Spanner, dontstartmeoff.com
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Alex Quarmby, Edfringe.com
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Someoneyoudon'tknow, Chortle.com
Lee Mack, Mack The Life, 2012
Lee Mack, Mack The Life, 2012
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Slothy Matt, Twitter
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Joe, Independent.co.uk
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Dominic Cavendish, Daily Telegraph
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Whoiscuriousgeorge, Youtube
Mini-x2, readytogo.net
Mini-x2, readytogo.net
Al Murray, Comedian
Al Murray, Comedian