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.
Frankie Boyle, Comedian
Frankie Boyle, Comedian
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Sam Rooney, Youtube
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World Without End, Twitter
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Etienne, Chortle.com
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Gmanthedemon, bbc.co.uk
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Pudabaya, beexcellenttoeachother.com
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Keilloh, Twitter
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Sidsings000, Youtube
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Genghis McKahn, Guardian.co.uk
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Gabrielle, Chortle.com
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Coxy, Dontstartmeoff.com
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Shane, Beverley, Dailymail.co.uk
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Mrdavisn01, Twitter
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Brendon, Vauxhallownersnetwork.co.uk
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Maninabananasuit, Guardian.co.uk
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Meninblack, Twitter
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Esme Folley, Actress, cellist, Twitter
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DVDhth's grandparents, Twitter
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Dave Wilson, Chortle.com
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Dahoum, Guardian.co.uk
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Borathigh5, Youtube
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Cojones2, Guardian.co.uk
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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Shit Crit, Twitter
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Anon, BBC Complaints Log
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Iain, eatenbymissionaries
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Anon, westhamonline.com
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Patrick Kavanagh, Guardian.co.uk
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Al Murray, Comedian
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Gwaites, Digitalspy
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Tweeter Kyriakou, Twitter
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Guest1001, Youtube
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Horatio Melvin, Twitter
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Alwyn, Digiguide.tv
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Lancethrustworthy, Youtube
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Microcuts 22, Twitter
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James Dellingpole, Daily Telegraph
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Rudeness, Youtube
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Cabluigi, Guardian.co.uk
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General Lurko 36, Guardian.co.uk
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Zombie Hamster, Twitter
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Nicetime, Guardian.co.uk
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Stuart, Chortle
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NevW47479, UKTV.co.uk
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Tres Ryan, Twitter
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Guest, Dontstartmeoff.com
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Carla, St Albans, Dailymail.co.uk
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Visualiser1, Twitter
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Anonymous, don'tstartmeoff.com
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Anon, dontstartmeoff.com
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Robert Gavin, Twitter
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Dick Socrates, Twitter
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Lents, redandwhitekop.com
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Joskins, Leeds Music Forum
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Anonymous, The Northfield Patriot
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Lenny Darksphere, Twitter
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Secretdeveloper, Youtube
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Rubyshoes, Twitter
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Lucinda Locketts, Twitter
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Mpf1947, Youtube
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Foxfoxton, Youtube
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Wharto15, Twitter
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Fowkes81, Twitter
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Dominic Cavendish, Telegraph
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Richard Herring, Comedian
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FBC, finalgear.com
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Deepbass, Guardian.co.uk
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Lee Mack, Mack The Life, 2012
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Karen Laidlaw, Edfringe. com.
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Leach Juice, Twitter
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Bobby Bhoy, Twitter
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Pirate Crocodile, Twitter
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Aaron, comedy.co.uk
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Tin Frog, Twitter
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12dgdgdgdgdgdg, Youtube
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Alex Quarmby, Edfringe.com
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Brighton Argus
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Birmingham Sunday Mercury
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Jackmumf, Twitter
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Johnny Kitkat, dontstartmeoff.com
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GRTak, finalgear.com
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98rosjon, Twitter
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Pudabaya, Twitter
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Tweeterkiryakou, Twitter
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Kozzy06, Youtube
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John Robins, Comedian
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Mearecate, Youtube
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Hiewy, Youtube
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Peter Ould, Twitter
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Pnethor, pne-online.com
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Anamatronix, Youtube
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Joycey, readytogo.net
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Emilyistrendy, Youtube
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Aiden Hearn, Twitter
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Yukio Mishima, dontstartmeoff.com
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Whoiscuriousgeorge, Youtube
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Neolab, Guardian.co.uk