Stewart Lee isn’t exactly fishing for a new audience with his latest show, Carpet Remnant World. He still spends much time berating those sections of the room who don’t laugh at every single nuance of his comedy, accusing them of having been dragged along by friends.
Which is hard to believe. Most people will have seen his BAFTA award-winning television show, read his contributions to The Guardian, or listened to him speak on Radio 4. He is no longer the archetypal ‘comedian’s comedian’ he once was. Which is why there is something strange about his recent injunction to would-be comedy-seekers (to be found in his latest Guardian column) to avoid the area around Bristo Square and instead increase their “off-piste grazing”, without admitting that a show by one of the most lauded comics of our day in an opulent George Street venue is still firmly on-piste.
This doesn’t mean that Lee has somehow been rendered bourgeois or passé by association. He just seems unwilling to acknowledge and address his own commercial success, although it would be interesting to hear his take on it.
Instead he has chosen as the central theme for his new show a mid-life crisis of sorts. But it’s difficult to believe, as he claims, that he has spent the past year or so driving from gig to gig and watching Scooby Doo with his children. One of the things that Lee does well as a performer is conceit and Carpet Remnant World is his most conceited show yet.
Although the aforementioned session of audience-berating seemed to add relatively little to the proceedings, in retrospect those moments take their place amongst other more varied routines, through which the portrait of the artist as an ageing man is realised. The show itself seems bitty, but all of its seemingly disparate parts—from his opening material about the news, to his long account of a literal drive in search of lost comedic inspiration—eventually unite to make something far more cohesive than any of his previous shows.
On the basic criterion of humour, he remains very reliable. He is often attacked for being verbose or overly-intellectual, which isn’t exactly true. His most puerile jokes are often his funniest, and there is no dearth of them here.
It is true that he often labours the point.
Those who have stuck with Lee for the past four or five years will certainly find this aspect of his performance a little tiresome by now; there certainly have been times where I have found him wearying.
Thankfully, the difference between this show and previous ones became clear by the end. The entire thing is tied together by one big, rambling routine – a trademark of Lee’s – but here it serves a more unifying role than it has previously. Deceptively, Lee still manages to utilise the full contents of his comedy toolbox, while creating something which still feels fresh, even to someone well versed in his material.
Even though Lee seems determined not to fully acknowledge his reputation and position within the world of comedy—which still remains equal to, if not greater than, some of the young, fresh-faced ‘T-shirt wearing’ comics that he pillories with his usual gusto — this is forgiveable, because his focus is exactly where it should be: on his comedy.
This show should cement his reputation as the foremost purveyor of comedy-as-art. Hats off to him for that.
Birmingham Sunday Mercury
Birmingham Sunday Mercury
Alwyn, Digiguide.tv
Alwyn, Digiguide.tv
Brighton Argus
Brighton Argus
Joe, Independent.co.uk
Joe, Independent.co.uk
Wharto15, Twitter
Wharto15, Twitter
Henry Howard Fun, Twitter
Henry Howard Fun, Twitter
Carla, St Albans, Dailymail.co.uk
Carla, St Albans, Dailymail.co.uk
Robert Gavin, Twitter
Robert Gavin, Twitter
Jackmumf, Twitter
Jackmumf, Twitter
DVDhth's grandparents, Twitter
DVDhth's grandparents, Twitter
Rubyshoes, Twitter
Rubyshoes, Twitter
Contrapuntal, Twitter
Contrapuntal, Twitter
Danazawa, Youtube
Danazawa, Youtube
Rowing Rob, Guardian.co.uk
Rowing Rob, 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
Zombie Hamster, Twitter
Zombie Hamster, Twitter
Peter Ould, Twitter
Peter Ould, Twitter
Secretdeveloper, Youtube
Secretdeveloper, Youtube
Foxfoxton, Youtube
Foxfoxton, Youtube
Chez, Chortle.com
Chez, Chortle.com
Deepbass, Guardian.co.uk
Deepbass, Guardian.co.uk
Meanstreetelite, Peoplesrepublicofcork
Meanstreetelite, Peoplesrepublicofcork
Leach Juice, Twitter
Leach Juice, Twitter
John Robins, Comedian
John Robins, Comedian
Tweeterkiryakou, Twitter
Tweeterkiryakou, Twitter
Keilloh, Twitter
Keilloh, Twitter
Cabluigi, Guardian.co.uk
Cabluigi, Guardian.co.uk
Dave Wilson, Chortle.com
Dave Wilson, Chortle.com
Joycey, readytogo.net
Joycey, readytogo.net
Liam Travitt, Twitter
Liam Travitt, Twitter
Shit Crit, Twitter
Shit Crit, Twitter
Tweeter Kyriakou, Twitter
Tweeter Kyriakou, Twitter
Stokeylitfest, Twitter
Stokeylitfest, Twitter
Jamespearse, Twitter
Jamespearse, Twitter
Anon, BBC Complaints Log
Anon, BBC Complaints Log
Anon, dontstartmeoff.com
Anon, dontstartmeoff.com
Neva2busy, dontstartmeoff.com
Neva2busy, dontstartmeoff.com
Dominic Cavendish, Daily Telegraph
Dominic Cavendish, Daily Telegraph
Brendon, Vauxhallownersnetwork.co.uk
Brendon, Vauxhallownersnetwork.co.uk
Microcuts 22, Twitter
Microcuts 22, Twitter
Dahoum, Guardian.co.uk
Dahoum, Guardian.co.uk
Lee Mack, Mack The Life, 2012
Lee Mack, Mack The Life, 2012
Dick Socrates, Twitter
Dick Socrates, Twitter
Dominic Cavendish, Telegraph
Dominic Cavendish, Telegraph
Fowkes81, Twitter
Fowkes81, Twitter
Lucinda Locketts, Twitter
Lucinda Locketts, Twitter
Joskins, Leeds Music Forum
Joskins, Leeds Music Forum
Clampdown59, Twitter.
Clampdown59, Twitter.
Pudabaya, beexcellenttoeachother.com
Pudabaya, beexcellenttoeachother.com
A D Ward, Twitter
A D Ward, Twitter
Johnny Kitkat, dontstartmeoff.com
Johnny Kitkat, dontstartmeoff.com
Funday’schild, youtube.
Funday’schild, youtube.
Pirate Crocodile, Twitter
Pirate Crocodile, Twitter
Mpf1947, Youtube
Mpf1947, Youtube
Borathigh5, Youtube
Borathigh5, Youtube
Mrdavisn01, Twitter
Mrdavisn01, Twitter
Tres Ryan, Twitter
Tres Ryan, Twitter
Nicetime, Guardian.co.uk
Nicetime, Guardian.co.uk
Etienne, Chortle.com
Etienne, Chortle.com
Guest1001, Youtube
Guest1001, Youtube
Lenny Darksphere, Twitter
Lenny Darksphere, Twitter
Hiewy, Youtube
Hiewy, Youtube
Alex Quarmby, Edfringe.com
Alex Quarmby, Edfringe.com
Anonymous, don'tstartmeoff.com
Anonymous, don'tstartmeoff.com
Lents, redandwhitekop.com
Lents, redandwhitekop.com
Coxy, Dontstartmeoff.com
Coxy, Dontstartmeoff.com
Sidsings000, Youtube
Sidsings000, Youtube
Lancethrustworthy, Youtube
Lancethrustworthy, Youtube
98rosjon, Twitter
98rosjon, Twitter
Pudabaya, Twitter
Pudabaya, Twitter
FBC, finalgear.com
FBC, finalgear.com
Emilyistrendy, Youtube
Emilyistrendy, Youtube
NevW47479, UKTV.co.uk
NevW47479, UKTV.co.uk
Horatio Melvin, Twitter
Horatio Melvin, Twitter
Meninblack, Twitter
Meninblack, Twitter
Iain, eatenbymissionaries
Iain, eatenbymissionaries
Carcrazychica, Youtube
Carcrazychica, Youtube
Kozzy06, Youtube
Kozzy06, Youtube
Peter Ould, Youtube
Peter Ould, Youtube
General Lurko 36, Guardian.co.uk
General Lurko 36, Guardian.co.uk
Aiden Hearn, Twitter
Aiden Hearn, Twitter
Sam Rooney, Youtube
Sam Rooney, Youtube
Gmanthedemon, bbc.co.uk
Gmanthedemon, bbc.co.uk
Frankie Boyle, Comedian
Frankie Boyle, Comedian
Pnethor, pne-online.com
Pnethor, pne-online.com
Idrie, Youtube
Idrie, Youtube
Tokyofist, Youtube
Tokyofist, Youtube
Patrick Kavanagh, Guardian.co.uk
Patrick Kavanagh, Guardian.co.uk
Spanner, dontstartmeoff.com
Spanner, dontstartmeoff.com
Bosco239, youtube
Bosco239, youtube
Shane, Beverley, Dailymail.co.uk
Shane, Beverley, Dailymail.co.uk
Mini-x2, readytogo.net
Mini-x2, readytogo.net
Someoneyoudon'tknow, Chortle.com
Someoneyoudon'tknow, Chortle.com
Cojones2, Guardian.co.uk
Cojones2, Guardian.co.uk
Anamatronix, Youtube
Anamatronix, Youtube
Fairy Pingu, Twitter
Fairy Pingu, Twitter
Rudeness, Youtube
Rudeness, Youtube
Al Murray, Comedian
Al Murray, Comedian
Tin Frog, Twitter
Tin Frog, Twitter
Genghis McKahn, Guardian.co.uk
Genghis McKahn, Guardian.co.uk
Syhr, breakbeat.co.uk
Syhr, breakbeat.co.uk
Z-factor, Twitter.
Z-factor, Twitter.
Len Firewood, Twitter
Len Firewood, Twitter
Mearecate, Youtube
Mearecate, Youtube
Gwaites, Digitalspy
Gwaites, Digitalspy
James Dellingpole, Daily Telegraph
James Dellingpole, Daily Telegraph
Cyberbloke, Twitter
Cyberbloke, Twitter
Neolab, Guardian.co.uk
Neolab, Guardian.co.uk
Slothy Matt, Twitter
Slothy Matt, Twitter
Anonymous, The Northfield Patriot
Anonymous, The Northfield Patriot
Richard Herring, Comedian
Richard Herring, Comedian
Anon, westhamonline.com
Anon, westhamonline.com
GRTak, finalgear.com
GRTak, finalgear.com
Stuart, Chortle
Stuart, Chortle
Yukio Mishima, dontstartmeoff.com
Yukio Mishima, dontstartmeoff.com
12dgdgdgdgdgdg, Youtube
12dgdgdgdgdgdg, Youtube
Visualiser1, Twitter
Visualiser1, Twitter
Guest, Dontstartmeoff.com
Guest, Dontstartmeoff.com
Karen Laidlaw, Edfringe. com.
Karen Laidlaw, Edfringe. com.
Sweeping Curves, Twitter
Sweeping Curves, Twitter
Ishamayura Byrd, Twitter
Ishamayura Byrd, Twitter
Peter Fears, Twitter
Peter Fears, Twitter
Aaron, comedy.co.uk
Aaron, comedy.co.uk
Bobby Bhoy, Twitter
Bobby Bhoy, Twitter
Esme Folley, Actress, cellist, Twitter
Esme Folley, Actress, cellist, Twitter
Whoiscuriousgeorge, Youtube
Whoiscuriousgeorge, Youtube
Maninabananasuit, Guardian.co.uk
Maninabananasuit, Guardian.co.uk
World Without End, Twitter
World Without End, Twitter
Gabrielle, Chortle.com
Gabrielle, Chortle.com