Here at WOS Manchester, we rarely get the chance to review comedy but Stewart Lee has the perfect theatrical connection – he co-wrote the ground breaking Jerry Springer – The Opera.
But what of his comedy act? Surely once you have seen one stand up comedian honing their material so that it relates to the audience, you have seen them all. Cue- funny stories rolling off the tongue followed by a spot of batting hecklers back and forth and you have the ingredients for a comedy night out.
But Stew is not your archetypal comedian, as his material bravely confounds all of your expectations. The format for his shows should not work but due to the skill and intelligence of the delivery, it works wonderfully. How many other comedians could repeat the same joke/story from a different angle and make you laugh through your hands?
Lee’s stories are, at times funny and yet quite sardoic, as he recalls his mother’s love of an old Tom O’Connor joke over his own material. We also hear how the BBC pulled the plug on a TV show he was comissioned to write. Their loss and our gain, as this intelligent genre-busting comedian is refreshingly different.
The Evening Standard have described him as a “squashed Albert Finney” which might be due to his disdain of middle England’s poster boy – Daily Mail collumnist Richard Littlejohn.
I particularly loved his take on Carphone Warehouse’s reaction to the Big Brother racism row. But the great thing about this show is the way Stewart seamlessly leaps from one unrelated topic to another. For example March Of The Mallards as opposed to the penguins because these ducks are dirtier and would not have received a U certificate if they were the subject of a documentary!
The audience on the night I went laughed hysterically, as did I. This clever comedian delivers his lines with pauses allowing the audience to guess the punchline. The respect that he gives his fans is reciprocated, as at the Lowry they cheered him to the rafters.
An excellent night out!
Zombie Hamster, Twitter
Zombie Hamster, Twitter
Len Firewood, Twitter
Len Firewood, Twitter
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Dominic Cavendish, Daily Telegraph
Contrapuntal, Twitter
Contrapuntal, Twitter
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Carla, St Albans, Dailymail.co.uk
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Alwyn, Digiguide.tv
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Dave Wilson, Chortle.com
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Guest1001, Youtube
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Neolab, Guardian.co.uk
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Chez, Chortle.com
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Liam Travitt, Twitter
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Lucinda Locketts, Twitter
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Karen Laidlaw, Edfringe. com.
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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Etienne, Chortle.com
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Cyberbloke, Twitter
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Ishamayura Byrd, Twitter
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Visualiser1, Twitter
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Pudabaya, Twitter
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Anonymous, don'tstartmeoff.com
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Anon, dontstartmeoff.com
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Kozzy06, Youtube
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Robert Gavin, Twitter
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Tres Ryan, Twitter
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Lee Mack, Mack The Life, 2012
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Stokeylitfest, Twitter
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Stuart, Chortle
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Patrick Kavanagh, Guardian.co.uk
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Rowing Rob, Guardian.co.uk
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Neva2busy, dontstartmeoff.com
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Nicetime, Guardian.co.uk
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Hiewy, Youtube
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Anonymous, The Northfield Patriot
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Dahoum, Guardian.co.uk
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Shit Crit, Twitter
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Z-factor, Twitter.
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FBC, finalgear.com
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Tweeterkiryakou, Twitter
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Horatio Melvin, Twitter
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Bobby Bhoy, Twitter
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Bosco239, youtube
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Iain, eatenbymissionaries
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Tweeter Kyriakou, Twitter
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General Lurko 36, Guardian.co.uk
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Yukio Mishima, dontstartmeoff.com
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Microcuts 22, Twitter
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Coxy, Dontstartmeoff.com
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Aiden Hearn, Twitter
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Jackmumf, Twitter
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Meninblack, Twitter
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Genghis McKahn, Guardian.co.uk
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Carcrazychica, Youtube
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Sidsings000, Youtube
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Fairy Pingu, Twitter
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Shane, Beverley, Dailymail.co.uk
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Whoiscuriousgeorge, Youtube
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Al Murray, Comedian
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Alex Quarmby, Edfringe.com
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Leach Juice, Twitter
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Mpf1947, Youtube
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A D Ward, Twitter
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Funday’schild, youtube.
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Joskins, Leeds Music Forum
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Anon, westhamonline.com
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Anon, BBC Complaints Log
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Dominic Cavendish, Telegraph
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Deepbass, Guardian.co.uk
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Sweeping Curves, Twitter
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John Robins, Comedian
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Keilloh, Twitter
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12dgdgdgdgdgdg, Youtube
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Lenny Darksphere, Twitter
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Spanner, dontstartmeoff.com
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Rubyshoes, Twitter
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Henry Howard Fun, Twitter
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Joe, Independent.co.uk
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Mrdavisn01, Twitter
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Peter Ould, Youtube
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Fowkes81, Twitter
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Gabrielle, Chortle.com
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Pnethor, pne-online.com
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Joycey, readytogo.net
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Peter Fears, Twitter
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Gmanthedemon, bbc.co.uk
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Brighton Argus
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Rudeness, Youtube
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Lents, redandwhitekop.com
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Guest, Dontstartmeoff.com
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Maninabananasuit, Guardian.co.uk
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Peter Ould, Twitter
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Pudabaya, beexcellenttoeachother.com
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Cojones2, Guardian.co.uk
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Richard Herring, Comedian
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Cabluigi, Guardian.co.uk
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98rosjon, Twitter
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Foxfoxton, Youtube
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DVDhth's grandparents, Twitter
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Borathigh5, Youtube
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Idrie, Youtube
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Wharto15, Twitter
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GRTak, finalgear.com
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Dick Socrates, Twitter
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Pirate Crocodile, Twitter
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Gwaites, Digitalspy
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Syhr, breakbeat.co.uk
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Someoneyoudon'tknow, Chortle.com
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Aaron, comedy.co.uk
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Johnny Kitkat, dontstartmeoff.com
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Mini-x2, readytogo.net
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Tin Frog, Twitter
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Lancethrustworthy, Youtube
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James Dellingpole, Daily Telegraph
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NevW47479, UKTV.co.uk
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Meanstreetelite, Peoplesrepublicofcork
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Frankie Boyle, Comedian
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Esme Folley, Actress, cellist, Twitter
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Brendon, Vauxhallownersnetwork.co.uk