Stewart Lee’s style of comedy – using repetition, sarcasm, irony and a drawn out self analysis – has been much emulated by the latest set of new comic acts trying to break through on the circuit, much to his chagrin.
He has famously mocked Michael McIntyre and his ilk, and spoken out about the ‘stealing’ of his style more recently forcing him to change it (something he does each year anyway) to something more difficult to aspire to. He mocks his own success at the start of the show, complaining how winning an award this year and his success on the TV has attracted a new Johnny-come-lately audience he just can’t be doing with.
And the friendly beligerance peeks through. Stewart Lee has returned snappier, more pacy, cramming in more laughs per minute, subverting the form more than ever and bringing the deconstruction of comedy to the masses, alternately scolding and praising them for their reactions like a manipulated partner or dog.
It was positively thrilling to see him have so much fun baiting the forms of mainstrream comedy. Using the full length and space of the stage, running, shouting, dropping into a bi-lingual segment – all the time pairing the simple and the complex, knitting the high brow and the low brow, delivering what has been demanded and then deconstructing it to point out why his original call not to take that path would have been better. All of it hilarious.
Lee truly seemed to have heaps of fun with this show, almost corpsing at times. Declaring a void of structure, then exposing that structure, then deconstructing that structure with added asides to the wings, all skipping along at a definite speed and perfectly timed. This pretender misanthrope has concentrated his formula, stretched it and then encoded it with a magic formula to bamboozle the pretenders and deliver his best show in years.
Rudeness, Youtube
Rudeness, Youtube
Patrick Kavanagh, Guardian.co.uk
Patrick Kavanagh, Guardian.co.uk
Sweeping Curves, Twitter
Sweeping Curves, Twitter
Cabluigi, Guardian.co.uk
Cabluigi, Guardian.co.uk
Mrdavisn01, Twitter
Mrdavisn01, Twitter
Dave Wilson, Chortle.com
Dave Wilson, Chortle.com
Tweeterkiryakou, Twitter
Tweeterkiryakou, Twitter
Shit Crit, Twitter
Shit Crit, Twitter
Z-factor, Twitter.
Z-factor, Twitter.
Tweeter Kyriakou, Twitter
Tweeter Kyriakou, 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
Meninblack, Twitter
Meninblack, Twitter
Joe, Independent.co.uk
Joe, Independent.co.uk
General Lurko 36, Guardian.co.uk
General Lurko 36, Guardian.co.uk
Peter Ould, Twitter
Peter Ould, Twitter
Al Murray, Comedian
Al Murray, Comedian
John Robins, Comedian
John Robins, Comedian
Whoiscuriousgeorge, Youtube
Whoiscuriousgeorge, Youtube
Anonymous, The Northfield Patriot
Anonymous, The Northfield Patriot
Funday’schild, youtube.
Funday’schild, youtube.
Pudabaya, Twitter
Pudabaya, Twitter
Keilloh, Twitter
Keilloh, Twitter
Stuart, Chortle
Stuart, Chortle
Mini-x2, readytogo.net
Mini-x2, readytogo.net
Danazawa, Youtube
Danazawa, Youtube
Neolab, Guardian.co.uk
Neolab, Guardian.co.uk
Birmingham Sunday Mercury
Birmingham Sunday Mercury
Tres Ryan, Twitter
Tres Ryan, Twitter
98rosjon, Twitter
98rosjon, Twitter
Coxy, Dontstartmeoff.com
Coxy, Dontstartmeoff.com
Brendon, Vauxhallownersnetwork.co.uk
Brendon, Vauxhallownersnetwork.co.uk
Lents, redandwhitekop.com
Lents, redandwhitekop.com
FBC, finalgear.com
FBC, finalgear.com
Liam Travitt, Twitter
Liam Travitt, Twitter
Lancethrustworthy, Youtube
Lancethrustworthy, Youtube
World Without End, Twitter
World Without End, Twitter
Dominic Cavendish, Telegraph
Dominic Cavendish, Telegraph
Contrapuntal, Twitter
Contrapuntal, Twitter
Brighton Argus
Brighton Argus
Rowing Rob, Guardian.co.uk
Rowing Rob, Guardian.co.uk
Leach Juice, Twitter
Leach Juice, Twitter
Zombie Hamster, Twitter
Zombie Hamster, Twitter
Len Firewood, Twitter
Len Firewood, Twitter
Genghis McKahn, Guardian.co.uk
Genghis McKahn, Guardian.co.uk
Meanstreetelite, Peoplesrepublicofcork
Meanstreetelite, Peoplesrepublicofcork
Alwyn, Digiguide.tv
Alwyn, Digiguide.tv
Richard Herring, Comedian
Richard Herring, Comedian
Spanner, dontstartmeoff.com
Spanner, dontstartmeoff.com
Cojones2, Guardian.co.uk
Cojones2, Guardian.co.uk
Joskins, Leeds Music Forum
Joskins, Leeds Music Forum
Clampdown59, Twitter.
Clampdown59, Twitter.
Peter Fears, Twitter
Peter Fears, Twitter
Ishamayura Byrd, Twitter
Ishamayura Byrd, Twitter
Alex Quarmby, Edfringe.com
Alex Quarmby, Edfringe.com
Bosco239, youtube
Bosco239, youtube
Johnny Kitkat, dontstartmeoff.com
Johnny Kitkat, dontstartmeoff.com
Jackmumf, Twitter
Jackmumf, Twitter
Emilyistrendy, Youtube
Emilyistrendy, Youtube
James Dellingpole, Daily Telegraph
James Dellingpole, Daily Telegraph
Neva2busy, dontstartmeoff.com
Neva2busy, dontstartmeoff.com
Guest1001, Youtube
Guest1001, Youtube
Henry Howard Fun, Twitter
Henry Howard Fun, Twitter
Robert Gavin, Twitter
Robert Gavin, Twitter
Carcrazychica, Youtube
Carcrazychica, Youtube
Cyberbloke, Twitter
Cyberbloke, Twitter
Dominic Cavendish, Daily Telegraph
Dominic Cavendish, Daily Telegraph
Nicetime, Guardian.co.uk
Nicetime, Guardian.co.uk
Maninabananasuit, Guardian.co.uk
Maninabananasuit, Guardian.co.uk
GRTak, finalgear.com
GRTak, finalgear.com
Microcuts 22, Twitter
Microcuts 22, Twitter
Tokyofist, Youtube
Tokyofist, Youtube
NevW47479, UKTV.co.uk
NevW47479, UKTV.co.uk
Aiden Hearn, Twitter
Aiden Hearn, Twitter
Mearecate, Youtube
Mearecate, Youtube
Wharto15, Twitter
Wharto15, Twitter
Anamatronix, Youtube
Anamatronix, Youtube
DVDhth's grandparents, Twitter
DVDhth's grandparents, Twitter
Iain, eatenbymissionaries
Iain, eatenbymissionaries
Anon, BBC Complaints Log
Anon, BBC Complaints Log
Syhr, breakbeat.co.uk
Syhr, breakbeat.co.uk
Jamespearse, Twitter
Jamespearse, Twitter
Hiewy, Youtube
Hiewy, Youtube
Carla, St Albans, Dailymail.co.uk
Carla, St Albans, Dailymail.co.uk
Bobby Bhoy, Twitter
Bobby Bhoy, Twitter
Visualiser1, Twitter
Visualiser1, Twitter
Sidsings000, Youtube
Sidsings000, Youtube
Lucinda Locketts, Twitter
Lucinda Locketts, Twitter
Sam Rooney, Youtube
Sam Rooney, Youtube
A D Ward, Twitter
A D Ward, Twitter
Chez, Chortle.com
Chez, Chortle.com
Yukio Mishima, dontstartmeoff.com
Yukio Mishima, dontstartmeoff.com
Fowkes81, Twitter
Fowkes81, Twitter
Borathigh5, Youtube
Borathigh5, Youtube
12dgdgdgdgdgdg, Youtube
12dgdgdgdgdgdg, Youtube
Anon, dontstartmeoff.com
Anon, dontstartmeoff.com
Pnethor, pne-online.com
Pnethor, pne-online.com
Kozzy06, Youtube
Kozzy06, Youtube
Dahoum, Guardian.co.uk
Dahoum, Guardian.co.uk
Gwaites, Digitalspy
Gwaites, Digitalspy
Lee Mack, Mack The Life, 2012
Lee Mack, Mack The Life, 2012
Someoneyoudon'tknow, Chortle.com
Someoneyoudon'tknow, Chortle.com
Anonymous, don'tstartmeoff.com
Anonymous, don'tstartmeoff.com
Frankie Boyle, Comedian
Frankie Boyle, Comedian
Rubyshoes, Twitter
Rubyshoes, Twitter
Gmanthedemon, bbc.co.uk
Gmanthedemon, bbc.co.uk
Anon, westhamonline.com
Anon, westhamonline.com
Fairy Pingu, Twitter
Fairy Pingu, Twitter
Pirate Crocodile, Twitter
Pirate Crocodile, Twitter
Horatio Melvin, Twitter
Horatio Melvin, Twitter
Esme Folley, Actress, cellist, Twitter
Esme Folley, Actress, cellist, Twitter
Deepbass, Guardian.co.uk
Deepbass, Guardian.co.uk
Lenny Darksphere, Twitter
Lenny Darksphere, Twitter
Mpf1947, Youtube
Mpf1947, Youtube
Aaron, comedy.co.uk
Aaron, comedy.co.uk
Karen Laidlaw, Edfringe. com.
Karen Laidlaw, Edfringe. com.
Peter Ould, Youtube
Peter Ould, Youtube
Guest, Dontstartmeoff.com
Guest, Dontstartmeoff.com
Secretdeveloper, Youtube
Secretdeveloper, Youtube
Dick Socrates, Twitter
Dick Socrates, Twitter
Slothy Matt, Twitter
Slothy Matt, Twitter
Tin Frog, Twitter
Tin Frog, Twitter
Joycey, readytogo.net
Joycey, readytogo.net
Pudabaya, beexcellenttoeachother.com
Pudabaya, beexcellenttoeachother.com
Shane, Beverley, Dailymail.co.uk
Shane, Beverley, Dailymail.co.uk
Idrie, Youtube
Idrie, Youtube
Stokeylitfest, Twitter
Stokeylitfest, Twitter
Gabrielle, Chortle.com
Gabrielle, Chortle.com
Foxfoxton, Youtube
Foxfoxton, Youtube
Etienne, Chortle.com
Etienne, Chortle.com