There may be little point to Channel 4’s endless (and endlessly repeated) The 100 Best… shows but they have at least provided Stewart Lee – the man behind Jerry Springer: The Opera – with a title for his latest stand-up tour.
Lee is, he’s happy to tell you, the 41st best stand-up comedian of all time. He’s hardly the 41st most high profile comic in the world but this show – sold out last year when it debuted in Edinburgh – does give you some idea as to why he’s so respected.
It’s no surprise that Lee, who withstood howls of protest over the “blasphemous” Jerry Springer, borders on the political, but – and this is where so many “serious” comedians go wrong – he is hilarious too.
He may be highly rated by Channel 4 but his own mother thinks Tom O’Connor is funnier. And he may be one of the top 50 best comics of all time but (he says with some bitterness) the BBC tore up its contract for a six-show Lee series and he can’t even sell out his Guild Hall gig.
He’s no observational comic (thankfully) and the laughs here come from the sincerity and the humour he injects into stories.
In fact, Lee is best on satirical ground and one of the biggest – if most unexpected – laughs of the night comes from his take on the Ipswich deaths, currently the subject of a crown court trial. A Daily Mail columnist was appalled by some newspapers’ tendencies to refer to the victims as “women who worked as prostitutes” and not simply “prostitutes”. But to what lengths would he go, asks Lee, before suggesting the columnist might head to the victims’ graves in the dead of night to change their tombstones.
If it all sounds distasteful, then Lee is not for you. But he didn’t become the 41st best comic of all time by playing it safe.
Iain, eatenbymissionaries
Iain, eatenbymissionaries
Mrdavisn01, Twitter
Mrdavisn01, Twitter
Microcuts 22, Twitter
Microcuts 22, Twitter
Lancethrustworthy, Youtube
Lancethrustworthy, Youtube
Sidsings000, Youtube
Sidsings000, Youtube
Joe, Independent.co.uk
Joe, Independent.co.uk
Genghis McKahn, Guardian.co.uk
Genghis McKahn, Guardian.co.uk
Gabrielle, Chortle.com
Gabrielle, Chortle.com
Patrick Kavanagh, Guardian.co.uk
Patrick Kavanagh, Guardian.co.uk
Alwyn, Digiguide.tv
Alwyn, Digiguide.tv
DVDhth's grandparents, Twitter
DVDhth's grandparents, Twitter
Brighton Argus
Brighton Argus
Emilyistrendy, Youtube
Emilyistrendy, Youtube
Dave Wilson, Chortle.com
Dave Wilson, Chortle.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
Carcrazychica, Youtube
Carcrazychica, Youtube
Tokyofist, Youtube
Tokyofist, Youtube
Tweeter Kyriakou, Twitter
Tweeter Kyriakou, Twitter
Pirate Crocodile, Twitter
Pirate Crocodile, Twitter
Karen Laidlaw, Edfringe. com.
Karen Laidlaw, Edfringe. com.
Dahoum, Guardian.co.uk
Dahoum, Guardian.co.uk
Whoiscuriousgeorge, Youtube
Whoiscuriousgeorge, Youtube
Cojones2, Guardian.co.uk
Cojones2, Guardian.co.uk
Joskins, Leeds Music Forum
Joskins, Leeds Music Forum
Ishamayura Byrd, Twitter
Ishamayura Byrd, Twitter
Len Firewood, Twitter
Len Firewood, Twitter
Lucinda Locketts, Twitter
Lucinda Locketts, Twitter
Visualiser1, Twitter
Visualiser1, Twitter
Sam Rooney, Youtube
Sam Rooney, Youtube
Carla, St Albans, Dailymail.co.uk
Carla, St Albans, Dailymail.co.uk
Secretdeveloper, Youtube
Secretdeveloper, Youtube
Rubyshoes, Twitter
Rubyshoes, Twitter
Pudabaya, Twitter
Pudabaya, Twitter
Slothy Matt, Twitter
Slothy Matt, Twitter
Shane, Beverley, Dailymail.co.uk
Shane, Beverley, Dailymail.co.uk
General Lurko 36, Guardian.co.uk
General Lurko 36, Guardian.co.uk
Guest1001, Youtube
Guest1001, Youtube
Peter Ould, Youtube
Peter Ould, Youtube
John Robins, Comedian
John Robins, Comedian
Cyberbloke, Twitter
Cyberbloke, Twitter
FBC, finalgear.com
FBC, finalgear.com
Al Murray, Comedian
Al Murray, Comedian
Chez, Chortle.com
Chez, Chortle.com
Pudabaya, beexcellenttoeachother.com
Pudabaya, beexcellenttoeachother.com
Lents, redandwhitekop.com
Lents, redandwhitekop.com
Aaron, comedy.co.uk
Aaron, comedy.co.uk
Gmanthedemon, bbc.co.uk
Gmanthedemon, bbc.co.uk
Peter Fears, Twitter
Peter Fears, Twitter
Richard Herring, Comedian
Richard Herring, Comedian
Meninblack, Twitter
Meninblack, Twitter
GRTak, finalgear.com
GRTak, finalgear.com
Hiewy, Youtube
Hiewy, Youtube
Bobby Bhoy, Twitter
Bobby Bhoy, Twitter
Anonymous, don'tstartmeoff.com
Anonymous, don'tstartmeoff.com
Lenny Darksphere, Twitter
Lenny Darksphere, Twitter
Idrie, Youtube
Idrie, Youtube
Z-factor, Twitter.
Z-factor, Twitter.
Dick Socrates, Twitter
Dick Socrates, Twitter
Tres Ryan, Twitter
Tres Ryan, Twitter
Clampdown59, Twitter.
Clampdown59, Twitter.
Lee Mack, Mack The Life, 2012
Lee Mack, Mack The Life, 2012
Tin Frog, Twitter
Tin Frog, Twitter
Kozzy06, Youtube
Kozzy06, Youtube
Deepbass, Guardian.co.uk
Deepbass, Guardian.co.uk
Anon, westhamonline.com
Anon, westhamonline.com
Maninabananasuit, Guardian.co.uk
Maninabananasuit, Guardian.co.uk
Mini-x2, readytogo.net
Mini-x2, readytogo.net
Peter Ould, Twitter
Peter Ould, Twitter
Anon, dontstartmeoff.com
Anon, dontstartmeoff.com
Mearecate, Youtube
Mearecate, Youtube
Rudeness, Youtube
Rudeness, Youtube
Someoneyoudon'tknow, Chortle.com
Someoneyoudon'tknow, Chortle.com
Tweeterkiryakou, Twitter
Tweeterkiryakou, Twitter
Bosco239, youtube
Bosco239, youtube
Jamespearse, Twitter
Jamespearse, Twitter
Funday’schild, youtube.
Funday’schild, youtube.
Shit Crit, Twitter
Shit Crit, Twitter
Coxy, Dontstartmeoff.com
Coxy, Dontstartmeoff.com
Joycey, readytogo.net
Joycey, readytogo.net
Stokeylitfest, Twitter
Stokeylitfest, Twitter
Foxfoxton, Youtube
Foxfoxton, Youtube
Spanner, dontstartmeoff.com
Spanner, dontstartmeoff.com
Syhr, breakbeat.co.uk
Syhr, breakbeat.co.uk
Anon, BBC Complaints Log
Anon, BBC Complaints Log
Johnny Kitkat, dontstartmeoff.com
Johnny Kitkat, dontstartmeoff.com
Dominic Cavendish, Daily Telegraph
Dominic Cavendish, Daily Telegraph
Aiden Hearn, Twitter
Aiden Hearn, Twitter
Esme Folley, Actress, cellist, Twitter
Esme Folley, Actress, cellist, Twitter
Sweeping Curves, Twitter
Sweeping Curves, Twitter
Neolab, Guardian.co.uk
Neolab, Guardian.co.uk
NevW47479, UKTV.co.uk
NevW47479, UKTV.co.uk
Pnethor, pne-online.com
Pnethor, pne-online.com
Rowing Rob, Guardian.co.uk
Rowing Rob, Guardian.co.uk
Birmingham Sunday Mercury
Birmingham Sunday Mercury
Cabluigi, Guardian.co.uk
Cabluigi, Guardian.co.uk
Wharto15, Twitter
Wharto15, Twitter
98rosjon, Twitter
98rosjon, Twitter
Anonymous, The Northfield Patriot
Anonymous, The Northfield Patriot
Stuart, Chortle
Stuart, Chortle
Etienne, Chortle.com
Etienne, Chortle.com
Keilloh, Twitter
Keilloh, Twitter
Borathigh5, Youtube
Borathigh5, Youtube
Anamatronix, Youtube
Anamatronix, Youtube
Meanstreetelite, Peoplesrepublicofcork
Meanstreetelite, Peoplesrepublicofcork
A D Ward, Twitter
A D Ward, Twitter
Dominic Cavendish, Telegraph
Dominic Cavendish, Telegraph
Liam Travitt, Twitter
Liam Travitt, Twitter
Frankie Boyle, Comedian
Frankie Boyle, Comedian
Yukio Mishima, dontstartmeoff.com
Yukio Mishima, dontstartmeoff.com
Neva2busy, dontstartmeoff.com
Neva2busy, dontstartmeoff.com
Alex Quarmby, Edfringe.com
Alex Quarmby, Edfringe.com
Fowkes81, Twitter
Fowkes81, Twitter
Nicetime, Guardian.co.uk
Nicetime, Guardian.co.uk
Guest, Dontstartmeoff.com
Guest, Dontstartmeoff.com
Brendon, Vauxhallownersnetwork.co.uk
Brendon, Vauxhallownersnetwork.co.uk
Henry Howard Fun, Twitter
Henry Howard Fun, Twitter
James Dellingpole, Daily Telegraph
James Dellingpole, Daily Telegraph
Robert Gavin, Twitter
Robert Gavin, Twitter
Jackmumf, Twitter
Jackmumf, Twitter
Gwaites, Digitalspy
Gwaites, Digitalspy
Contrapuntal, Twitter
Contrapuntal, Twitter
Mpf1947, Youtube
Mpf1947, Youtube
Zombie Hamster, Twitter
Zombie Hamster, Twitter
Fairy Pingu, Twitter
Fairy Pingu, Twitter
Horatio Melvin, Twitter
Horatio Melvin, Twitter
World Without End, Twitter
World Without End, Twitter
Danazawa, Youtube
Danazawa, Youtube
Leach Juice, Twitter
Leach Juice, Twitter
12dgdgdgdgdgdg, Youtube
12dgdgdgdgdgdg, Youtube