Stewart Lee is touring the country, trying out material for his new TV series that will go out next year. This show, a part of that tour, was no new gags night but a carefully structured set, which he characteristically outlined from the off as being on three topics: charity, Adrian Chiles and politics. Although, he pointed out, the material on Adrian Chiles will not be seen on television due to the recently announced rules of the BBC barring attacks on individuals. So that was a one-off just for us…
Lee’s vitriol is always appreciated, and Chiles wasn’t the only one under attack. There was a fantastic story about our Prime Minister in his youth, framed in a not dissimilar way to Lee’s considering of Top Gear presenter Richard Hammond last year. This provided a wonderful pay-off for all and a nostalgic reward for stalwart Stew fans.
A delightful trip between grandad stories, charity boasts, Japanese monsters and a celebration of crisps – this was hardly a single topic, and more a fantastic Walter Mitty tale, suspending our disbelief seamlessly sashaying around its broad title, picking up further laughs along the way. Lee’s storytelling and considerations kept his audience rapt, trusting from experience that each lengthy set-up would hit pay dirt. They did.
Throughout the show Lee deconstructed his comedy. Of particular fun were the elements when he addressed critics’ claims that he doesn’t tell jokes, and when he used his supposed librarian past to deliberately heavy-handedly parallel his present. His mocking recognition of critics’ problems with his style of comedy and delivery falls on home ground ears, as an audience already attuned laughs with him at them.
To write plainly, he went down a storm. Stewart Lee is an ever evolving comic, keeping himself and his fans forever on the move, avoiding the stale. His active mind is what attracts his audience and he gives the impression of amusing himself as much as anyone else staring up at him on the stage.
The closest to any personal material he included in the show was in the ‘politics’ section. He remembered stand up in the late ‘80s, when he first started out, and the ‘alternative’ brand comics were claiming. He still is an alternative to the main throng of comics; you’re hardly likely to find him closing Krater on a Friday night. But he’s filling up the Brighton Dome Concert Hall, implying that this ‘alternative’ too is gaining greater momentum.
Lee finished with a song. A new direction. Still funny. Like a comedy shark, he stayed sharp as he kept moving on.
Concert Hall, Brighton Dome, 19 October
4/5
Peter Ould, Twitter
Peter Ould, Twitter
Etienne, Chortle.com
Etienne, Chortle.com
Karen Laidlaw, Edfringe. com.
Karen Laidlaw, Edfringe. com.
Lents, redandwhitekop.com
Lents, redandwhitekop.com
Anon, BBC Complaints Log
Anon, BBC Complaints Log
Leach Juice, Twitter
Leach Juice, Twitter
Dahoum, Guardian.co.uk
Dahoum, Guardian.co.uk
Sidsings000, Youtube
Sidsings000, Youtube
Visualiser1, Twitter
Visualiser1, Twitter
Stokeylitfest, Twitter
Stokeylitfest, Twitter
Anamatronix, Youtube
Anamatronix, Youtube
NevW47479, UKTV.co.uk
NevW47479, UKTV.co.uk
Chez, Chortle.com
Chez, Chortle.com
Mrdavisn01, Twitter
Mrdavisn01, Twitter
Lenny Darksphere, Twitter
Lenny Darksphere, Twitter
World Without End, Twitter
World Without End, Twitter
Neolab, Guardian.co.uk
Neolab, Guardian.co.uk
Foxfoxton, Youtube
Foxfoxton, Youtube
Peter Ould, Youtube
Peter Ould, Youtube
Pudabaya, beexcellenttoeachother.com
Pudabaya, beexcellenttoeachother.com
Dominic Cavendish, Telegraph
Dominic Cavendish, Telegraph
Ishamayura Byrd, Twitter
Ishamayura Byrd, Twitter
Secretdeveloper, Youtube
Secretdeveloper, Youtube
Liam Travitt, Twitter
Liam Travitt, Twitter
Funday’schild, youtube.
Funday’schild, youtube.
Al Murray, Comedian
Al Murray, Comedian
Yukio Mishima, dontstartmeoff.com
Yukio Mishima, dontstartmeoff.com
Aiden Hearn, Twitter
Aiden Hearn, Twitter
Bosco239, youtube
Bosco239, youtube
12dgdgdgdgdgdg, Youtube
12dgdgdgdgdgdg, Youtube
Robert Gavin, Twitter
Robert Gavin, Twitter
Cojones2, Guardian.co.uk
Cojones2, Guardian.co.uk
Sweeping Curves, Twitter
Sweeping Curves, Twitter
Danazawa, Youtube
Danazawa, Youtube
Mearecate, Youtube
Mearecate, Youtube
Joycey, readytogo.net
Joycey, readytogo.net
Z-factor, Twitter.
Z-factor, Twitter.
Richard Herring, Comedian
Richard Herring, Comedian
Meninblack, Twitter
Meninblack, Twitter
Pnethor, pne-online.com
Pnethor, pne-online.com
Aaron, comedy.co.uk
Aaron, comedy.co.uk
Frankie Boyle, Comedian
Frankie Boyle, Comedian
Dave Wilson, Chortle.com
Dave Wilson, Chortle.com
Someoneyoudon'tknow, Chortle.com
Someoneyoudon'tknow, Chortle.com
Anonymous, The Northfield Patriot
Anonymous, The Northfield Patriot
Jamespearse, Twitter
Jamespearse, Twitter
Carla, St Albans, Dailymail.co.uk
Carla, St Albans, Dailymail.co.uk
Meanstreetelite, Peoplesrepublicofcork
Meanstreetelite, Peoplesrepublicofcork
Tweeterkiryakou, Twitter
Tweeterkiryakou, Twitter
Henry Howard Fun, Twitter
Henry Howard Fun, Twitter
Alex Quarmby, Edfringe.com
Alex Quarmby, Edfringe.com
FBC, finalgear.com
FBC, finalgear.com
Len Firewood, Twitter
Len Firewood, Twitter
Anon, westhamonline.com
Anon, westhamonline.com
Joe, Independent.co.uk
Joe, Independent.co.uk
Joskins, Leeds Music Forum
Joskins, Leeds Music Forum
Iain, eatenbymissionaries
Iain, eatenbymissionaries
James Dellingpole, Daily Telegraph
James Dellingpole, Daily Telegraph
Peter Fears, Twitter
Peter Fears, Twitter
Whoiscuriousgeorge, Youtube
Whoiscuriousgeorge, Youtube
John Robins, Comedian
John Robins, Comedian
Lancethrustworthy, Youtube
Lancethrustworthy, Youtube
Dominic Cavendish, Daily Telegraph
Dominic Cavendish, Daily Telegraph
Tweeter Kyriakou, Twitter
Tweeter Kyriakou, Twitter
Pirate Crocodile, Twitter
Pirate Crocodile, Twitter
Cabluigi, Guardian.co.uk
Cabluigi, Guardian.co.uk
Lucinda Locketts, Twitter
Lucinda Locketts, Twitter
Esme Folley, Actress, cellist, Twitter
Esme Folley, Actress, cellist, Twitter
Bobby Bhoy, Twitter
Bobby Bhoy, Twitter
Neva2busy, dontstartmeoff.com
Neva2busy, dontstartmeoff.com
Jackmumf, Twitter
Jackmumf, Twitter
Anon, dontstartmeoff.com
Anon, dontstartmeoff.com
Brendon, Vauxhallownersnetwork.co.uk
Brendon, Vauxhallownersnetwork.co.uk
Idrie, Youtube
Idrie, 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
DVDhth's grandparents, Twitter
DVDhth's grandparents, Twitter
Tres Ryan, Twitter
Tres Ryan, Twitter
Shane, Beverley, Dailymail.co.uk
Shane, Beverley, Dailymail.co.uk
Borathigh5, Youtube
Borathigh5, Youtube
Microcuts 22, Twitter
Microcuts 22, Twitter
Mpf1947, Youtube
Mpf1947, Youtube
Rubyshoes, Twitter
Rubyshoes, Twitter
Rowing Rob, Guardian.co.uk
Rowing Rob, Guardian.co.uk
Birmingham Sunday Mercury
Birmingham Sunday Mercury
Anonymous, don'tstartmeoff.com
Anonymous, don'tstartmeoff.com
Gabrielle, Chortle.com
Gabrielle, Chortle.com
Contrapuntal, Twitter
Contrapuntal, Twitter
Fowkes81, Twitter
Fowkes81, Twitter
General Lurko 36, Guardian.co.uk
General Lurko 36, Guardian.co.uk
Spanner, dontstartmeoff.com
Spanner, dontstartmeoff.com
Emilyistrendy, Youtube
Emilyistrendy, Youtube
Mini-x2, readytogo.net
Mini-x2, readytogo.net
Shit Crit, Twitter
Shit Crit, Twitter
A D Ward, Twitter
A D Ward, Twitter
Tin Frog, Twitter
Tin Frog, Twitter
Tokyofist, Youtube
Tokyofist, Youtube
Wharto15, Twitter
Wharto15, Twitter
Horatio Melvin, Twitter
Horatio Melvin, Twitter
Pudabaya, Twitter
Pudabaya, Twitter
Maninabananasuit, Guardian.co.uk
Maninabananasuit, Guardian.co.uk
Slothy Matt, Twitter
Slothy Matt, Twitter
Dick Socrates, Twitter
Dick Socrates, Twitter
Johnny Kitkat, dontstartmeoff.com
Johnny Kitkat, dontstartmeoff.com
Genghis McKahn, Guardian.co.uk
Genghis McKahn, Guardian.co.uk
Gmanthedemon, bbc.co.uk
Gmanthedemon, bbc.co.uk
Cyberbloke, Twitter
Cyberbloke, Twitter
Zombie Hamster, Twitter
Zombie Hamster, Twitter
Keilloh, Twitter
Keilloh, Twitter
Lee Mack, Mack The Life, 2012
Lee Mack, Mack The Life, 2012
Rudeness, Youtube
Rudeness, Youtube
Kozzy06, Youtube
Kozzy06, Youtube
Guest, Dontstartmeoff.com
Guest, Dontstartmeoff.com
Stuart, Chortle
Stuart, Chortle
Coxy, Dontstartmeoff.com
Coxy, Dontstartmeoff.com
GRTak, finalgear.com
GRTak, finalgear.com
Patrick Kavanagh, Guardian.co.uk
Patrick Kavanagh, Guardian.co.uk
Gwaites, Digitalspy
Gwaites, Digitalspy
Brighton Argus
Brighton Argus
Clampdown59, Twitter.
Clampdown59, Twitter.
Syhr, breakbeat.co.uk
Syhr, breakbeat.co.uk
Sam Rooney, Youtube
Sam Rooney, Youtube
Carcrazychica, Youtube
Carcrazychica, Youtube
98rosjon, Twitter
98rosjon, Twitter
Hiewy, Youtube
Hiewy, Youtube
Deepbass, Guardian.co.uk
Deepbass, Guardian.co.uk
Fairy Pingu, Twitter
Fairy Pingu, Twitter
Alwyn, Digiguide.tv
Alwyn, Digiguide.tv
Guest1001, Youtube
Guest1001, Youtube
Nicetime, Guardian.co.uk
Nicetime, Guardian.co.uk