Fresh from a hugely successful residency at the Leicester Square Theatre and on the back of the BBC commissioning a third and fourth series of his Comedy Vehicle show, Stewart Lee continues to ride this problematic wave of popularity. Finding himself evicted from his usual Edinburgh Fringe base at the Stand Comedy Club, for the more luxurious and much larger Assembly Rooms, Lee delivers a sublime seventy-five minutes of stand-up comedy.
Lee deconstructs his chosen art form, flawlessly parodying topical comedy, observational comedy, ‘dead comic’ comedy and the apparently endless emergence of ‘Russell Comedians’.
For those unfamiliar with his stage persona, it’s important to note that Lee doesn’t spoon-feed his audience ‘jokes’ but rather makes us think – encouraging the more astute to get to the punch line before he does.
He divides the room, rewarding his devoted fans while encouraging the newbies to keep up. ‘It’s not aimed at you,’ repeats the comedian as he berates his audience for missing an impossible call back, all the more funny because it was clear that by this point just about everybody knew exactly what he was doing.
Rather than hampering the show, playing to a much larger initially mixed-ability room works well for Lee. Indeed, by the end of what must be his best set to date, we’re all with him.
Over the last decade or so I have reviewed hundreds of comedy shows. This is the best stand up routine I have ever seen.
Ishamayura Byrd, Twitter
Ishamayura Byrd, Twitter
Pirate Crocodile, Twitter
Pirate Crocodile, Twitter
Stuart, Chortle
Stuart, Chortle
Dominic Cavendish, Daily Telegraph
Dominic Cavendish, Daily Telegraph
Cyberbloke, Twitter
Cyberbloke, Twitter
Bobby Bhoy, Twitter
Bobby Bhoy, Twitter
Secretdeveloper, Youtube
Secretdeveloper, Youtube
Anonymous, don'tstartmeoff.com
Anonymous, don'tstartmeoff.com
Tweeter Kyriakou, Twitter
Tweeter Kyriakou, Twitter
Syhr, breakbeat.co.uk
Syhr, breakbeat.co.uk
Lee Mack, Mack The Life, 2012
Lee Mack, Mack The Life, 2012
Tres Ryan, Twitter
Tres Ryan, Twitter
Sweeping Curves, Twitter
Sweeping Curves, Twitter
Clampdown59, Twitter.
Clampdown59, Twitter.
Mini-x2, readytogo.net
Mini-x2, readytogo.net
Emilyistrendy, Youtube
Emilyistrendy, Youtube
Rudeness, Youtube
Rudeness, Youtube
Neolab, Guardian.co.uk
Neolab, Guardian.co.uk
Tweeterkiryakou, Twitter
Tweeterkiryakou, Twitter
Maninabananasuit, Guardian.co.uk
Maninabananasuit, Guardian.co.uk
Foxfoxton, Youtube
Foxfoxton, Youtube
Stokeylitfest, Twitter
Stokeylitfest, Twitter
Mearecate, Youtube
Mearecate, Youtube
Guest1001, Youtube
Guest1001, Youtube
Peter Fears, Twitter
Peter Fears, Twitter
Slothy Matt, Twitter
Slothy Matt, Twitter
Birmingham Sunday Mercury
Birmingham Sunday Mercury
Pnethor, pne-online.com
Pnethor, pne-online.com
Visualiser1, Twitter
Visualiser1, Twitter
Fairy Pingu, Twitter
Fairy Pingu, Twitter
Patrick Kavanagh, Guardian.co.uk
Patrick Kavanagh, Guardian.co.uk
Z-factor, Twitter.
Z-factor, Twitter.
Meninblack, Twitter
Meninblack, Twitter
Yukio Mishima, dontstartmeoff.com
Yukio Mishima, dontstartmeoff.com
Robert Gavin, Twitter
Robert Gavin, Twitter
Gabrielle, Chortle.com
Gabrielle, Chortle.com
Deepbass, Guardian.co.uk
Deepbass, Guardian.co.uk
Richard Herring, Comedian
Richard Herring, Comedian
Lucinda Locketts, Twitter
Lucinda Locketts, Twitter
Sidsings000, Youtube
Sidsings000, Youtube
Lancethrustworthy, Youtube
Lancethrustworthy, Youtube
James Dellingpole, Daily Telegraph
James Dellingpole, Daily Telegraph
Carcrazychica, Youtube
Carcrazychica, Youtube
Hiewy, Youtube
Hiewy, Youtube
Aiden Hearn, Twitter
Aiden Hearn, Twitter
Henry Howard Fun, Twitter
Henry Howard Fun, Twitter
Gmanthedemon, bbc.co.uk
Gmanthedemon, bbc.co.uk
Neva2busy, dontstartmeoff.com
Neva2busy, dontstartmeoff.com
Guest, Dontstartmeoff.com
Guest, Dontstartmeoff.com
Lenny Darksphere, Twitter
Lenny Darksphere, Twitter
Someoneyoudon'tknow, Chortle.com
Someoneyoudon'tknow, Chortle.com
Iain, eatenbymissionaries
Iain, eatenbymissionaries
Brendon, Vauxhallownersnetwork.co.uk
Brendon, Vauxhallownersnetwork.co.uk
DVDhth's grandparents, Twitter
DVDhth's grandparents, Twitter
Contrapuntal, Twitter
Contrapuntal, Twitter
Wharto15, Twitter
Wharto15, Twitter
Anon, dontstartmeoff.com
Anon, dontstartmeoff.com
John Robins, Comedian
John Robins, Comedian
Alex Quarmby, Edfringe.com
Alex Quarmby, Edfringe.com
Shane, Beverley, Dailymail.co.uk
Shane, Beverley, Dailymail.co.uk
Johnny Kitkat, dontstartmeoff.com
Johnny Kitkat, dontstartmeoff.com
Pudabaya, Twitter
Pudabaya, Twitter
Anon, westhamonline.com
Anon, westhamonline.com
Joskins, Leeds Music Forum
Joskins, Leeds Music Forum
Joycey, readytogo.net
Joycey, readytogo.net
Etienne, Chortle.com
Etienne, Chortle.com
Bosco239, youtube
Bosco239, youtube
General Lurko 36, Guardian.co.uk
General Lurko 36, Guardian.co.uk
Lents, redandwhitekop.com
Lents, redandwhitekop.com
Chez, Chortle.com
Chez, Chortle.com
Peter Ould, Twitter
Peter Ould, Twitter
Carla, St Albans, Dailymail.co.uk
Carla, St Albans, Dailymail.co.uk
Joe, Independent.co.uk
Joe, Independent.co.uk
Aaron, comedy.co.uk
Aaron, comedy.co.uk
Horatio Melvin, Twitter
Horatio Melvin, Twitter
Borathigh5, Youtube
Borathigh5, Youtube
Esme Folley, Actress, cellist, Twitter
Esme Folley, Actress, cellist, Twitter
World Without End, Twitter
World Without End, Twitter
Alwyn, Digiguide.tv
Alwyn, Digiguide.tv
Shit Crit, Twitter
Shit Crit, Twitter
Rowing Rob, Guardian.co.uk
Rowing Rob, Guardian.co.uk
FBC, finalgear.com
FBC, finalgear.com
Nicetime, Guardian.co.uk
Nicetime, Guardian.co.uk
Rubyshoes, Twitter
Rubyshoes, Twitter
Anamatronix, Youtube
Anamatronix, Youtube
Idrie, Youtube
Idrie, Youtube
Gwaites, Digitalspy
Gwaites, Digitalspy
Cabluigi, Guardian.co.uk
Cabluigi, Guardian.co.uk
Pudabaya, beexcellenttoeachother.com
Pudabaya, beexcellenttoeachother.com
12dgdgdgdgdgdg, Youtube
12dgdgdgdgdgdg, Youtube
Fowkes81, Twitter
Fowkes81, Twitter
Dick Socrates, Twitter
Dick Socrates, Twitter
A D Ward, Twitter
A D Ward, Twitter
Karen Laidlaw, Edfringe. com.
Karen Laidlaw, Edfringe. com.
Brighton Argus
Brighton Argus
98rosjon, Twitter
98rosjon, Twitter
Danazawa, Youtube
Danazawa, Youtube
Anon, BBC Complaints Log
Anon, BBC Complaints Log
Liam Travitt, Twitter
Liam Travitt, Twitter
Dahoum, Guardian.co.uk
Dahoum, Guardian.co.uk
Spanner, dontstartmeoff.com
Spanner, dontstartmeoff.com
Len Firewood, Twitter
Len Firewood, Twitter
NevW47479, UKTV.co.uk
NevW47479, UKTV.co.uk
Peter Ould, Youtube
Peter Ould, Youtube
Keilloh, Twitter
Keilloh, Twitter
Cojones2, Guardian.co.uk
Cojones2, Guardian.co.uk
Anonymous, The Northfield Patriot
Anonymous, The Northfield Patriot
Leach Juice, Twitter
Leach Juice, Twitter
Dominic Cavendish, Telegraph
Dominic Cavendish, Telegraph
Jackmumf, Twitter
Jackmumf, Twitter
Kozzy06, Youtube
Kozzy06, Youtube
Meanstreetelite, Peoplesrepublicofcork
Meanstreetelite, Peoplesrepublicofcork
Microcuts 22, Twitter
Microcuts 22, Twitter
Tokyofist, Youtube
Tokyofist, Youtube
Dave Wilson, Chortle.com
Dave Wilson, Chortle.com
Mpf1947, Youtube
Mpf1947, Youtube
Mrdavisn01, Twitter
Mrdavisn01, Twitter
Frankie Boyle, Comedian
Frankie Boyle, Comedian
Genghis McKahn, Guardian.co.uk
Genghis McKahn, Guardian.co.uk
Al Murray, Comedian
Al Murray, Comedian
Coxy, Dontstartmeoff.com
Coxy, Dontstartmeoff.com
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
GRTak, finalgear.com
GRTak, finalgear.com
Jamespearse, Twitter
Jamespearse, Twitter
Tin Frog, Twitter
Tin Frog, Twitter
Funday’schild, youtube.
Funday’schild, youtube.
Whoiscuriousgeorge, Youtube
Whoiscuriousgeorge, Youtube
Sam Rooney, Youtube
Sam Rooney, Youtube