Stewart Lee is a very clever but very disappointed man.
He rails bitterly against the world, against the reviewers that have gone from describing him as a “crumpled Morrissey” to a “squashed Albert Finney”, “against the parents who “think it’s a big joke” that he’s a comedian, against the invisible forces that make his life into a series of heroic failures.
It’s a humour where the observational breeds the surreal, a comedy of layers, weaving various central threads in and out of each other and revisiting them time and again.
There’s the strange half-plaudit of being named 41st Best Stand Up Comedian Ever in a Channel 4 poll, the fact that the funniest thing his mother has ever seen is cheeky Scouse Crosswits host Tom O’Connor telling a bad joke about sardines on a cruise ship and his hapless appearance at the entymologists conference “Pestival” doing stand up dressed as an insect.
He’s always pushed the boundaries of accepted comedy, experimenting with wordplay and mental imagery, questioning the essence of what we find funny and getting laughs with it.
Here he plays ever more recklessly with the rules, forcing your comfort zone by dropping the mike and roaming into the audience, ranting as if in the grip of a nervous breakdown, turning his back to stare out of the window and finally balancing a woollen giraffe on his head and staring mutely as they titter increasingly awkwardly.
It’s a portrait of a man and his disappointed hopes, a cerebral, but angry form of humour – and it’s in the hands of an expert.
Whoiscuriousgeorge, Youtube
Whoiscuriousgeorge, Youtube
Henry Howard Fun, Twitter
Henry Howard Fun, Twitter
Wharto15, Twitter
Wharto15, Twitter
Spanner, dontstartmeoff.com
Spanner, dontstartmeoff.com
Yukio Mishima, dontstartmeoff.com
Yukio Mishima, dontstartmeoff.com
Patrick Kavanagh, Guardian.co.uk
Patrick Kavanagh, Guardian.co.uk
Guest, Dontstartmeoff.com
Guest, Dontstartmeoff.com
Contrapuntal, Twitter
Contrapuntal, Twitter
Mpf1947, Youtube
Mpf1947, Youtube
Rudeness, Youtube
Rudeness, Youtube
Guest1001, Youtube
Guest1001, Youtube
Cojones2, Guardian.co.uk
Cojones2, Guardian.co.uk
Stokeylitfest, Twitter
Stokeylitfest, Twitter
Mini-x2, readytogo.net
Mini-x2, readytogo.net
Cyberbloke, Twitter
Cyberbloke, Twitter
Dominic Cavendish, Telegraph
Dominic Cavendish, Telegraph
Pudabaya, Twitter
Pudabaya, Twitter
Coxy, Dontstartmeoff.com
Coxy, Dontstartmeoff.com
Deepbass, Guardian.co.uk
Deepbass, Guardian.co.uk
Karen Laidlaw, Edfringe. com.
Karen Laidlaw, Edfringe. com.
Danazawa, Youtube
Danazawa, Youtube
Peter Fears, Twitter
Peter Fears, Twitter
Dick Socrates, Twitter
Dick Socrates, Twitter
A D Ward, Twitter
A D Ward, Twitter
Anon, dontstartmeoff.com
Anon, dontstartmeoff.com
Horatio Melvin, Twitter
Horatio Melvin, Twitter
Fairy Pingu, Twitter
Fairy Pingu, Twitter
Emilyistrendy, Youtube
Emilyistrendy, Youtube
Lucinda Locketts, Twitter
Lucinda Locketts, Twitter
Len Firewood, Twitter
Len Firewood, Twitter
Microcuts 22, Twitter
Microcuts 22, Twitter
General Lurko 36, Guardian.co.uk
General Lurko 36, Guardian.co.uk
Pudabaya, beexcellenttoeachother.com
Pudabaya, beexcellenttoeachother.com
Jamespearse, Twitter
Jamespearse, Twitter
Jackmumf, Twitter
Jackmumf, Twitter
Neva2busy, dontstartmeoff.com
Neva2busy, dontstartmeoff.com
Syhr, breakbeat.co.uk
Syhr, breakbeat.co.uk
Anonymous, don'tstartmeoff.com
Anonymous, don'tstartmeoff.com
Anonymous, The Northfield Patriot
Anonymous, The Northfield Patriot
James Dellingpole, Daily Telegraph
James Dellingpole, Daily Telegraph
Chez, Chortle.com
Chez, Chortle.com
Sweeping Curves, Twitter
Sweeping Curves, Twitter
Stuart, Chortle
Stuart, Chortle
Rubyshoes, Twitter
Rubyshoes, Twitter
Tres Ryan, Twitter
Tres Ryan, Twitter
Al Murray, Comedian
Al Murray, Comedian
Kozzy06, Youtube
Kozzy06, Youtube
Joycey, readytogo.net
Joycey, readytogo.net
Nicetime, Guardian.co.uk
Nicetime, 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
Birmingham Sunday Mercury
Birmingham Sunday Mercury
Pirate Crocodile, Twitter
Pirate Crocodile, Twitter
Neolab, Guardian.co.uk
Neolab, Guardian.co.uk
Shit Crit, Twitter
Shit Crit, Twitter
FBC, finalgear.com
FBC, finalgear.com
Frankie Boyle, Comedian
Frankie Boyle, Comedian
Fowkes81, Twitter
Fowkes81, Twitter
Richard Herring, Comedian
Richard Herring, Comedian
Etienne, Chortle.com
Etienne, Chortle.com
Mrdavisn01, Twitter
Mrdavisn01, Twitter
Peter Ould, Twitter
Peter Ould, Twitter
Hiewy, Youtube
Hiewy, Youtube
NevW47479, UKTV.co.uk
NevW47479, UKTV.co.uk
Gabrielle, Chortle.com
Gabrielle, Chortle.com
Joskins, Leeds Music Forum
Joskins, Leeds Music Forum
Tin Frog, Twitter
Tin Frog, Twitter
Shane, Beverley, Dailymail.co.uk
Shane, Beverley, Dailymail.co.uk
Bobby Bhoy, Twitter
Bobby Bhoy, Twitter
Lancethrustworthy, Youtube
Lancethrustworthy, Youtube
Esme Folley, Actress, cellist, Twitter
Esme Folley, Actress, cellist, Twitter
Zombie Hamster, Twitter
Zombie Hamster, Twitter
Someoneyoudon'tknow, Chortle.com
Someoneyoudon'tknow, Chortle.com
Lee Mack, Mack The Life, 2012
Lee Mack, Mack The Life, 2012
Alex Quarmby, Edfringe.com
Alex Quarmby, Edfringe.com
Meanstreetelite, Peoplesrepublicofcork
Meanstreetelite, Peoplesrepublicofcork
Robert Gavin, Twitter
Robert Gavin, Twitter
Iain, eatenbymissionaries
Iain, eatenbymissionaries
Liam Travitt, Twitter
Liam Travitt, Twitter
Carla, St Albans, Dailymail.co.uk
Carla, St Albans, Dailymail.co.uk
Anamatronix, Youtube
Anamatronix, Youtube
Sam Rooney, Youtube
Sam Rooney, Youtube
Sidsings000, Youtube
Sidsings000, Youtube
Lents, redandwhitekop.com
Lents, redandwhitekop.com
12dgdgdgdgdgdg, Youtube
12dgdgdgdgdgdg, Youtube
Aiden Hearn, Twitter
Aiden Hearn, Twitter
Maninabananasuit, Guardian.co.uk
Maninabananasuit, Guardian.co.uk
Idrie, Youtube
Idrie, Youtube
Foxfoxton, Youtube
Foxfoxton, Youtube
Joe, Independent.co.uk
Joe, Independent.co.uk
Slothy Matt, Twitter
Slothy Matt, Twitter
Aaron, comedy.co.uk
Aaron, comedy.co.uk
Funday’schild, youtube.
Funday’schild, youtube.
Rowing Rob, Guardian.co.uk
Rowing Rob, Guardian.co.uk
World Without End, Twitter
World Without End, Twitter
Ishamayura Byrd, Twitter
Ishamayura Byrd, Twitter
John Robins, Comedian
John Robins, Comedian
Johnny Kitkat, dontstartmeoff.com
Johnny Kitkat, dontstartmeoff.com
Carcrazychica, Youtube
Carcrazychica, Youtube
Dave Wilson, Chortle.com
Dave Wilson, Chortle.com
Gmanthedemon, bbc.co.uk
Gmanthedemon, bbc.co.uk
Brighton Argus
Brighton Argus
Dahoum, Guardian.co.uk
Dahoum, Guardian.co.uk
Visualiser1, Twitter
Visualiser1, Twitter
DVDhth's grandparents, Twitter
DVDhth's grandparents, Twitter
Borathigh5, Youtube
Borathigh5, Youtube
Alwyn, Digiguide.tv
Alwyn, Digiguide.tv
Mearecate, Youtube
Mearecate, Youtube
Cabluigi, Guardian.co.uk
Cabluigi, Guardian.co.uk
Dominic Cavendish, Daily Telegraph
Dominic Cavendish, Daily Telegraph
Lenny Darksphere, Twitter
Lenny Darksphere, Twitter
Z-factor, Twitter.
Z-factor, Twitter.
Brendon, Vauxhallownersnetwork.co.uk
Brendon, Vauxhallownersnetwork.co.uk
Anon, westhamonline.com
Anon, westhamonline.com
Meninblack, Twitter
Meninblack, Twitter
Tokyofist, Youtube
Tokyofist, Youtube
Bosco239, youtube
Bosco239, youtube
Peter Ould, Youtube
Peter Ould, Youtube
Genghis McKahn, Guardian.co.uk
Genghis McKahn, Guardian.co.uk
Tweeter Kyriakou, Twitter
Tweeter Kyriakou, Twitter
Leach Juice, Twitter
Leach Juice, Twitter
Anon, BBC Complaints Log
Anon, BBC Complaints Log
Secretdeveloper, Youtube
Secretdeveloper, Youtube
Clampdown59, Twitter.
Clampdown59, Twitter.
Pnethor, pne-online.com
Pnethor, pne-online.com
GRTak, finalgear.com
GRTak, finalgear.com
Keilloh, Twitter
Keilloh, Twitter
Tweeterkiryakou, Twitter
Tweeterkiryakou, Twitter
Gwaites, Digitalspy
Gwaites, Digitalspy
98rosjon, Twitter
98rosjon, Twitter