FOR the first time in his life, Stewart Lee has run out of things to say. This former provoker of rightwing Christians and frequent presider over ‘corduroy Nurembergs’ now spends his humdrum days either driving between gigs, on a relentless touring schedule spurred by his TV rebirth, or reluctantly watching vintage Scooby Doo episodes as part of his childcare duties.
It’s a self-proclaimed listlessness, of course, and a clever conceit, allowing Lee to spend the first part of this set riffing off recent news stories with the air of someone appalled that he has to resort to doing so (Russell Howard and Jimmy Carr don’t fare well here).
That flirtation with the headlines also gives him free rein to apply his deconstructionist shtick, as well as allowing some corking examples of skewed logic – his novel way of finding parallels between the Libyan uprising and Cameron’s Big Society is the most ingenious topical gag we have heard this year.
Elsewhere, there are deadpan flights of fancy to savour: his imagining of Scooby’s world under Thatcher and his literal take on the names of trading estate megastores are superlative routines with criss-crossing themes, surprises at every turn and, like his news-based material, plenty of rewards for those who can keep up with his biting intellectualism.
You have to wait until the end, though, for Lee’s real passion to come through: in the midst of an identity crisis, he turns to the internet to find what people have blogged, commented and tweeted about him, to demonstrate how the web has become a platform for ignorance and hate. That’s hardly a revelation but whenever Lee approaches a subject that’s close to his heart, be it freedom of speech or industry homogeneity, it’s brought into bleak, devastating focus.
Richard Herring, Comedian
Richard Herring, Comedian
Zombie Hamster, Twitter
Zombie Hamster, Twitter
Aaron, comedy.co.uk
Aaron, comedy.co.uk
Rowing Rob, Guardian.co.uk
Rowing Rob, Guardian.co.uk
Iain, eatenbymissionaries
Iain, eatenbymissionaries
Dave Wilson, Chortle.com
Dave Wilson, Chortle.com
Gabrielle, Chortle.com
Gabrielle, Chortle.com
Lee Mack, Mack The Life, 2012
Lee Mack, Mack The Life, 2012
Liam Travitt, Twitter
Liam Travitt, Twitter
Coxy, Dontstartmeoff.com
Coxy, Dontstartmeoff.com
Shane, Beverley, Dailymail.co.uk
Shane, Beverley, Dailymail.co.uk
Pnethor, pne-online.com
Pnethor, pne-online.com
Gmanthedemon, bbc.co.uk
Gmanthedemon, bbc.co.uk
Tweeterkiryakou, Twitter
Tweeterkiryakou, Twitter
Tweeter Kyriakou, Twitter
Tweeter Kyriakou, Twitter
Anon, BBC Complaints Log
Anon, BBC Complaints Log
GRTak, finalgear.com
GRTak, finalgear.com
Al Murray, Comedian
Al Murray, Comedian
Fowkes81, Twitter
Fowkes81, Twitter
Funday’schild, youtube.
Funday’schild, youtube.
Chez, Chortle.com
Chez, Chortle.com
Joycey, readytogo.net
Joycey, readytogo.net
Sam Rooney, Youtube
Sam Rooney, Youtube
Pirate Crocodile, Twitter
Pirate Crocodile, Twitter
Contrapuntal, Twitter
Contrapuntal, Twitter
Jackmumf, Twitter
Jackmumf, Twitter
Maninabananasuit, Guardian.co.uk
Maninabananasuit, Guardian.co.uk
Carla, St Albans, Dailymail.co.uk
Carla, St Albans, Dailymail.co.uk
Etienne, Chortle.com
Etienne, Chortle.com
Aiden Hearn, Twitter
Aiden Hearn, Twitter
Lancethrustworthy, Youtube
Lancethrustworthy, Youtube
Pudabaya, beexcellenttoeachother.com
Pudabaya, beexcellenttoeachother.com
Clampdown59, Twitter.
Clampdown59, Twitter.
Fairy Pingu, Twitter
Fairy Pingu, Twitter
Guest1001, Youtube
Guest1001, Youtube
Carcrazychica, Youtube
Carcrazychica, Youtube
Len Firewood, Twitter
Len Firewood, Twitter
Foxfoxton, Youtube
Foxfoxton, Youtube
Deepbass, Guardian.co.uk
Deepbass, Guardian.co.uk
Esme Folley, Actress, cellist, Twitter
Esme Folley, Actress, cellist, Twitter
Anon, westhamonline.com
Anon, westhamonline.com
Bosco239, youtube
Bosco239, youtube
Brighton Argus
Brighton Argus
Joe, Independent.co.uk
Joe, Independent.co.uk
Guest, Dontstartmeoff.com
Guest, Dontstartmeoff.com
World Without End, Twitter
World Without End, Twitter
Johnny Kitkat, dontstartmeoff.com
Johnny Kitkat, dontstartmeoff.com
Ishamayura Byrd, Twitter
Ishamayura Byrd, Twitter
Someoneyoudon'tknow, Chortle.com
Someoneyoudon'tknow, Chortle.com
NevW47479, UKTV.co.uk
NevW47479, UKTV.co.uk
FBC, finalgear.com
FBC, finalgear.com
Stokeylitfest, Twitter
Stokeylitfest, Twitter
Mearecate, Youtube
Mearecate, Youtube
Henry Howard Fun, Twitter
Henry Howard Fun, Twitter
DVDhth's grandparents, Twitter
DVDhth's grandparents, Twitter
Leach Juice, Twitter
Leach Juice, Twitter
Pudabaya, Twitter
Pudabaya, Twitter
Patrick Kavanagh, Guardian.co.uk
Patrick Kavanagh, Guardian.co.uk
Visualiser1, Twitter
Visualiser1, Twitter
Joskins, Leeds Music Forum
Joskins, Leeds Music Forum
Meninblack, Twitter
Meninblack, Twitter
Anon, dontstartmeoff.com
Anon, dontstartmeoff.com
Genghis McKahn, Guardian.co.uk
Genghis McKahn, Guardian.co.uk
General Lurko 36, Guardian.co.uk
General Lurko 36, Guardian.co.uk
Birmingham Sunday Mercury
Birmingham Sunday Mercury
Anonymous, don'tstartmeoff.com
Anonymous, don'tstartmeoff.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
Spanner, dontstartmeoff.com
Spanner, dontstartmeoff.com
A D Ward, Twitter
A D Ward, Twitter
Whoiscuriousgeorge, Youtube
Whoiscuriousgeorge, Youtube
Anamatronix, Youtube
Anamatronix, Youtube
Robert Gavin, Twitter
Robert Gavin, Twitter
Meanstreetelite, Peoplesrepublicofcork
Meanstreetelite, Peoplesrepublicofcork
Hiewy, Youtube
Hiewy, Youtube
Idrie, Youtube
Idrie, Youtube
Tin Frog, Twitter
Tin Frog, Twitter
Lents, redandwhitekop.com
Lents, redandwhitekop.com
Peter Fears, Twitter
Peter Fears, Twitter
Jamespearse, Twitter
Jamespearse, Twitter
Anonymous, The Northfield Patriot
Anonymous, The Northfield Patriot
Slothy Matt, Twitter
Slothy Matt, Twitter
Nicetime, Guardian.co.uk
Nicetime, Guardian.co.uk
Horatio Melvin, Twitter
Horatio Melvin, Twitter
Dominic Cavendish, Telegraph
Dominic Cavendish, Telegraph
John Robins, Comedian
John Robins, Comedian
Cojones2, Guardian.co.uk
Cojones2, Guardian.co.uk
Yukio Mishima, dontstartmeoff.com
Yukio Mishima, dontstartmeoff.com
Dahoum, Guardian.co.uk
Dahoum, Guardian.co.uk
98rosjon, Twitter
98rosjon, Twitter
Syhr, breakbeat.co.uk
Syhr, breakbeat.co.uk
Cyberbloke, Twitter
Cyberbloke, Twitter
Mrdavisn01, Twitter
Mrdavisn01, Twitter
Wharto15, Twitter
Wharto15, Twitter
Shit Crit, Twitter
Shit Crit, Twitter
Mpf1947, Youtube
Mpf1947, Youtube
Lucinda Locketts, Twitter
Lucinda Locketts, Twitter
Borathigh5, Youtube
Borathigh5, Youtube
Bobby Bhoy, Twitter
Bobby Bhoy, Twitter
Danazawa, Youtube
Danazawa, Youtube
Neva2busy, dontstartmeoff.com
Neva2busy, dontstartmeoff.com
James Dellingpole, Daily Telegraph
James Dellingpole, Daily Telegraph
Neolab, Guardian.co.uk
Neolab, Guardian.co.uk
Kozzy06, Youtube
Kozzy06, Youtube
Keilloh, Twitter
Keilloh, Twitter
Tres Ryan, Twitter
Tres Ryan, Twitter
Rudeness, Youtube
Rudeness, Youtube
Rubyshoes, Twitter
Rubyshoes, Twitter
Dominic Cavendish, Daily Telegraph
Dominic Cavendish, Daily Telegraph
Dick Socrates, Twitter
Dick Socrates, Twitter
Sidsings000, Youtube
Sidsings000, Youtube
Emilyistrendy, Youtube
Emilyistrendy, Youtube
Karen Laidlaw, Edfringe. com.
Karen Laidlaw, Edfringe. com.
Secretdeveloper, Youtube
Secretdeveloper, Youtube
Brendon, Vauxhallownersnetwork.co.uk
Brendon, Vauxhallownersnetwork.co.uk
Alwyn, Digiguide.tv
Alwyn, Digiguide.tv
Mini-x2, readytogo.net
Mini-x2, readytogo.net
Peter Ould, Youtube
Peter Ould, Youtube
Alex Quarmby, Edfringe.com
Alex Quarmby, Edfringe.com
12dgdgdgdgdgdg, Youtube
12dgdgdgdgdgdg, Youtube
Peter Ould, Twitter
Peter Ould, Twitter
Frankie Boyle, Comedian
Frankie Boyle, Comedian
Cabluigi, Guardian.co.uk
Cabluigi, Guardian.co.uk
Z-factor, Twitter.
Z-factor, Twitter.
Sweeping Curves, Twitter
Sweeping Curves, Twitter
Tokyofist, Youtube
Tokyofist, Youtube
Stuart, Chortle
Stuart, Chortle
Gwaites, Digitalspy
Gwaites, Digitalspy
Microcuts 22, Twitter
Microcuts 22, Twitter
Lenny Darksphere, Twitter
Lenny Darksphere, Twitter