It took ten minutes of surprisingly accessible topical material and some localised banter about Cornwall and pasties before Stewart Lee turned on us.
As a fan, there’s always a worry that you will find yourself in an auditorium of people not accustomed to Lee’s post-ironic deconstruction of his own routine or the acerbic, condescending and repeated assaults on the intelligence of his audience members. However, it was obvious after just a few minutes that I was in good company.
The first half of Carpet Remnant World is based around the audience almost entirely, with Lee painstakingly examining routines he has performed just minutes earlier, with a focus on explaining WHY they are funny and despairing over the idiocy of the audience he has found himself in front of.
Lee, as usual, obsesses over “pockets” of good audience members and dismisses large portions of the crowd as people who only came because they were “Invited by mates”. These friends of fans are baited with cheap, easy jokes and are confronted by Lee for being the sort of people that would find that material funny.
The second half of the show is where Lee picks up the pace and gets into the longer, more absurd jokes which require a little more audience investment. At this point the audience are trying desperately not to be one of the people he targeted in the first half and this in turn allows Lee to start weaving a more complex set of anti-tropes and stories, connecting them to the areas he highlighted in his early set.
This increase in complexity and pace results in little silence from the audience with a steady chuckle rolling round the room like an intellect-dependent Mexican wave. This is punctuated with big moments of shared pay-off between performer and audience, filling the venue with laughter.
I would say that of all of the stand-up sets I have seen Stewart Lee perform, this was one of the more accessible, which isn’t to say you should bring your kids. The show is extremely adult in nature, containing frequent (but not over used) profanity, some hilariously disgusting imagery and jokes you wouldn’t want to try and explain in conservative company.
The show finishes with a bizarre, unexpectedly gentle, mood-lit monologue against the shining backdrop of the fantastical Carpet Remnant World. Lee thanks the audience and quickly exits the auditorium to man his own merchandise stand.
In short, Stewart Lee has not lost anything of what made him such a visceral, standout performer when he hit the scene in the Nineties and I personally think his material has aged well, like the cherub-faced comedian himself. This show is a masterful examination of performer, performance and the relationship with an audience. He has not lost his edge, merely relocated it.
Johnny Kitkat, dontstartmeoff.com
Johnny Kitkat, dontstartmeoff.com
Frankie Boyle, Comedian
Frankie Boyle, Comedian
Lucinda Locketts, Twitter
Lucinda Locketts, Twitter
Idrie, Youtube
Idrie, Youtube
Patrick Kavanagh, Guardian.co.uk
Patrick Kavanagh, Guardian.co.uk
Microcuts 22, Twitter
Microcuts 22, Twitter
Leach Juice, Twitter
Leach Juice, Twitter
Anon, BBC Complaints Log
Anon, BBC Complaints Log
Dick Socrates, Twitter
Dick Socrates, Twitter
Sam Rooney, Youtube
Sam Rooney, Youtube
Maninabananasuit, Guardian.co.uk
Maninabananasuit, Guardian.co.uk
Mini-x2, readytogo.net
Mini-x2, readytogo.net
Esme Folley, Actress, cellist, Twitter
Esme Folley, Actress, cellist, Twitter
Tweeter Kyriakou, Twitter
Tweeter Kyriakou, Twitter
Shane, Beverley, Dailymail.co.uk
Shane, Beverley, Dailymail.co.uk
Pirate Crocodile, Twitter
Pirate Crocodile, Twitter
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Joe, Independent.co.uk
Sidsings000, Youtube
Sidsings000, Youtube
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Emilyistrendy, Youtube
Peter Ould, Youtube
Peter Ould, Youtube
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Anamatronix, Youtube
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Len Firewood, Twitter
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Visualiser1, Twitter
Iain, eatenbymissionaries
Iain, eatenbymissionaries
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Jackmumf, Twitter
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A D Ward, Twitter
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Fairy Pingu, Twitter
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Lents, redandwhitekop.com
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Rudeness, Youtube
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General Lurko 36, Guardian.co.uk
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Foxfoxton, Youtube
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Bosco239, youtube
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Stokeylitfest, Twitter
Lee Mack, Mack The Life, 2012
Lee Mack, Mack The Life, 2012
Al Murray, Comedian
Al Murray, Comedian
Cabluigi, Guardian.co.uk
Cabluigi, Guardian.co.uk
Dominic Cavendish, Daily Telegraph
Dominic Cavendish, Daily Telegraph
Cojones2, Guardian.co.uk
Cojones2, Guardian.co.uk
Contrapuntal, Twitter
Contrapuntal, Twitter
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Tin Frog, Twitter
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DVDhth's grandparents, Twitter
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Z-factor, Twitter.
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Robert Gavin, Twitter
Anon, dontstartmeoff.com
Anon, dontstartmeoff.com
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Birmingham Sunday Mercury
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Alex Quarmby, Edfringe.com
Henry Howard Fun, Twitter
Henry Howard Fun, Twitter
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Jamespearse, Twitter
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Tweeterkiryakou, Twitter
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Guest, Dontstartmeoff.com
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Aaron, comedy.co.uk
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Pudabaya, Twitter
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Stuart, Chortle
Gmanthedemon, bbc.co.uk
Gmanthedemon, bbc.co.uk
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Meanstreetelite, Peoplesrepublicofcork
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Horatio Melvin, Twitter
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Clampdown59, Twitter.
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Slothy Matt, Twitter
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Brighton Argus
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Pnethor, pne-online.com
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Anonymous, The Northfield Patriot
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Karen Laidlaw, Edfringe. com.
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Guest1001, Youtube
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Carla, St Albans, Dailymail.co.uk
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Whoiscuriousgeorge, Youtube
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Anon, westhamonline.com
Spanner, dontstartmeoff.com
Spanner, 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
Genghis McKahn, Guardian.co.uk
Genghis McKahn, Guardian.co.uk
Keilloh, Twitter
Keilloh, Twitter
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Tokyofist, Youtube
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Peter Ould, Twitter
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Borathigh5, Youtube
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Aiden Hearn, Twitter
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James Dellingpole, Daily Telegraph
Syhr, breakbeat.co.uk
Syhr, breakbeat.co.uk
Carcrazychica, Youtube
Carcrazychica, Youtube
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98rosjon, Twitter
Coxy, Dontstartmeoff.com
Coxy, Dontstartmeoff.com
Lancethrustworthy, Youtube
Lancethrustworthy, Youtube
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Lenny Darksphere, Twitter
Rowing Rob, Guardian.co.uk
Rowing Rob, Guardian.co.uk
GRTak, finalgear.com
GRTak, finalgear.com
Dominic Cavendish, Telegraph
Dominic Cavendish, Telegraph
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Chez, Chortle.com
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Zombie Hamster, Twitter
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Wharto15, Twitter
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Funday’schild, youtube.
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Secretdeveloper, Youtube
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Anonymous, don'tstartmeoff.com
Dahoum, Guardian.co.uk
Dahoum, Guardian.co.uk
Pudabaya, beexcellenttoeachother.com
Pudabaya, beexcellenttoeachother.com
Mrdavisn01, Twitter
Mrdavisn01, Twitter
Fowkes81, Twitter
Fowkes81, Twitter
Etienne, Chortle.com
Etienne, Chortle.com
Nicetime, Guardian.co.uk
Nicetime, Guardian.co.uk
Tres Ryan, Twitter
Tres Ryan, Twitter
Bobby Bhoy, Twitter
Bobby Bhoy, Twitter
12dgdgdgdgdgdg, Youtube
12dgdgdgdgdgdg, Youtube
Gwaites, Digitalspy
Gwaites, Digitalspy
Yukio Mishima, dontstartmeoff.com
Yukio Mishima, dontstartmeoff.com
Sweeping Curves, Twitter
Sweeping Curves, Twitter
Deepbass, Guardian.co.uk
Deepbass, Guardian.co.uk
Meninblack, Twitter
Meninblack, Twitter
Cyberbloke, Twitter
Cyberbloke, Twitter
NevW47479, UKTV.co.uk
NevW47479, UKTV.co.uk
Joycey, readytogo.net
Joycey, readytogo.net
Mearecate, Youtube
Mearecate, Youtube
Liam Travitt, Twitter
Liam Travitt, Twitter
Shit Crit, Twitter
Shit Crit, Twitter
Mpf1947, Youtube
Mpf1947, Youtube
Ishamayura Byrd, Twitter
Ishamayura Byrd, Twitter
World Without End, Twitter
World Without End, Twitter
Someoneyoudon'tknow, Chortle.com
Someoneyoudon'tknow, Chortle.com
John Robins, Comedian
John Robins, Comedian
FBC, finalgear.com
FBC, finalgear.com
Peter Fears, Twitter
Peter Fears, Twitter
Dave Wilson, Chortle.com
Dave Wilson, Chortle.com
Hiewy, Youtube
Hiewy, Youtube
Brendon, Vauxhallownersnetwork.co.uk
Brendon, Vauxhallownersnetwork.co.uk
Alwyn, Digiguide.tv
Alwyn, Digiguide.tv
Rubyshoes, Twitter
Rubyshoes, Twitter
Neva2busy, dontstartmeoff.com
Neva2busy, dontstartmeoff.com
Richard Herring, Comedian
Richard Herring, Comedian
Neolab, Guardian.co.uk
Neolab, Guardian.co.uk
Kozzy06, Youtube
Kozzy06, Youtube
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Joskins, Leeds Music Forum
Danazawa, Youtube
Danazawa, Youtube
Gabrielle, Chortle.com
Gabrielle, Chortle.com