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.
Johnny Kitkat, dontstartmeoff.com
Johnny Kitkat, dontstartmeoff.com
Mrdavisn01, Twitter
Mrdavisn01, Twitter
Neva2busy, dontstartmeoff.com
Neva2busy, dontstartmeoff.com
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Borathigh5, Youtube
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Cabluigi, Guardian.co.uk
Wharto15, Twitter
Wharto15, Twitter
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Keilloh, Twitter
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FBC, finalgear.com
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Stuart, Chortle
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Emilyistrendy, Youtube
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Whoiscuriousgeorge, Youtube
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World Without End, Twitter
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A D Ward, Twitter
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Lancethrustworthy, Youtube
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Rubyshoes, Twitter
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Anon, westhamonline.com
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Ishamayura Byrd, Twitter
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Carcrazychica, Youtube
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Stokeylitfest, Twitter
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Neolab, Guardian.co.uk
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GRTak, finalgear.com
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Alex Quarmby, Edfringe.com
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Nicetime, Guardian.co.uk
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Syhr, breakbeat.co.uk
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Lucinda Locketts, Twitter
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Hiewy, Youtube
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Microcuts 22, Twitter
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Etienne, Chortle.com
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Lenny Darksphere, Twitter
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Len Firewood, Twitter
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Peter Ould, Youtube
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Bosco239, 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
Gwaites, Digitalspy
Gwaites, Digitalspy
Sidsings000, Youtube
Sidsings000, Youtube
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Gmanthedemon, bbc.co.uk
Peter Fears, Twitter
Peter Fears, Twitter
General Lurko 36, Guardian.co.uk
General Lurko 36, Guardian.co.uk
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Bobby Bhoy, Twitter
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Dave Wilson, Chortle.com
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Dominic Cavendish, Daily Telegraph
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Aaron, comedy.co.uk
Fowkes81, Twitter
Fowkes81, Twitter
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Yukio Mishima, dontstartmeoff.com
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Pudabaya, Twitter
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Brighton Argus
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Jamespearse, Twitter
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Spanner, dontstartmeoff.com
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NevW47479, UKTV.co.uk
Pudabaya, beexcellenttoeachother.com
Pudabaya, beexcellenttoeachother.com
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Deepbass, Guardian.co.uk
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Fairy Pingu, Twitter
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Clampdown59, Twitter.
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Gabrielle, Chortle.com
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Anonymous, The Northfield Patriot
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Joskins, Leeds Music Forum
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Contrapuntal, Twitter
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Anamatronix, Youtube
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Funday’schild, youtube.
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Rudeness, Youtube
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Coxy, Dontstartmeoff.com
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Lents, redandwhitekop.com
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Foxfoxton, Youtube
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Z-factor, Twitter.
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Frankie Boyle, Comedian
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Mpf1947, Youtube
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Sam Rooney, Youtube
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Tres Ryan, Twitter
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Henry Howard Fun, Twitter
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Anon, BBC Complaints Log
Dahoum, Guardian.co.uk
Dahoum, Guardian.co.uk
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Mearecate, Youtube
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Tweeter Kyriakou, Twitter
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Karen Laidlaw, Edfringe. com.
Visualiser1, Twitter
Visualiser1, Twitter
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DVDhth's grandparents, Twitter
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Rowing Rob, Guardian.co.uk
Iain, eatenbymissionaries
Iain, eatenbymissionaries
Joycey, readytogo.net
Joycey, readytogo.net
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Someoneyoudon'tknow, Chortle.com
Brendon, Vauxhallownersnetwork.co.uk
Brendon, Vauxhallownersnetwork.co.uk
Peter Ould, Twitter
Peter Ould, Twitter
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Chez, Chortle.com
Tin Frog, Twitter
Tin Frog, Twitter
Sweeping Curves, Twitter
Sweeping Curves, Twitter
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Richard Herring, Comedian
Liam Travitt, Twitter
Liam Travitt, Twitter
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Jackmumf, Twitter
Maninabananasuit, Guardian.co.uk
Maninabananasuit, Guardian.co.uk
Leach Juice, Twitter
Leach Juice, Twitter
Anon, dontstartmeoff.com
Anon, dontstartmeoff.com
Pnethor, pne-online.com
Pnethor, pne-online.com
Esme Folley, Actress, cellist, Twitter
Esme Folley, Actress, cellist, Twitter
Carla, St Albans, Dailymail.co.uk
Carla, St Albans, Dailymail.co.uk
Meninblack, Twitter
Meninblack, Twitter
Joe, Independent.co.uk
Joe, Independent.co.uk
Zombie Hamster, Twitter
Zombie Hamster, Twitter
Shit Crit, Twitter
Shit Crit, Twitter
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Alwyn, Digiguide.tv
Guest1001, Youtube
Guest1001, Youtube
Kozzy06, Youtube
Kozzy06, Youtube
Mini-x2, readytogo.net
Mini-x2, readytogo.net
James Dellingpole, Daily Telegraph
James Dellingpole, Daily Telegraph
John Robins, Comedian
John Robins, Comedian
Shane, Beverley, Dailymail.co.uk
Shane, Beverley, Dailymail.co.uk
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Dick Socrates, Twitter
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Horatio Melvin, Twitter
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Tokyofist, Youtube
Lee Mack, Mack The Life, 2012
Lee Mack, Mack The Life, 2012
Dominic Cavendish, Telegraph
Dominic Cavendish, Telegraph
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Al Murray, Comedian
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Slothy Matt, Twitter
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Pirate Crocodile, Twitter
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Cyberbloke, Twitter
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Guest, Dontstartmeoff.com
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Danazawa, Youtube
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Aiden Hearn, Twitter
12dgdgdgdgdgdg, Youtube
12dgdgdgdgdgdg, Youtube
Birmingham Sunday Mercury
Birmingham Sunday Mercury
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Secretdeveloper, Youtube
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Genghis McKahn, Guardian.co.uk
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Cojones2, Guardian.co.uk
Idrie, Youtube
Idrie, Youtube
Anonymous, don'tstartmeoff.com
Anonymous, don'tstartmeoff.com
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Tweeterkiryakou, Twitter
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Robert Gavin, Twitter
98rosjon, Twitter
98rosjon, Twitter
Patrick Kavanagh, Guardian.co.uk
Patrick Kavanagh, Guardian.co.uk
Meanstreetelite, Peoplesrepublicofcork
Meanstreetelite, Peoplesrepublicofcork