“By the time a comic is playing a room this big he’s creatively redundant,” sighs Stewart Lee.
After years of playing The Stand, two successful series of BBC2’s ‘Stewart Lee’s Comedy Vehicle’ have provoked a new venue for his 25th Fringe show – the bright lights of the newly opened Assembly Rooms.
The first half of his set is typical in its self-referential nature, deconstructing his comedic style and resulting audience reaction with merciless intelligence. As some fail to pick up on the nuances of his opening salvo (the familiar targets of mainstream comedy, Jeremy Clarkson and the right-wing press are suitably obliterated this evening) he pauses and warns the audience: “At least half of you are going to have to raise your game.”
Lee moves on to lament his efforts to find routines while driving around motorways looking at shops, brilliantly stringing out jokes about an Office World employee whose physiological make-up is comprised entirely of stationary (treasury tag DNA clearly more favourable to Lee than the “obvious” pencil sharpener anus) for longer than they should be funny.
As he descends deeper into “the low status character I’m playing this year” some will wonder what to make of his tale of “the gulf between what we are and what we aspire to be” but willing citizens of his Carpet Remnant World know that by constantly pushing boundaries and working effortlessly on more levels than most comedians can even hope to comprehend, Lee is more relevant now than ever.
James Dellingpole, Daily Telegraph
James Dellingpole, Daily Telegraph
Alex Quarmby, Edfringe.com
Alex Quarmby, Edfringe.com
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Peter Ould, Twitter
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Dominic Cavendish, Telegraph
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Maninabananasuit, Guardian.co.uk
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Iain, eatenbymissionaries
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Yukio Mishima, dontstartmeoff.com
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Lee Mack, Mack The Life, 2012
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Anon, westhamonline.com
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General Lurko 36, Guardian.co.uk
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Zombie Hamster, Twitter
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Anon, BBC Complaints Log
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Spanner, dontstartmeoff.com
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Dave Wilson, Chortle.com
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World Without End, Twitter
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Richard Herring, Comedian
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Cojones2, Guardian.co.uk
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Rowing Rob, Guardian.co.uk
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12dgdgdgdgdgdg, Youtube
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Esme Folley, Actress, cellist, Twitter
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Al Murray, Comedian
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Anon, dontstartmeoff.com
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Gmanthedemon, bbc.co.uk
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Peter Fears, Twitter
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Aaron, comedy.co.uk
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Len Firewood, Twitter
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Joycey, readytogo.net
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Tres Ryan, Twitter
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Karen Laidlaw, Edfringe. com.
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Neolab, Guardian.co.uk
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Bobby Bhoy, Twitter
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Frankie Boyle, Comedian
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Robert Gavin, Twitter
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GRTak, finalgear.com
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Meanstreetelite, Peoplesrepublicofcork
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Guest1001, Youtube
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Sweeping Curves, Twitter
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Brendon, Vauxhallownersnetwork.co.uk
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Mini-x2, readytogo.net
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Tweeter Kyriakou, Twitter
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Gabrielle, Chortle.com
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Rubyshoes, Twitter
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Genghis McKahn, Guardian.co.uk
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Johnny Kitkat, dontstartmeoff.com
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Patrick Kavanagh, Guardian.co.uk
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Gwaites, Digitalspy
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Shit Crit, Twitter
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BBC iPlayer edition of discussion of Stewart Lee on A Good Read
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Tin Frog, Twitter
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Stuart, Chortle
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Contrapuntal, Twitter
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Someoneyoudon'tknow, Chortle.com
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Syhr, breakbeat.co.uk
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Dominic Cavendish, Daily Telegraph
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Carla, St Albans, Dailymail.co.uk
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Neva2busy, dontstartmeoff.com
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Cabluigi, Guardian.co.uk
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John Robins, Comedian
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Alwyn, Digiguide.tv
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Mpf1947, Youtube
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NevW47479, UKTV.co.uk
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Birmingham Sunday Mercury
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Brighton Argus