What makes Stewart Lee so unashamedly funny is how he gets under the skin of his audience. So he began his show, Content Provider, by telling us how much he hated King’s Lynn.
He pointed to the fact that the Corn Exchange was almost half empty, a problem he said he’s always had in this town in his 27 years of stand up comedy.
“I’m not coming here again, my brother was stationed at RAF Marham and even he hates it,” he said. “There’s not enough people to get the big laughs.”
But there were plenty of big laughs permeating the theatre, and plenty of thought-provoking silences too.
Current polarised politics and humanity’s obsession with the digital world acted as the overarching theme of Lee’s show, with Caspar David Friedrich’s painting Wanderer above the Sea of Fog serving as an appropriate backdrop.
In the first act, he took us back to the Brexit vote, which is treading on dangerous waters in a leave-majority town. He double bluffs his insults at leave-voters but not before making sound arguments of why we shouldn’t make massive generalisations of them.
Lee worked the audience to fit with his show and it’s something he does so well because he’s aware of who they are. They are the under 40’s he berated as Pokemon Go players and courgette eaters belonging to the “metropolitan liberal elite”.
He even questioned his own stance within this elite, turning down a stint with “evil” Sky because he didn’t want to appear in an industry owned by Rupert Murdoch.
He explained his jokes to the audience in his typical, superior manner, with bitter irony that garnered the most rapturous laughter. And he made an inbred joke about Norfolk which, as an unwritten rule, must be done.
In the second half, he returned to the same gag used to explain Brexit to introduce Trump, and drew a comparison between Game of Thrones – without having ever watched it – and the Scottish independence referendum, which for an avid fan almost made sense.
In a more concentrated routine, the “exaggerated story” of his grandfather improvising bondage and S&M bizarrely reflected a meaningful era without selfies and assembly-line consumerism. The show ended with a touching, poetic monologue of how modern society has “turned away from the wider world and is looking inward.”
After his BAFTA-winning show Comedy Vehicle was axed by BBC Two, Lee returned to the stage with a 90-minute cultured show with no limits or censorship. It is pure stand-up comedy, where Lee looked to be loving every minute of his political and personal performance.
He took on a new style of punchy, vulgar witticism and mixed it up with his trademark of deconstructing jokes and dry soliloquies with outstanding pay-off.
As much as he kept drawing back to the empty seats, it is by no means a reflection of Stewart Lee’s comedic genius which lingers in the mind long after the final act.
Kozzy06, Youtube
Kozzy06, Youtube
Lee Mack, Mack The Life, 2012
Lee Mack, Mack The Life, 2012
Lents, redandwhitekop.com
Lents, redandwhitekop.com
NevW47479, UKTV.co.uk
NevW47479, UKTV.co.uk
DVDhth's grandparents, Twitter
DVDhth's grandparents, Twitter
Sidsings000, Youtube
Sidsings000, Youtube
Robert Gavin, Twitter
Robert Gavin, Twitter
Idrie, Youtube
Idrie, Youtube
Genghis McKahn, Guardian.co.uk
Genghis McKahn, Guardian.co.uk
Neva2busy, dontstartmeoff.com
Neva2busy, dontstartmeoff.com
Fairy Pingu, Twitter
Fairy Pingu, Twitter
Funday’schild, youtube.
Funday’schild, youtube.
Contrapuntal, Twitter
Contrapuntal, Twitter
Iain, eatenbymissionaries
Iain, eatenbymissionaries
Guest, Dontstartmeoff.com
Guest, Dontstartmeoff.com
Zombie Hamster, Twitter
Zombie Hamster, Twitter
Rudeness, Youtube
Rudeness, Youtube
Coxy, Dontstartmeoff.com
Coxy, Dontstartmeoff.com
Al Murray, Comedian
Al Murray, Comedian
Microcuts 22, Twitter
Microcuts 22, Twitter
Cabluigi, Guardian.co.uk
Cabluigi, Guardian.co.uk
Meanstreetelite, Peoplesrepublicofcork
Meanstreetelite, Peoplesrepublicofcork
A D Ward, Twitter
A D Ward, Twitter
Joskins, Leeds Music Forum
Joskins, Leeds Music Forum
Anamatronix, Youtube
Anamatronix, Youtube
Nicetime, Guardian.co.uk
Nicetime, Guardian.co.uk
Len Firewood, Twitter
Len Firewood, Twitter
Hiewy, Youtube
Hiewy, Youtube
Anonymous, The Northfield Patriot
Anonymous, The Northfield Patriot
Ishamayura Byrd, Twitter
Ishamayura Byrd, Twitter
Anon, dontstartmeoff.com
Anon, dontstartmeoff.com
Borathigh5, Youtube
Borathigh5, Youtube
Gmanthedemon, bbc.co.uk
Gmanthedemon, bbc.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
Alex Quarmby, Edfringe.com
Alex Quarmby, Edfringe.com
Mrdavisn01, Twitter
Mrdavisn01, Twitter
Whoiscuriousgeorge, Youtube
Whoiscuriousgeorge, Youtube
Deepbass, Guardian.co.uk
Deepbass, Guardian.co.uk
Gabrielle, Chortle.com
Gabrielle, Chortle.com
Chez, Chortle.com
Chez, Chortle.com
Brighton Argus
Brighton Argus
Z-factor, Twitter.
Z-factor, Twitter.
Peter Ould, Twitter
Peter Ould, Twitter
Joe, Independent.co.uk
Joe, Independent.co.uk
Pudabaya, Twitter
Pudabaya, Twitter
Fowkes81, Twitter
Fowkes81, Twitter
Henry Howard Fun, Twitter
Henry Howard Fun, Twitter
Mearecate, Youtube
Mearecate, Youtube
Anon, BBC Complaints Log
Anon, BBC Complaints Log
Lucinda Locketts, Twitter
Lucinda Locketts, Twitter
Johnny Kitkat, dontstartmeoff.com
Johnny Kitkat, dontstartmeoff.com
Secretdeveloper, Youtube
Secretdeveloper, Youtube
Aiden Hearn, Twitter
Aiden Hearn, Twitter
Peter Ould, Youtube
Peter Ould, Youtube
Carla, St Albans, Dailymail.co.uk
Carla, St Albans, Dailymail.co.uk
Jamespearse, Twitter
Jamespearse, Twitter
Richard Herring, Comedian
Richard Herring, Comedian
Cojones2, Guardian.co.uk
Cojones2, Guardian.co.uk
Joycey, readytogo.net
Joycey, readytogo.net
Stuart, Chortle
Stuart, Chortle
Frankie Boyle, Comedian
Frankie Boyle, Comedian
Shit Crit, Twitter
Shit Crit, Twitter
Dick Socrates, Twitter
Dick Socrates, Twitter
Dahoum, Guardian.co.uk
Dahoum, Guardian.co.uk
Sam Rooney, Youtube
Sam Rooney, Youtube
Pudabaya, beexcellenttoeachother.com
Pudabaya, beexcellenttoeachother.com
Shane, Beverley, Dailymail.co.uk
Shane, Beverley, Dailymail.co.uk
Leach Juice, Twitter
Leach Juice, Twitter
Dominic Cavendish, Telegraph
Dominic Cavendish, Telegraph
Bosco239, youtube
Bosco239, youtube
Esme Folley, Actress, cellist, Twitter
Esme Folley, Actress, cellist, Twitter
Gwaites, Digitalspy
Gwaites, Digitalspy
Aaron, comedy.co.uk
Aaron, comedy.co.uk
98rosjon, Twitter
98rosjon, Twitter
Keilloh, Twitter
Keilloh, Twitter
Visualiser1, Twitter
Visualiser1, Twitter
Mpf1947, Youtube
Mpf1947, Youtube
Lenny Darksphere, Twitter
Lenny Darksphere, Twitter
Maninabananasuit, Guardian.co.uk
Maninabananasuit, Guardian.co.uk
Horatio Melvin, Twitter
Horatio Melvin, Twitter
Stokeylitfest, Twitter
Stokeylitfest, Twitter
Clampdown59, Twitter.
Clampdown59, Twitter.
Jackmumf, Twitter
Jackmumf, Twitter
Pirate Crocodile, Twitter
Pirate Crocodile, Twitter
Dominic Cavendish, Daily Telegraph
Dominic Cavendish, Daily Telegraph
Tweeter Kyriakou, Twitter
Tweeter Kyriakou, Twitter
Liam Travitt, Twitter
Liam Travitt, Twitter
World Without End, Twitter
World Without End, Twitter
Birmingham Sunday Mercury
Birmingham Sunday Mercury
Brendon, Vauxhallownersnetwork.co.uk
Brendon, Vauxhallownersnetwork.co.uk
Anonymous, don'tstartmeoff.com
Anonymous, don'tstartmeoff.com
Anon, westhamonline.com
Anon, westhamonline.com
Tweeterkiryakou, Twitter
Tweeterkiryakou, Twitter
Rowing Rob, Guardian.co.uk
Rowing Rob, Guardian.co.uk
James Dellingpole, Daily Telegraph
James Dellingpole, Daily Telegraph
Danazawa, Youtube
Danazawa, Youtube
Karen Laidlaw, Edfringe. com.
Karen Laidlaw, Edfringe. com.
Alwyn, Digiguide.tv
Alwyn, Digiguide.tv
12dgdgdgdgdgdg, Youtube
12dgdgdgdgdgdg, Youtube
Pnethor, pne-online.com
Pnethor, pne-online.com
Yukio Mishima, dontstartmeoff.com
Yukio Mishima, dontstartmeoff.com
Tokyofist, Youtube
Tokyofist, Youtube
Patrick Kavanagh, Guardian.co.uk
Patrick Kavanagh, Guardian.co.uk
Sweeping Curves, Twitter
Sweeping Curves, Twitter
Rubyshoes, Twitter
Rubyshoes, Twitter
Syhr, breakbeat.co.uk
Syhr, breakbeat.co.uk
Lancethrustworthy, Youtube
Lancethrustworthy, Youtube
Cyberbloke, Twitter
Cyberbloke, Twitter
Carcrazychica, Youtube
Carcrazychica, Youtube
Tres Ryan, Twitter
Tres Ryan, Twitter
Wharto15, Twitter
Wharto15, Twitter
Dave Wilson, Chortle.com
Dave Wilson, Chortle.com
General Lurko 36, Guardian.co.uk
General Lurko 36, Guardian.co.uk
Spanner, dontstartmeoff.com
Spanner, dontstartmeoff.com
Someoneyoudon'tknow, Chortle.com
Someoneyoudon'tknow, Chortle.com
Slothy Matt, Twitter
Slothy Matt, Twitter
Peter Fears, Twitter
Peter Fears, Twitter
Guest1001, Youtube
Guest1001, Youtube
GRTak, finalgear.com
GRTak, finalgear.com
Foxfoxton, Youtube
Foxfoxton, Youtube
John Robins, Comedian
John Robins, Comedian
Neolab, Guardian.co.uk
Neolab, Guardian.co.uk
Tin Frog, Twitter
Tin Frog, Twitter
Bobby Bhoy, Twitter
Bobby Bhoy, Twitter
Etienne, Chortle.com
Etienne, Chortle.com
FBC, finalgear.com
FBC, finalgear.com
Emilyistrendy, Youtube
Emilyistrendy, Youtube
Mini-x2, readytogo.net
Mini-x2, readytogo.net
Meninblack, Twitter
Meninblack, Twitter