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.
Richard Herring, Comedian
Richard Herring, Comedian
Genghis McKahn, Guardian.co.uk
Genghis McKahn, Guardian.co.uk
Meninblack, Twitter
Meninblack, Twitter
Leach Juice, Twitter
Leach Juice, Twitter
Mini-x2, readytogo.net
Mini-x2, readytogo.net
98rosjon, Twitter
98rosjon, Twitter
Gabrielle, Chortle.com
Gabrielle, Chortle.com
Karen Laidlaw, Edfringe. com.
Karen Laidlaw, Edfringe. com.
Alex Quarmby, Edfringe.com
Alex Quarmby, Edfringe.com
Alwyn, Digiguide.tv
Alwyn, Digiguide.tv
Al Murray, Comedian
Al Murray, Comedian
Dominic Cavendish, Telegraph
Dominic Cavendish, Telegraph
Anamatronix, Youtube
Anamatronix, Youtube
Frankie Boyle, Comedian
Frankie Boyle, Comedian
Brighton Argus
Brighton Argus
Bosco239, youtube
Bosco239, youtube
Peter Ould, Twitter
Peter Ould, Twitter
Bobby Bhoy, Twitter
Bobby Bhoy, Twitter
Funday’schild, youtube.
Funday’schild, youtube.
Chez, Chortle.com
Chez, Chortle.com
Lucinda Locketts, Twitter
Lucinda Locketts, Twitter
Rudeness, Youtube
Rudeness, Youtube
Mrdavisn01, Twitter
Mrdavisn01, Twitter
Someoneyoudon'tknow, Chortle.com
Someoneyoudon'tknow, Chortle.com
Cabluigi, Guardian.co.uk
Cabluigi, Guardian.co.uk
Neolab, Guardian.co.uk
Neolab, Guardian.co.uk
Peter Ould, Youtube
Peter Ould, Youtube
General Lurko 36, Guardian.co.uk
General Lurko 36, Guardian.co.uk
Joe, Independent.co.uk
Joe, Independent.co.uk
Yukio Mishima, dontstartmeoff.com
Yukio Mishima, dontstartmeoff.com
Peter Fears, Twitter
Peter Fears, Twitter
Mpf1947, Youtube
Mpf1947, Youtube
Fairy Pingu, Twitter
Fairy Pingu, Twitter
Shit Crit, Twitter
Shit Crit, Twitter
Tweeter Kyriakou, Twitter
Tweeter Kyriakou, Twitter
Sweeping Curves, Twitter
Sweeping Curves, Twitter
Anon, westhamonline.com
Anon, westhamonline.com
Anon, dontstartmeoff.com
Anon, dontstartmeoff.com
Cyberbloke, Twitter
Cyberbloke, Twitter
Zombie Hamster, Twitter
Zombie Hamster, Twitter
Secretdeveloper, Youtube
Secretdeveloper, Youtube
Guest, Dontstartmeoff.com
Guest, Dontstartmeoff.com
Z-factor, Twitter.
Z-factor, Twitter.
Lee Mack, Mack The Life, 2012
Lee Mack, Mack The Life, 2012
Pudabaya, beexcellenttoeachother.com
Pudabaya, beexcellenttoeachother.com
Lenny Darksphere, Twitter
Lenny Darksphere, Twitter
Iain, eatenbymissionaries
Iain, eatenbymissionaries
Sidsings000, Youtube
Sidsings000, Youtube
GRTak, finalgear.com
GRTak, finalgear.com
Joskins, Leeds Music Forum
Joskins, Leeds Music Forum
FBC, finalgear.com
FBC, finalgear.com
Lents, redandwhitekop.com
Lents, redandwhitekop.com
Pirate Crocodile, Twitter
Pirate Crocodile, Twitter
Carcrazychica, Youtube
Carcrazychica, Youtube
Jackmumf, Twitter
Jackmumf, Twitter
Patrick Kavanagh, Guardian.co.uk
Patrick Kavanagh, Guardian.co.uk
Tin Frog, Twitter
Tin Frog, Twitter
Tres Ryan, Twitter
Tres Ryan, Twitter
Deepbass, Guardian.co.uk
Deepbass, Guardian.co.uk
Cojones2, Guardian.co.uk
Cojones2, Guardian.co.uk
Ishamayura Byrd, Twitter
Ishamayura Byrd, Twitter
Clampdown59, Twitter.
Clampdown59, Twitter.
Slothy Matt, Twitter
Slothy Matt, Twitter
Rowing Rob, Guardian.co.uk
Rowing Rob, Guardian.co.uk
Coxy, Dontstartmeoff.com
Coxy, Dontstartmeoff.com
Microcuts 22, Twitter
Microcuts 22, Twitter
Esme Folley, Actress, cellist, Twitter
Esme Folley, Actress, cellist, Twitter
Gwaites, Digitalspy
Gwaites, Digitalspy
Birmingham Sunday Mercury
Birmingham Sunday Mercury
Anonymous, The Northfield Patriot
Anonymous, The Northfield Patriot
Borathigh5, Youtube
Borathigh5, Youtube
Guest1001, Youtube
Guest1001, Youtube
Syhr, breakbeat.co.uk
Syhr, breakbeat.co.uk
Etienne, Chortle.com
Etienne, Chortle.com
Dahoum, Guardian.co.uk
Dahoum, Guardian.co.uk
Meanstreetelite, Peoplesrepublicofcork
Meanstreetelite, Peoplesrepublicofcork
Nicetime, Guardian.co.uk
Nicetime, Guardian.co.uk
World Without End, Twitter
World Without End, Twitter
John Robins, Comedian
John Robins, Comedian
Whoiscuriousgeorge, Youtube
Whoiscuriousgeorge, Youtube
Lancethrustworthy, Youtube
Lancethrustworthy, Youtube
Idrie, Youtube
Idrie, Youtube
Stuart, Chortle
Stuart, Chortle
Dominic Cavendish, Daily Telegraph
Dominic Cavendish, Daily Telegraph
Spanner, dontstartmeoff.com
Spanner, dontstartmeoff.com
Maninabananasuit, Guardian.co.uk
Maninabananasuit, Guardian.co.uk
Kozzy06, Youtube
Kozzy06, Youtube
Carla, St Albans, Dailymail.co.uk
Carla, St Albans, Dailymail.co.uk
Robert Gavin, Twitter
Robert Gavin, Twitter
Tokyofist, Youtube
Tokyofist, Youtube
Dick Socrates, Twitter
Dick Socrates, Twitter
Brendon, Vauxhallownersnetwork.co.uk
Brendon, Vauxhallownersnetwork.co.uk
Mearecate, Youtube
Mearecate, Youtube
Neva2busy, dontstartmeoff.com
Neva2busy, dontstartmeoff.com
Horatio Melvin, Twitter
Horatio Melvin, Twitter
Henry Howard Fun, Twitter
Henry Howard Fun, Twitter
Dave Wilson, Chortle.com
Dave Wilson, Chortle.com
Tweeterkiryakou, Twitter
Tweeterkiryakou, Twitter
Liam Travitt, Twitter
Liam Travitt, Twitter
Pudabaya, Twitter
Pudabaya, Twitter
Rubyshoes, Twitter
Rubyshoes, Twitter
Anonymous, don'tstartmeoff.com
Anonymous, don'tstartmeoff.com
Keilloh, Twitter
Keilloh, Twitter
Fowkes81, Twitter
Fowkes81, Twitter
Gmanthedemon, bbc.co.uk
Gmanthedemon, bbc.co.uk
12dgdgdgdgdgdg, Youtube
12dgdgdgdgdgdg, Youtube
Shane, Beverley, Dailymail.co.uk
Shane, Beverley, Dailymail.co.uk
Foxfoxton, Youtube
Foxfoxton, Youtube
Aiden Hearn, Twitter
Aiden Hearn, Twitter
Stokeylitfest, Twitter
Stokeylitfest, Twitter
Danazawa, Youtube
Danazawa, Youtube
NevW47479, UKTV.co.uk
NevW47479, UKTV.co.uk
A D Ward, Twitter
A D Ward, Twitter
Aaron, comedy.co.uk
Aaron, comedy.co.uk
Jamespearse, Twitter
Jamespearse, Twitter
Hiewy, Youtube
Hiewy, Youtube
BBC iPlayer edition of discussion of Stewart Lee on A Good Read
BBC iPlayer edition of discussion of Stewart Lee on A Good Read
Johnny Kitkat, dontstartmeoff.com
Johnny Kitkat, dontstartmeoff.com
Emilyistrendy, Youtube
Emilyistrendy, Youtube
Wharto15, Twitter
Wharto15, Twitter
DVDhth's grandparents, Twitter
DVDhth's grandparents, Twitter
Sam Rooney, Youtube
Sam Rooney, Youtube
Contrapuntal, Twitter
Contrapuntal, Twitter
Joycey, readytogo.net
Joycey, readytogo.net
James Dellingpole, Daily Telegraph
James Dellingpole, Daily Telegraph
Visualiser1, Twitter
Visualiser1, Twitter
Len Firewood, Twitter
Len Firewood, Twitter
Pnethor, pne-online.com
Pnethor, pne-online.com
Anon, BBC Complaints Log
Anon, BBC Complaints Log