The older Stewart Lee gets the more militant he becomes. Carpet Remnant World finds stand-up’s Tony Benn raging at the state of the nation with satirical style.
It also finds him raging at the state of comedy. There are swipes at Frankie Boyle, Russell Kane, Jimmy Carr, Ricky Gervais and more. Deceased writers do not escape this dissident’s deadpan wrath. Look out George Orwell.
As he explains, with brutal sarcasm, there is no narrative. Unfortunately he never has adventures which inspire material because he stays in watching cartoons with his son. This is merely a disingenuous dig at comedians who turn their lives into anecdotage. Lee has his Fairtrade cake and scoffs it, wittily describing his tedious domesticity, while getting gags out of Twitter and Googling himself. A highlight is reading unprintable online insults over a jazz soundtrack.
This set boasts little of the trademark repetition or taboo-busting of recent monologues, so by his standards it feels underpowered. It is, however, polished and funny, particularly if you are a comedy trainspotter. Michael McIntyre fans may be baffled but for Lee’s chin-stroking devotees Carpet Remnant World cuts a hilarious rug.
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FBC, finalgear.com
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World Without End, Twitter
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Deepbass, Guardian.co.uk
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Peter Fears, Twitter
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Alwyn, Digiguide.tv
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Wharto15, Twitter
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Horatio Melvin, Twitter
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Shit Crit, Twitter
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Anamatronix, Youtube
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Z-factor, Twitter.
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Mini-x2, readytogo.net
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Lenny Darksphere, Twitter
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Sweeping Curves, Twitter
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Carla, St Albans, Dailymail.co.uk
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Liam Travitt, Twitter
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Sidsings000, Youtube
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Anon, BBC Complaints Log
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NevW47479, UKTV.co.uk
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Len Firewood, Twitter
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Pirate Crocodile, Twitter
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Etienne, Chortle.com
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Al Murray, Comedian
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Alex Quarmby, Edfringe.com
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Dominic Cavendish, Daily Telegraph
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Idrie, Youtube
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Chez, Chortle.com
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Bobby Bhoy, Twitter
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Brighton Argus
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Guest1001, Youtube
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Peter Ould, Twitter
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DVDhth's grandparents, Twitter
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Syhr, breakbeat.co.uk
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Contrapuntal, Twitter
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Anonymous, The Northfield Patriot
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Visualiser1, Twitter
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Shane, Beverley, Dailymail.co.uk
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Dahoum, Guardian.co.uk
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Cojones2, Guardian.co.uk
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Microcuts 22, Twitter
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Dave Wilson, Chortle.com
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Pnethor, pne-online.com
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Zombie Hamster, Twitter
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BBC iPlayer edition of discussion of Stewart Lee on A Good Read
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Jamespearse, Twitter
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Lee Mack, Mack The Life, 2012
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Tweeter Kyriakou, Twitter
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Genghis McKahn, Guardian.co.uk
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Someoneyoudon'tknow, Chortle.com
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Birmingham Sunday Mercury
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Pudabaya, beexcellenttoeachother.com
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Meninblack, Twitter
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Lents, redandwhitekop.com
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Dick Socrates, Twitter
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Richard Herring, Comedian
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Joskins, Leeds Music Forum
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Aiden Hearn, Twitter
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Spanner, dontstartmeoff.com
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Tweeterkiryakou, Twitter
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12dgdgdgdgdgdg, Youtube
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A D Ward, Twitter
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Anon, dontstartmeoff.com
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Brendon, Vauxhallownersnetwork.co.uk
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Cabluigi, Guardian.co.uk
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Rowing Rob, Guardian.co.uk
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Dominic Cavendish, Telegraph
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Neva2busy, dontstartmeoff.com
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General Lurko 36, Guardian.co.uk
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Keilloh, Twitter
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Lancethrustworthy, Youtube
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Emilyistrendy, Youtube
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98rosjon, Twitter
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Anon, westhamonline.com
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Joycey, readytogo.net
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Meanstreetelite, Peoplesrepublicofcork
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Rudeness, Youtube
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Cyberbloke, Twitter
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Patrick Kavanagh, Guardian.co.uk
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Gmanthedemon, bbc.co.uk
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Hiewy, Youtube
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Fairy Pingu, Twitter
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Nicetime, Guardian.co.uk
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Stokeylitfest, Twitter
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Maninabananasuit, Guardian.co.uk
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Slothy Matt, Twitter
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Tokyofist, Youtube
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Frankie Boyle, Comedian
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Carcrazychica, Youtube
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Whoiscuriousgeorge, Youtube
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Anonymous, don'tstartmeoff.com
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Lucinda Locketts, Twitter
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Ishamayura Byrd, Twitter
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GRTak, finalgear.com
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Iain, eatenbymissionaries
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Aaron, comedy.co.uk
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Tres Ryan, Twitter
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Coxy, Dontstartmeoff.com
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John Robins, Comedian
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Gabrielle, Chortle.com
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Guest, Dontstartmeoff.com
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James Dellingpole, Daily Telegraph
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Henry Howard Fun, Twitter
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Esme Folley, Actress, cellist, Twitter
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Foxfoxton, Youtube
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Fowkes81, Twitter
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Sam Rooney, Youtube
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Mearecate, Youtube
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Clampdown59, Twitter.
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Stuart, Chortle
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Mrdavisn01, Twitter
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Neolab, Guardian.co.uk