AS he reminded us during his latest beautifully structured show – the depressingly titled Carpet Remnant World – Stewart Lee has been a stand-up for a quarter of a century.
During that time his popularity has waxed and waned, although thanks to recent award winning BBC series Stewart Lee’s Comedy Vehicle, the 43 year old is once again filling theatres across the UK.
Lee’s appeal becomes the focus for much of the first half of this set. The comic clearly enjoys playing to loyal fans who ‘get’ his style of humour, and his constant disappointment with sections of the Playhouse crowd who weren’t ‘his fans’ was a theme throughout.
It would be fair to say that people new to Lee’s unique brand of stand-up might not know what to make of it. He’s clearly not a populist comic and from his lack of restraint when criticising the current brand of stand ups (or ‘the young Russells’ as he calls them) has no desire to be.
Mostly carefully scripted – a segment about Nottingham’s new identity as the ‘City of Caves’ notwithstanding – Lee’s shows are always carefully choreographed with a clever use of deconstruction and call backs.
Indeed, he even sometimes links the two techniques, such as when he feels he had to explain a particularly clever call back made in a foreign language.
And, no subject is off limits in a Lee show. His material this time touched on Islam, odd shop names, Scooby Doo, Margaret Thatcher and Twitter, with much of his ire reserved for the social networking site – or ‘the Stasi for the Angry Birds generation’ as he calls it.
A Stewart Lee show is the standard to which all stand-up comics should aspire. Long may he return to the City Riddled with Caves
12dgdgdgdgdgdg, Youtube
12dgdgdgdgdgdg, Youtube
Tweeterkiryakou, Twitter
Tweeterkiryakou, Twitter
John Robins, Comedian
John Robins, Comedian
Guest, Dontstartmeoff.com
Guest, Dontstartmeoff.com
Pudabaya, Twitter
Pudabaya, Twitter
Anon, BBC Complaints Log
Anon, BBC Complaints Log
Esme Folley, Actress, cellist, Twitter
Esme Folley, Actress, cellist, Twitter
Brighton Argus
Brighton Argus
Anon, dontstartmeoff.com
Anon, dontstartmeoff.com
Anon, westhamonline.com
Anon, westhamonline.com
Al Murray, Comedian
Al Murray, Comedian
Borathigh5, Youtube
Borathigh5, Youtube
Chez, Chortle.com
Chez, Chortle.com
Joycey, readytogo.net
Joycey, readytogo.net
Meninblack, Twitter
Meninblack, Twitter
Cyberbloke, Twitter
Cyberbloke, Twitter
Alex Quarmby, Edfringe.com
Alex Quarmby, Edfringe.com
Genghis McKahn, Guardian.co.uk
Genghis McKahn, Guardian.co.uk
Microcuts 22, Twitter
Microcuts 22, Twitter
Dahoum, Guardian.co.uk
Dahoum, Guardian.co.uk
Mearecate, Youtube
Mearecate, Youtube
Bosco239, youtube
Bosco239, youtube
Danazawa, Youtube
Danazawa, Youtube
DVDhth's grandparents, Twitter
DVDhth's grandparents, Twitter
Meanstreetelite, Peoplesrepublicofcork
Meanstreetelite, Peoplesrepublicofcork
Jamespearse, Twitter
Jamespearse, Twitter
Fairy Pingu, Twitter
Fairy Pingu, Twitter
Hiewy, Youtube
Hiewy, Youtube
Johnny Kitkat, dontstartmeoff.com
Johnny Kitkat, dontstartmeoff.com
Mpf1947, Youtube
Mpf1947, Youtube
Guest1001, Youtube
Guest1001, Youtube
Rudeness, Youtube
Rudeness, Youtube
98rosjon, Twitter
98rosjon, Twitter
Karen Laidlaw, Edfringe. com.
Karen Laidlaw, Edfringe. com.
Patrick Kavanagh, Guardian.co.uk
Patrick Kavanagh, Guardian.co.uk
Alwyn, Digiguide.tv
Alwyn, Digiguide.tv
Gwaites, Digitalspy
Gwaites, Digitalspy
Kozzy06, Youtube
Kozzy06, Youtube
Henry Howard Fun, Twitter
Henry Howard Fun, Twitter
Anonymous, don'tstartmeoff.com
Anonymous, don'tstartmeoff.com
Iain, eatenbymissionaries
Iain, eatenbymissionaries
Gmanthedemon, bbc.co.uk
Gmanthedemon, bbc.co.uk
Rubyshoes, Twitter
Rubyshoes, Twitter
Brendon, Vauxhallownersnetwork.co.uk
Brendon, Vauxhallownersnetwork.co.uk
Fowkes81, Twitter
Fowkes81, Twitter
Aiden Hearn, Twitter
Aiden Hearn, Twitter
Lucinda Locketts, Twitter
Lucinda Locketts, Twitter
BBC iPlayer edition of discussion of Stewart Lee on A Good Read
BBC iPlayer edition of discussion of Stewart Lee on A Good Read
Visualiser1, Twitter
Visualiser1, Twitter
Secretdeveloper, Youtube
Secretdeveloper, Youtube
Tokyofist, Youtube
Tokyofist, Youtube
Dave Wilson, Chortle.com
Dave Wilson, Chortle.com
NevW47479, UKTV.co.uk
NevW47479, UKTV.co.uk
Leach Juice, Twitter
Leach Juice, Twitter
GRTak, finalgear.com
GRTak, finalgear.com
Stuart, Chortle
Stuart, Chortle
Z-factor, Twitter.
Z-factor, Twitter.
Dick Socrates, Twitter
Dick Socrates, Twitter
Syhr, breakbeat.co.uk
Syhr, breakbeat.co.uk
Mrdavisn01, Twitter
Mrdavisn01, Twitter
Contrapuntal, Twitter
Contrapuntal, Twitter
Lenny Darksphere, Twitter
Lenny Darksphere, Twitter
Peter Fears, Twitter
Peter Fears, Twitter
Joe, Independent.co.uk
Joe, Independent.co.uk
Frankie Boyle, Comedian
Frankie Boyle, Comedian
FBC, finalgear.com
FBC, finalgear.com
Maninabananasuit, Guardian.co.uk
Maninabananasuit, Guardian.co.uk
Coxy, Dontstartmeoff.com
Coxy, Dontstartmeoff.com
Lee Mack, Mack The Life, 2012
Lee Mack, Mack The Life, 2012
Dominic Cavendish, Daily Telegraph
Dominic Cavendish, Daily Telegraph
Funday’schild, youtube.
Funday’schild, youtube.
General Lurko 36, Guardian.co.uk
General Lurko 36, Guardian.co.uk
Whoiscuriousgeorge, Youtube
Whoiscuriousgeorge, Youtube
Anonymous, The Northfield Patriot
Anonymous, The Northfield Patriot
Sweeping Curves, Twitter
Sweeping Curves, Twitter
Jackmumf, Twitter
Jackmumf, Twitter
Deepbass, Guardian.co.uk
Deepbass, Guardian.co.uk
Someoneyoudon'tknow, Chortle.com
Someoneyoudon'tknow, Chortle.com
Carcrazychica, Youtube
Carcrazychica, Youtube
Rowing Rob, Guardian.co.uk
Rowing Rob, Guardian.co.uk
Aaron, comedy.co.uk
Aaron, comedy.co.uk
Bobby Bhoy, Twitter
Bobby Bhoy, Twitter
Carla, St Albans, Dailymail.co.uk
Carla, St Albans, Dailymail.co.uk
Shit Crit, Twitter
Shit Crit, Twitter
Tin Frog, Twitter
Tin Frog, Twitter
Pnethor, pne-online.com
Pnethor, pne-online.com
Idrie, Youtube
Idrie, Youtube
Dominic Cavendish, Telegraph
Dominic Cavendish, Telegraph
Mini-x2, readytogo.net
Mini-x2, readytogo.net
Robert Gavin, Twitter
Robert Gavin, Twitter
Foxfoxton, Youtube
Foxfoxton, Youtube
Sam Rooney, Youtube
Sam Rooney, Youtube
Horatio Melvin, Twitter
Horatio Melvin, Twitter
Anamatronix, Youtube
Anamatronix, Youtube
Shane, Beverley, Dailymail.co.uk
Shane, Beverley, Dailymail.co.uk
World Without End, Twitter
World Without End, Twitter
Pudabaya, beexcellenttoeachother.com
Pudabaya, beexcellenttoeachother.com
Spanner, dontstartmeoff.com
Spanner, dontstartmeoff.com
Gabrielle, Chortle.com
Gabrielle, Chortle.com
Yukio Mishima, dontstartmeoff.com
Yukio Mishima, dontstartmeoff.com
Lancethrustworthy, Youtube
Lancethrustworthy, Youtube
Lents, redandwhitekop.com
Lents, redandwhitekop.com
Emilyistrendy, Youtube
Emilyistrendy, Youtube
Peter Ould, Twitter
Peter Ould, Twitter
A D Ward, Twitter
A D Ward, Twitter
Birmingham Sunday Mercury
Birmingham Sunday Mercury
Liam Travitt, Twitter
Liam Travitt, Twitter
Neva2busy, dontstartmeoff.com
Neva2busy, dontstartmeoff.com
Etienne, Chortle.com
Etienne, Chortle.com
Tres Ryan, Twitter
Tres Ryan, Twitter
Nicetime, Guardian.co.uk
Nicetime, Guardian.co.uk
Pirate Crocodile, Twitter
Pirate Crocodile, Twitter
Keilloh, Twitter
Keilloh, Twitter
Slothy Matt, Twitter
Slothy Matt, Twitter
Sidsings000, Youtube
Sidsings000, Youtube
Len Firewood, Twitter
Len Firewood, Twitter
Cabluigi, Guardian.co.uk
Cabluigi, Guardian.co.uk
Stokeylitfest, Twitter
Stokeylitfest, Twitter
Cojones2, Guardian.co.uk
Cojones2, Guardian.co.uk
Richard Herring, Comedian
Richard Herring, Comedian
Tweeter Kyriakou, Twitter
Tweeter Kyriakou, Twitter
Zombie Hamster, Twitter
Zombie Hamster, Twitter
Peter Ould, Youtube
Peter Ould, Youtube
James Dellingpole, Daily Telegraph
James Dellingpole, Daily Telegraph
Neolab, Guardian.co.uk
Neolab, Guardian.co.uk
Joskins, Leeds Music Forum
Joskins, Leeds Music Forum
Clampdown59, Twitter.
Clampdown59, Twitter.
Ishamayura Byrd, Twitter
Ishamayura Byrd, Twitter
Wharto15, Twitter
Wharto15, Twitter