It’s fair to say that Stewart Lee is not to everyone’s taste. His work is challenging and requires real patience from his audience. His latest DVD release, “90’s Comedian”, is no exception. In fact this show sees Stewart, at times, at his most confronting. However, for the viewer willing to put in the effort required, the rewards are manifold.

Viewers familiar with Stewart’s previous show “Stand Up Comedian” will recognise the a similar construct he uses to launch the “90’s Comedian” show. The 9/11 opening of “Stand Up Comedian” is replaced in “90’s Comedian with a tirade about the London Bombings. In the latter case Stewart takes this already difficult material to an even greater level of awkwardness, as though daring the audience to detest him. This is enunciated a little later by his thinly veiled abuse of one section of the audience, which threatens at times to become tedious, but is ultimately redeemed, towards the end of the performance, by a perfectly executed portrayal of the neurosis bound comedian.

The first half of the show operates effectively as a prequel to the latter half, touching on such savoury topics as Stewart’s affliction with diverticulitis. Stewart regularly refers to names that mean little to Australian audiences in this show (particularly Joe Pasquale). He does so, however, in a context that facilitates an understanding that can be applied to a local context.

The crafted aspect to Stewart’s work comes to the fore in “90’s Comedian”. He employs his trademark technique of exasperating repetition and accompanying it with a slavish adherence to precision. He also introduces crass terms and ideas into beautifully constructed prose and complex notions, in a way that disposes of decorum and creates a contrast between high ideas and low brow recognition.

In the latter section of this show Stewart diverts from the ‘gag norm’, possibly more so than work he’s done before. His execution smacks of an intent to push the audience beyond its capabilities, encouraging them to actively accept the artistry of humour for its own sake. Perceptively, this section could seem like an attempt by Stewart to validate his own belief system. But it’s more than that. This is Stewart pushing his audience beyond accepted subject matter and form, effectively unsettling his audience. At one point in the show Stewart says that conservative attitudes towards freedom of speech, particularly as they pertain to religious beliefs, prompt reasonable minded people to see how far they can push boundaries. In “90’s Comedian” Stewart takes that notion and subverts it in a way that doesn’t speak so much about how we can talk about religion, but how far we can accept a relocation of the accepted notion of comedy.

For those of us living in Australia the lack of immediate access to so much brilliant comedy that’s on offer in the UK can be frustrating. That’s why it’s so gratifying to have access to a piece like this on DVD. What’s more, “90’s Comedian” not only survives many re-runs, but is enhanced by progressive appreciation and anticipation of the performance. Quite simply, it gets better each time, which is a sign that this is not a performance dominated by punchlines. There are ideas here.
If you’re looking for comfortably digestible comedy you won’t get it from Stewart Lee. If you’re looking for something that will push your ideas of decorum and perceived notions of what comedy should be, outside of a sleepy, late night, lounge chair sensibility, then Stewart Lee is your fella.

The extras for this DVD include a short, but interesting, interview with Stewart along with still photographs of the event. The DVD is coded Region 0 so there’s no problem playing it on region sensitive DVD players in Australia. It is also worth pointing out that this DVD is produced by a brand new company called Go Faster Stripe. This company released this DVD after larger companies wouldn’t touch it. “90’s Comedian” marks the company’s very first release and they have put it on the market at a more affordable price that your average DVD, cutting down on unnecessary packaging to save on costs.