Stewart Lee is probably the cleverest comedian working in Britain, and his past few shows have moved increasingly into what might be called anti-comedy, both in the sense of taking a well-aimed swipe at TV’s narrow, unambitious definition of stand-up, and in that he delights in pushing the form until it strains at the seams.
Two series of his BBC Comedy Vehicle seem to have made him all the more provocative in his new live show, which on the surface is 90 minutes of Lee apologising for the fact that he doesn’t have any material.
“It’s form interrogated by content through a haze of passive-aggressive monotony,” he explains, deadpan, apologising to his supposed new television audience, who are presumed to want Mock the Week-style paedophile jokes.
But Lee is also sending up those fans who imagine themselves the cognoscenti, lest they become too cosy.
The target of his satire shifts even within the same story, and he is always one step ahead, subverting expectations. And yet despite the absence of “jokes”, Carpet Remnant World is marvellously funny: mordant, thoughtful and crafted, even while posing as the ragbag of throwaway scraps its title implies.
Len Firewood, Twitter
Len Firewood, Twitter
Richard Herring, Comedian
Richard Herring, Comedian
Henry Howard Fun, Twitter
Henry Howard Fun, Twitter
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Alwyn, Digiguide.tv
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Peter Ould, Twitter
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Etienne, Chortle.com
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Microcuts 22, Twitter
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Guest, Dontstartmeoff.com
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Spanner, dontstartmeoff.com
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Keilloh, Twitter
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Shit Crit, Twitter
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Fairy Pingu, Twitter
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Gabrielle, Chortle.com
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Danazawa, Youtube
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Slothy Matt, Twitter
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DVDhth's grandparents, Twitter
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Whoiscuriousgeorge, Youtube
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Joe, Independent.co.uk
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Sidsings000, Youtube
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Tokyofist, Youtube
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Mrdavisn01, Twitter
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Stokeylitfest, Twitter
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Al Murray, Comedian
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FBC, finalgear.com
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Carla, St Albans, Dailymail.co.uk
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Idrie, Youtube
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Pnethor, pne-online.com
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Syhr, breakbeat.co.uk
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Cabluigi, Guardian.co.uk
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Peter Ould, Youtube
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Meanstreetelite, Peoplesrepublicofcork
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Meninblack, Twitter
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Lee Mack, Mack The Life, 2012
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Maninabananasuit, Guardian.co.uk
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Cyberbloke, Twitter
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Zombie Hamster, Twitter
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A D Ward, Twitter
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Neva2busy, dontstartmeoff.com
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GRTak, finalgear.com
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98rosjon, Twitter
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Brendon, Vauxhallownersnetwork.co.uk
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Fowkes81, Twitter
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Robert Gavin, Twitter
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Lents, redandwhitekop.com
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Dominic Cavendish, Telegraph
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Jackmumf, Twitter
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Dave Wilson, Chortle.com
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Mpf1947, Youtube
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Aaron, comedy.co.uk
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Birmingham Sunday Mercury
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Johnny Kitkat, dontstartmeoff.com
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Visualiser1, Twitter
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Coxy, Dontstartmeoff.com
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Lenny Darksphere, Twitter
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Dominic Cavendish, Daily Telegraph
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Patrick Kavanagh, Guardian.co.uk
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Ishamayura Byrd, Twitter
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Esme Folley, Actress, cellist, Twitter
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Anon, BBC Complaints Log
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Contrapuntal, Twitter
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Hiewy, Youtube
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World Without End, Twitter
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Neolab, Guardian.co.uk
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Aiden Hearn, Twitter
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Anon, dontstartmeoff.com
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Yukio Mishima, dontstartmeoff.com
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Foxfoxton, Youtube
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Pudabaya, beexcellenttoeachother.com
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Z-factor, Twitter.
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Sweeping Curves, Twitter
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Genghis McKahn, Guardian.co.uk
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Brighton Argus
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Bobby Bhoy, Twitter
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Emilyistrendy, Youtube
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Peter Fears, Twitter
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Shane, Beverley, Dailymail.co.uk
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Leach Juice, Twitter
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Mearecate, Youtube
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Tweeter Kyriakou, Twitter
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Bosco239, youtube
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Horatio Melvin, Twitter
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Anonymous, The Northfield Patriot
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Stuart, Chortle
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Wharto15, Twitter
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Chez, Chortle.com
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Pirate Crocodile, Twitter
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Guest1001, Youtube
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NevW47479, UKTV.co.uk
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Alex Quarmby, Edfringe.com
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Carcrazychica, Youtube
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Gmanthedemon, bbc.co.uk
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James Dellingpole, Daily Telegraph
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Mini-x2, readytogo.net
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Rudeness, Youtube
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Tin Frog, Twitter
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Nicetime, Guardian.co.uk
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General Lurko 36, Guardian.co.uk
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Gwaites, Digitalspy
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Lancethrustworthy, Youtube
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Someoneyoudon'tknow, Chortle.com
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Rubyshoes, Twitter
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Deepbass, Guardian.co.uk
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Borathigh5, Youtube
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Frankie Boyle, Comedian
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Anon, westhamonline.com
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John Robins, Comedian
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Tweeterkiryakou, Twitter
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Lucinda Locketts, Twitter
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Joskins, Leeds Music Forum
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Dick Socrates, Twitter
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Karen Laidlaw, Edfringe. com.
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Jamespearse, Twitter
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Secretdeveloper, Youtube
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Sam Rooney, Youtube
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Anamatronix, Youtube
BBC iPlayer edition of discussion of Stewart Lee on A Good Read
BBC iPlayer edition of discussion of Stewart Lee on A Good Read
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Anonymous, don'tstartmeoff.com
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Pudabaya, Twitter
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12dgdgdgdgdgdg, Youtube
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Funday’schild, youtube.
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Kozzy06, Youtube
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Cojones2, Guardian.co.uk
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Liam Travitt, Twitter
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Rowing Rob, Guardian.co.uk
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Clampdown59, Twitter.
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Iain, eatenbymissionaries
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Dahoum, Guardian.co.uk
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Joycey, readytogo.net
Tres Ryan, Twitter
Tres Ryan, Twitter