Billed as Stewart Lee’s most “streamlined” show in a decade, Basic Lee is anything but. Even by his standards of deconstruction, this is a show with considerable baggage, tossed around lightly, as he archly picks apart the art of stand-up, while playing with his relationship to it.
He opens with and occasionally returns to one of his routines from 1989, in which he’s doorstepped by an evangelical Christian, revelling in the audacity of performing 34-year-old material, dated references intact. Topical, political routines are a fool’s errand he mutters, now that his tours significantly outlast Tory governments.
But he grudgingly has a go, with a perverse conflation of the more bizarre aspects of mourning the death of the Queen, getting professionally sidelined as the TV schedules were cleared, and his baser instincts – which still pale in comparison to those he attributes to Prince Andrew.
His supercilious persona is keen to show that he’s mastered every aspect of stand-up, from Live At The Apollo-styleobservations, to (out of character) extended crowd interrogation, to emotionally deeper stuff. However, he barely does more than allude to his early life before he was adopted, and an engagement that foundered on differing views of indie film director Hal Hartley, before claiming he invented the soul-baring style.
As ever, he’s keen to place himself in the pantheon of comics, with snipes at Kevin Bridges, Frankie Boyle and his former double-act partner Richard Herring; he projects himself as the great sad clown Pagliacci and casts Barry Cryer, Sean Lock and Daniel Kitson as bit-part players in his close miss at pre-empting Phoebe Waller Bridge’s huge success with Fleabag.
For the most part it’s all very tongue-in-cheek, even as he artfully negotiates JK Rowling’s trans controversies, Brexit and mental health issues in oblique, inventive ways.
At his (affected) grouchiest, Lee is clearly having fun, invoking jazz as he riffs on his repertoire and reputation, with a verve that is infectious.
NevW47479, UKTV.co.uk
NevW47479, UKTV.co.uk
Joskins, Leeds Music Forum
Joskins, Leeds Music Forum
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Richard Herring, Comedian
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Alex Quarmby, Edfringe.com
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Anon, dontstartmeoff.com
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General Lurko 36, Guardian.co.uk
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Zombie Hamster, Twitter
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Genghis McKahn, Guardian.co.uk
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Anamatronix, Youtube
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Peter Ould, Youtube
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Rubyshoes, Twitter
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Lucinda Locketts, Twitter
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DVDhth's grandparents, Twitter
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Visualiser1, Twitter
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Len Firewood, Twitter
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Anonymous, don'tstartmeoff.com
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Yukio Mishima, dontstartmeoff.com
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Lenny Darksphere, Twitter
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Anon, westhamonline.com
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Emilyistrendy, Youtube
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Nicetime, Guardian.co.uk
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Tweeter Kyriakou, Twitter
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Johnny Kitkat, dontstartmeoff.com
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James Dellingpole, Daily Telegraph
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Frankie Boyle, Comedian
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Shane, Beverley, Dailymail.co.uk
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Dave Wilson, Chortle.com
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Meanstreetelite, Peoplesrepublicofcork
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Brendon, Vauxhallownersnetwork.co.uk
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Dominic Cavendish, Daily Telegraph
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Gmanthedemon, bbc.co.uk
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Neva2busy, dontstartmeoff.com
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Kozzy06, Youtube
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Rowing Rob, Guardian.co.uk
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Sweeping Curves, Twitter
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Esme Folley, Actress, cellist, Twitter
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Karen Laidlaw, Edfringe. com.
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Lancethrustworthy, Youtube
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Birmingham Sunday Mercury
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Carla, St Albans, Dailymail.co.uk
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98rosjon, Twitter
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Maninabananasuit, Guardian.co.uk
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Al Murray, Comedian
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Bosco239, youtube
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A D Ward, Twitter
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Borathigh5, Youtube
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Aiden Hearn, Twitter
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Tokyofist, Youtube
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Patrick Kavanagh, Guardian.co.uk
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Anon, BBC Complaints Log
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FBC, finalgear.com
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Slothy Matt, Twitter
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Guest, Dontstartmeoff.com
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GRTak, finalgear.com
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Cojones2, 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
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Anonymous, The Northfield Patriot
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Alwyn, Digiguide.tv
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Fairy Pingu, Twitter
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Robert Gavin, Twitter
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Mini-x2, readytogo.net
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Mrdavisn01, Twitter
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12dgdgdgdgdgdg, Youtube
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Lee Mack, Mack The Life, 2012
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Iain, eatenbymissionaries
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Tweeterkiryakou, Twitter
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Idrie, Youtube
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Henry Howard Fun, Twitter
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Hiewy, Youtube
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Mpf1947, Youtube
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Aaron, comedy.co.uk
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Pudabaya, beexcellenttoeachother.com
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Gabrielle, Chortle.com
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World Without End, Twitter
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Guest1001, Youtube
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Lents, redandwhitekop.com
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Bobby Bhoy, Twitter
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Fowkes81, Twitter
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Ishamayura Byrd, Twitter
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Deepbass, Guardian.co.uk
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John Robins, Comedian
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Someoneyoudon'tknow, Chortle.com
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Dominic Cavendish, Telegraph
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Spanner, dontstartmeoff.com
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Pnethor, pne-online.com
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Jackmumf, Twitter
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Peter Ould, Twitter
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Wharto15, Twitter
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Joycey, readytogo.net
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Carcrazychica, Youtube
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Pirate Crocodile, Twitter
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Coxy, Dontstartmeoff.com
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Peter Fears, Twitter
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Tres Ryan, Twitter
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Microcuts 22, Twitter