The more I think about our experience on Saturday evening, the more convinced I am of Mr Lee’s qualities as a consummate performer. I am going to try and studiously avoid spoilers in this account, but I hope it’s not too much of a spoiler to say that one of the main themes of the show is that there is a lack of ‘material’. The lie is given to this as you realise there is actually a very satisfying narrative structure, not least when various ‘mainstream’ comedy techniques are decried, but are eventually utilised in turn, with the addition of a unique Stewart Lee sheen.
There is plenty of the trademark ribbing of the audience for not working hard enough to respond in the required way. You would have to be part of an extremely small cadre of rarefied intellectual to be innocent of any factor which Lee would putatively claim would render the show ‘not for you’, but the audience I was part of clearly enjoyed this hugely. Which are you? The aficionado or the person who doesn’t put the effort in?
There might be those who’d claim the laughter comes from a place of thinking you belong to the former group and therefore feeling superiority, but I’d argue that 1, Lee would have to think his audience pretty mean-spirited to believe that that’s where the laughs come from and 2, it’s trading on the idea that all he really wants is to end up in a self-congratulatory loop with a vanishingly small circle of broadsheet journalists, a thought he evidently finds amusing and uses to take the piss out of himself and his audience.
And there are the customary flights of fancy which take an idea and extend it until it reaches the extremes of whimsy and imagination, another familiar Stewart Lee technique and one he points out the absurdity of, and mocks himself for, more than once. I can’t imagine any other comedy performance which could seem so simultaneously mocking and fun-poking yet turning the weapon on itself to such good effect.
It almost seems wrong to call it a ‘comedy gig’ since it seems really to be a beautifully crafted and structured stage performance. But surely it’s also right to call it a comedy gig since at its heart, it’s just really really funny. Is Stewart Lee an absurdist philosopher for our time? Perhaps. I just know I had a brilliant time on Saturday night.
Robert Gavin, Twitter
Robert Gavin, Twitter
Wharto15, Twitter
Wharto15, Twitter
Richard Herring, Comedian
Richard Herring, Comedian
BBC iPlayer edition of discussion of Stewart Lee on A Good Read
BBC iPlayer edition of discussion of Stewart Lee on A Good Read
Peter Ould, Youtube
Peter Ould, Youtube
Anon, westhamonline.com
Anon, westhamonline.com
Stuart, Chortle
Stuart, Chortle
Lancethrustworthy, Youtube
Lancethrustworthy, Youtube
Coxy, Dontstartmeoff.com
Coxy, Dontstartmeoff.com
Joe, Independent.co.uk
Joe, Independent.co.uk
Clampdown59, Twitter.
Clampdown59, Twitter.
Esme Folley, Actress, cellist, Twitter
Esme Folley, Actress, cellist, Twitter
Whoiscuriousgeorge, Youtube
Whoiscuriousgeorge, Youtube
Pnethor, pne-online.com
Pnethor, pne-online.com
Lee Mack, Mack The Life, 2012
Lee Mack, Mack The Life, 2012
Stokeylitfest, Twitter
Stokeylitfest, Twitter
Tres Ryan, Twitter
Tres Ryan, Twitter
Nicetime, Guardian.co.uk
Nicetime, Guardian.co.uk
Jackmumf, Twitter
Jackmumf, Twitter
Contrapuntal, Twitter
Contrapuntal, Twitter
DVDhth's grandparents, Twitter
DVDhth's grandparents, Twitter
Dominic Cavendish, Telegraph
Dominic Cavendish, Telegraph
Lucinda Locketts, Twitter
Lucinda Locketts, Twitter
Keilloh, Twitter
Keilloh, Twitter
Idrie, Youtube
Idrie, Youtube
Tweeterkiryakou, Twitter
Tweeterkiryakou, Twitter
Slothy Matt, Twitter
Slothy Matt, Twitter
NevW47479, UKTV.co.uk
NevW47479, UKTV.co.uk
Lents, redandwhitekop.com
Lents, redandwhitekop.com
Genghis McKahn, Guardian.co.uk
Genghis McKahn, Guardian.co.uk
Horatio Melvin, Twitter
Horatio Melvin, Twitter
Maninabananasuit, Guardian.co.uk
Maninabananasuit, Guardian.co.uk
Tweeter Kyriakou, Twitter
Tweeter Kyriakou, Twitter
Mini-x2, readytogo.net
Mini-x2, readytogo.net
Dick Socrates, Twitter
Dick Socrates, Twitter
Pudabaya, beexcellenttoeachother.com
Pudabaya, beexcellenttoeachother.com
Liam Travitt, Twitter
Liam Travitt, Twitter
Anon, BBC Complaints Log
Anon, BBC Complaints Log
Rubyshoes, Twitter
Rubyshoes, Twitter
Someoneyoudon'tknow, Chortle.com
Someoneyoudon'tknow, Chortle.com
Zombie Hamster, Twitter
Zombie Hamster, Twitter
Cojones2, Guardian.co.uk
Cojones2, Guardian.co.uk
12dgdgdgdgdgdg, Youtube
12dgdgdgdgdgdg, Youtube
Secretdeveloper, Youtube
Secretdeveloper, Youtube
Neolab, Guardian.co.uk
Neolab, Guardian.co.uk
Len Firewood, Twitter
Len Firewood, Twitter
Mpf1947, Youtube
Mpf1947, Youtube
Jamespearse, Twitter
Jamespearse, Twitter
Shit Crit, Twitter
Shit Crit, Twitter
Guest, Dontstartmeoff.com
Guest, Dontstartmeoff.com
Sidsings000, Youtube
Sidsings000, Youtube
Peter Ould, Twitter
Peter Ould, Twitter
Yukio Mishima, dontstartmeoff.com
Yukio Mishima, dontstartmeoff.com
Guest1001, Youtube
Guest1001, Youtube
Joskins, Leeds Music Forum
Joskins, Leeds Music Forum
Sam Rooney, Youtube
Sam Rooney, Youtube
Iain, eatenbymissionaries
Iain, eatenbymissionaries
Fowkes81, Twitter
Fowkes81, Twitter
Tin Frog, Twitter
Tin Frog, Twitter
Tokyofist, Youtube
Tokyofist, Youtube
Anonymous, The Northfield Patriot
Anonymous, The Northfield Patriot
Foxfoxton, Youtube
Foxfoxton, Youtube
Joycey, readytogo.net
Joycey, readytogo.net
Carcrazychica, Youtube
Carcrazychica, Youtube
Ishamayura Byrd, Twitter
Ishamayura Byrd, Twitter
Leach Juice, Twitter
Leach Juice, Twitter
Lenny Darksphere, Twitter
Lenny Darksphere, Twitter
Anonymous, don'tstartmeoff.com
Anonymous, don'tstartmeoff.com
GRTak, finalgear.com
GRTak, finalgear.com
Mrdavisn01, Twitter
Mrdavisn01, Twitter
Cabluigi, Guardian.co.uk
Cabluigi, Guardian.co.uk
Anamatronix, Youtube
Anamatronix, Youtube
Cyberbloke, Twitter
Cyberbloke, Twitter
Karen Laidlaw, Edfringe. com.
Karen Laidlaw, Edfringe. com.
Chez, Chortle.com
Chez, Chortle.com
Pirate Crocodile, Twitter
Pirate Crocodile, Twitter
FBC, finalgear.com
FBC, finalgear.com
Gmanthedemon, bbc.co.uk
Gmanthedemon, bbc.co.uk
Frankie Boyle, Comedian
Frankie Boyle, Comedian
Microcuts 22, Twitter
Microcuts 22, Twitter
World Without End, Twitter
World Without End, Twitter
Meanstreetelite, Peoplesrepublicofcork
Meanstreetelite, Peoplesrepublicofcork
Gabrielle, Chortle.com
Gabrielle, Chortle.com
Hiewy, Youtube
Hiewy, Youtube
Funday’schild, youtube.
Funday’schild, youtube.
Patrick Kavanagh, Guardian.co.uk
Patrick Kavanagh, Guardian.co.uk
Alwyn, Digiguide.tv
Alwyn, Digiguide.tv
Sweeping Curves, Twitter
Sweeping Curves, Twitter
Henry Howard Fun, Twitter
Henry Howard Fun, Twitter
Shane, Beverley, Dailymail.co.uk
Shane, Beverley, Dailymail.co.uk
Dave Wilson, Chortle.com
Dave Wilson, Chortle.com
Fairy Pingu, Twitter
Fairy Pingu, Twitter
Gwaites, Digitalspy
Gwaites, Digitalspy
General Lurko 36, Guardian.co.uk
General Lurko 36, Guardian.co.uk
Brendon, Vauxhallownersnetwork.co.uk
Brendon, Vauxhallownersnetwork.co.uk
Deepbass, Guardian.co.uk
Deepbass, Guardian.co.uk
Aaron, comedy.co.uk
Aaron, comedy.co.uk
Al Murray, Comedian
Al Murray, Comedian
Carla, St Albans, Dailymail.co.uk
Carla, St Albans, Dailymail.co.uk
Etienne, Chortle.com
Etienne, Chortle.com
Bosco239, youtube
Bosco239, youtube
Pudabaya, Twitter
Pudabaya, Twitter
Syhr, breakbeat.co.uk
Syhr, breakbeat.co.uk
Peter Fears, Twitter
Peter Fears, Twitter
A D Ward, Twitter
A D Ward, Twitter
Dahoum, Guardian.co.uk
Dahoum, Guardian.co.uk
Johnny Kitkat, dontstartmeoff.com
Johnny Kitkat, dontstartmeoff.com
Aiden Hearn, Twitter
Aiden Hearn, Twitter
Z-factor, Twitter.
Z-factor, Twitter.
Birmingham Sunday Mercury
Birmingham Sunday Mercury
Danazawa, Youtube
Danazawa, Youtube
Anon, dontstartmeoff.com
Anon, dontstartmeoff.com
Neva2busy, dontstartmeoff.com
Neva2busy, dontstartmeoff.com
Borathigh5, Youtube
Borathigh5, Youtube
Bobby Bhoy, Twitter
Bobby Bhoy, Twitter
Mearecate, Youtube
Mearecate, Youtube
James Dellingpole, Daily Telegraph
James Dellingpole, Daily Telegraph
Dominic Cavendish, Daily Telegraph
Dominic Cavendish, Daily Telegraph
98rosjon, Twitter
98rosjon, Twitter
Kozzy06, Youtube
Kozzy06, Youtube
Brighton Argus
Brighton Argus
Rudeness, Youtube
Rudeness, Youtube
Spanner, dontstartmeoff.com
Spanner, dontstartmeoff.com
Rowing Rob, Guardian.co.uk
Rowing Rob, Guardian.co.uk
John Robins, Comedian
John Robins, Comedian
Visualiser1, Twitter
Visualiser1, Twitter
Meninblack, Twitter
Meninblack, Twitter
Emilyistrendy, Youtube
Emilyistrendy, Youtube
Alex Quarmby, Edfringe.com
Alex Quarmby, Edfringe.com