A full house at Buxton Opera House uzzed in gleeful anticipation of an evening with Stewart Lee in his new show, Content Provider.
As ever, master of his craft Lee did not disappoint, although in his typical superior persona, he berated the two-thirds of the audience that he alleged were not keeping up with his humour.
With his BBC2 series, Comedy Vehicle, having been axed, he was free to pursue a more ambitious agenda, examining the world’s current polarised politics, Brexit and Trump included, and our self- absorbed, often shallow obsession with the digital world in which everything is up for sale and no experience is hard won.
Lee’s intellectual skill is to weave all the various strands into one overarching narrative, while his comic one is to emphasise his theories through hilarious, sometimes grotesque, exaggeration. Manufacturing friction between himself and the audience, deconstructing jokes in his trademark manner, he lead us on a sometimes edgy journey through a hall of mirrors, reflecting the absurdities of the human condition.
Lee said he based his humour on ‘a manufactured antagonism with the audience,’ and the audience loved it. While keeping the audience on the edge of their seats he also seeks out that parts of his routine that don’t work out and talks about what he’s trying to do and explores and deconstructs what is happening, while also accusing his audience of being too dim to understand him.
He is interesting, challenging, unsettling and very funny.
Climbing up a mountain of his rival comedians’ budget priced DVDs, Lee ended the show silhouetted against Caspar David Friedrich’s allegorical painting “Wanderer above the Sea of Fog”, a lone figure confronted by the grandeur of nature, before turning, wildly gurning, to take a selfie.
Stewart Lee, comedic genius.
Guest1001, Youtube
Guest1001, Youtube
FBC, finalgear.com
FBC, finalgear.com
Fowkes81, Twitter
Fowkes81, Twitter
Shit Crit, Twitter
Shit Crit, Twitter
Carcrazychica, Youtube
Carcrazychica, Youtube
Bobby Bhoy, Twitter
Bobby Bhoy, Twitter
Clampdown59, Twitter.
Clampdown59, Twitter.
Peter Ould, Youtube
Peter Ould, Youtube
General Lurko 36, Guardian.co.uk
General Lurko 36, Guardian.co.uk
Whoiscuriousgeorge, Youtube
Whoiscuriousgeorge, Youtube
Neolab, Guardian.co.uk
Neolab, Guardian.co.uk
Dominic Cavendish, Telegraph
Dominic Cavendish, Telegraph
Stokeylitfest, Twitter
Stokeylitfest, Twitter
Z-factor, Twitter.
Z-factor, Twitter.
Yukio Mishima, dontstartmeoff.com
Yukio Mishima, dontstartmeoff.com
Al Murray, Comedian
Al Murray, Comedian
Brighton Argus
Brighton Argus
Cabluigi, Guardian.co.uk
Cabluigi, Guardian.co.uk
Tin Frog, Twitter
Tin Frog, Twitter
Genghis McKahn, Guardian.co.uk
Genghis McKahn, Guardian.co.uk
Deepbass, Guardian.co.uk
Deepbass, Guardian.co.uk
Secretdeveloper, Youtube
Secretdeveloper, Youtube
Shane, Beverley, Dailymail.co.uk
Shane, Beverley, Dailymail.co.uk
Maninabananasuit, Guardian.co.uk
Maninabananasuit, Guardian.co.uk
Fairy Pingu, Twitter
Fairy Pingu, Twitter
Ishamayura Byrd, Twitter
Ishamayura Byrd, Twitter
98rosjon, Twitter
98rosjon, Twitter
Mini-x2, readytogo.net
Mini-x2, readytogo.net
Emilyistrendy, Youtube
Emilyistrendy, Youtube
Alwyn, Digiguide.tv
Alwyn, Digiguide.tv
Tres Ryan, Twitter
Tres Ryan, Twitter
Coxy, Dontstartmeoff.com
Coxy, Dontstartmeoff.com
Leach Juice, Twitter
Leach Juice, Twitter
Tokyofist, Youtube
Tokyofist, Youtube
Syhr, breakbeat.co.uk
Syhr, breakbeat.co.uk
Johnny Kitkat, dontstartmeoff.com
Johnny Kitkat, dontstartmeoff.com
World Without End, Twitter
World Without End, Twitter
Wharto15, Twitter
Wharto15, Twitter
Anon, BBC Complaints Log
Anon, BBC Complaints Log
Foxfoxton, Youtube
Foxfoxton, Youtube
Spanner, dontstartmeoff.com
Spanner, dontstartmeoff.com
Anon, westhamonline.com
Anon, westhamonline.com
Esme Folley, Actress, cellist, Twitter
Esme Folley, Actress, cellist, Twitter
Danazawa, Youtube
Danazawa, Youtube
Sweeping Curves, Twitter
Sweeping Curves, Twitter
Anonymous, don'tstartmeoff.com
Anonymous, don'tstartmeoff.com
Len Firewood, Twitter
Len Firewood, Twitter
Lenny Darksphere, Twitter
Lenny Darksphere, Twitter
Mearecate, Youtube
Mearecate, Youtube
Pnethor, pne-online.com
Pnethor, pne-online.com
Joskins, Leeds Music Forum
Joskins, Leeds Music Forum
Meninblack, Twitter
Meninblack, Twitter
Sidsings000, Youtube
Sidsings000, Youtube
Meanstreetelite, Peoplesrepublicofcork
Meanstreetelite, Peoplesrepublicofcork
Pirate Crocodile, Twitter
Pirate Crocodile, Twitter
Idrie, Youtube
Idrie, Youtube
Pudabaya, Twitter
Pudabaya, Twitter
DVDhth's grandparents, Twitter
DVDhth's grandparents, Twitter
Dominic Cavendish, Daily Telegraph
Dominic Cavendish, Daily Telegraph
Cyberbloke, Twitter
Cyberbloke, Twitter
Iain, eatenbymissionaries
Iain, eatenbymissionaries
Tweeter Kyriakou, Twitter
Tweeter Kyriakou, Twitter
Gmanthedemon, bbc.co.uk
Gmanthedemon, bbc.co.uk
Borathigh5, Youtube
Borathigh5, Youtube
Bosco239, youtube
Bosco239, youtube
Robert Gavin, Twitter
Robert Gavin, Twitter
Anonymous, The Northfield Patriot
Anonymous, The Northfield Patriot
Keilloh, Twitter
Keilloh, Twitter
Aiden Hearn, Twitter
Aiden Hearn, Twitter
Stuart, Chortle
Stuart, Chortle
Slothy Matt, Twitter
Slothy Matt, Twitter
Cojones2, Guardian.co.uk
Cojones2, Guardian.co.uk
Chez, Chortle.com
Chez, Chortle.com
Pudabaya, beexcellenttoeachother.com
Pudabaya, beexcellenttoeachother.com
Liam Travitt, Twitter
Liam Travitt, Twitter
Zombie Hamster, Twitter
Zombie Hamster, Twitter
Dick Socrates, Twitter
Dick Socrates, Twitter
Karen Laidlaw, Edfringe. com.
Karen Laidlaw, Edfringe. com.
Lancethrustworthy, Youtube
Lancethrustworthy, Youtube
James Dellingpole, Daily Telegraph
James Dellingpole, Daily Telegraph
John Robins, Comedian
John Robins, Comedian
Carla, St Albans, Dailymail.co.uk
Carla, St Albans, Dailymail.co.uk
Sam Rooney, Youtube
Sam Rooney, Youtube
Gabrielle, Chortle.com
Gabrielle, Chortle.com
Rowing Rob, Guardian.co.uk
Rowing Rob, Guardian.co.uk
Lee Mack, Mack The Life, 2012
Lee Mack, Mack The Life, 2012
Dahoum, Guardian.co.uk
Dahoum, Guardian.co.uk
Rubyshoes, Twitter
Rubyshoes, Twitter
Rudeness, Youtube
Rudeness, Youtube
Anamatronix, Youtube
Anamatronix, Youtube
Birmingham Sunday Mercury
Birmingham Sunday Mercury
Guest, Dontstartmeoff.com
Guest, Dontstartmeoff.com
Dave Wilson, Chortle.com
Dave Wilson, Chortle.com
Patrick Kavanagh, Guardian.co.uk
Patrick Kavanagh, Guardian.co.uk
Frankie Boyle, Comedian
Frankie Boyle, Comedian
Microcuts 22, Twitter
Microcuts 22, Twitter
Nicetime, Guardian.co.uk
Nicetime, Guardian.co.uk
Mrdavisn01, Twitter
Mrdavisn01, Twitter
Funday’schild, youtube.
Funday’schild, youtube.
Lucinda Locketts, Twitter
Lucinda Locketts, Twitter
Joe, Independent.co.uk
Joe, Independent.co.uk
Henry Howard Fun, Twitter
Henry Howard Fun, Twitter
Gwaites, Digitalspy
Gwaites, Digitalspy
Lents, redandwhitekop.com
Lents, redandwhitekop.com
Anon, dontstartmeoff.com
Anon, dontstartmeoff.com
GRTak, finalgear.com
GRTak, finalgear.com
Etienne, Chortle.com
Etienne, Chortle.com
Jackmumf, Twitter
Jackmumf, Twitter
Contrapuntal, Twitter
Contrapuntal, Twitter
A D Ward, Twitter
A D Ward, Twitter
Mpf1947, Youtube
Mpf1947, Youtube
Visualiser1, Twitter
Visualiser1, Twitter
NevW47479, UKTV.co.uk
NevW47479, UKTV.co.uk
Joycey, readytogo.net
Joycey, readytogo.net
12dgdgdgdgdgdg, Youtube
12dgdgdgdgdgdg, Youtube
Peter Ould, Twitter
Peter Ould, Twitter
Tweeterkiryakou, Twitter
Tweeterkiryakou, Twitter
Brendon, Vauxhallownersnetwork.co.uk
Brendon, Vauxhallownersnetwork.co.uk
Aaron, comedy.co.uk
Aaron, comedy.co.uk
Peter Fears, Twitter
Peter Fears, Twitter
Jamespearse, Twitter
Jamespearse, Twitter
BBC iPlayer edition of discussion of Stewart Lee on A Good Read
BBC iPlayer edition of discussion of Stewart Lee on A Good Read
Hiewy, Youtube
Hiewy, Youtube
Someoneyoudon'tknow, Chortle.com
Someoneyoudon'tknow, Chortle.com
Neva2busy, dontstartmeoff.com
Neva2busy, dontstartmeoff.com
Richard Herring, Comedian
Richard Herring, Comedian
Horatio Melvin, Twitter
Horatio Melvin, Twitter
Kozzy06, Youtube
Kozzy06, Youtube
Alex Quarmby, Edfringe.com
Alex Quarmby, Edfringe.com