Standup has grown up – but that doesn’t mean it is great literature - November 2011 The Guardian - By Brian Logan - November 13th, 2011

Standup is finally the big business the industry has hoped it would be ever since Newman and Baddiel played Wembley in the early 90s,” writes Stewart Lee (pictured) in his new book. He’s right, of course. Standups are everywhere now: all over the telly, topping bestseller lists, writing broadsheet newspaper columns and hosting chatshows. Oh,…

Heard the one about the bloke who couldn’t tell jokes? - August 2011 The Telegraph - By Nigel Farndale - August 27th, 2011

Have you heard the one about Snow White and the Seven Dwarves? There was this man, right, who needed a password eight characters long, and… and then he went and gave away the punchline before he’d done the set-up. I’m hopeless at jokes. I told one to my children the other day that got a…

How I Escaped My Certain Fate - August 2011 The Telegraph - August 7th, 2011

How I Escaped My Certain Fate - August 2011 The Independent - August 7th, 2011

Stewart Lee gave up stand-up comedy in 2001 after deciding that his material was “arch, cynical, tired, fake, conceited, formulaic and flat”. He threw his energies into co-writing and directing Jerry Springer: the Opera, which earned him an Olivier Award, opprobrium and no money. In 2004, he began his comeback as an “alternative” comedian, and…

How I Escaped My Certain Fate - August 2011 The Evening Standard - August 4th, 2011

How I Escaped My Certain Fate - July 2011 The Times - July 30th, 2011