The axing of his Comedy Vehicle TV series might rankle with Stewart Lee – particularly when the BBC can find the money to remake Are You Being Served – but has probably been a blessing in disguise for the country’s most original comedian.
He might have been forced to develop new avenues to rustle up a few quid – he claims to buys his own DVDs online to sell at shows at a mark-up – but his live act has been freed of the shackles of building 30-minute routines for the telly, and is more rewarding as a result.
The passive-aggressive lecturer persona and deadpan delivery of his apparent alter ego remain intact, but the cleverly-constructed show – which as usual Lee deconstructed at regular intervals, supposedly for the benefit of slower audience members – enabled him to develop a theme, run with it, stumble with it, explain it, discard it and brilliantly return to it over the course of a hugely entertaining two hours.
The theme was man’s place in a world of superficial digital consumerism, and pitched Lee as a hero attempting to rise above the chaos like the ‘Wanderer Above The Sea Of Fog’ in Caspar David Friedrich’s famous painting. Russell Howard this most definitely was not.
Howard was one of many comics trampled on, verbally and literally – in the form of DVDs strewn across the stage – during the show, which also saw Lee stomping on everything from Trump, Brexit, Boris and Farage to Game of Thrones (“Peter Stringfellow’s Lord of the Rings”), the under-40s and even Deacon Blue as he desperately searched for something of depth in a world dominated by the banality of social media and instant gratification.
It was never going to happen of course – the Content Provider of the show’s title admitting we were witnessing little more than “the ongoing interrogation of a divided soul” – but his self-anointed “metropolitan liberal elite” audience were more than happy to be along for the grilling (in every sense), which was as smart as it was hilarious.
Reviewed by Steve Adams at Warwick Arts Centre
4 Stars on Thu, 04 May 2017
Dahoum, Guardian.co.uk
Dahoum, Guardian.co.uk
Coxy, Dontstartmeoff.com
Coxy, Dontstartmeoff.com
Spursguy, Youtube
Spursguy, Youtube
12dgdgdgdgdgdg, Youtube
12dgdgdgdgdgdg, Youtube
Brighton Argus
Brighton Argus
Meninblack, Twitter
Meninblack, Twitter
Rudeness, Youtube
Rudeness, Youtube
Alex Quarmby, Edfringe.com
Alex Quarmby, Edfringe.com
Karen Laidlaw, Edfringe. com.
Karen Laidlaw, Edfringe. com.
World Without End, Twitter
World Without End, Twitter
Mini-x2, readytogo.net
Mini-x2, readytogo.net
Aiden Hearn, Twitter
Aiden Hearn, Twitter
Danazawa, Youtube
Danazawa, Youtube
Anamatronix, Youtube
Anamatronix, Youtube
Guest1001, Youtube
Guest1001, Youtube
Gabrielle, Chortle.com
Gabrielle, Chortle.com
Pudabaya, Twitter
Pudabaya, Twitter
Meanstreetelite, Peoplesrepublicofcork
Meanstreetelite, Peoplesrepublicofcork
Genghis McKahn, Guardian.co.uk
Genghis McKahn, Guardian.co.uk
Horatio Melvin, Twitter
Horatio Melvin, Twitter
Bobby Bhoy, Twitter
Bobby Bhoy, Twitter
Gmanthedemon, bbc.co.uk
Gmanthedemon, bbc.co.uk
Idrie, Youtube
Idrie, Youtube
Lents, redandwhitekop.com
Lents, redandwhitekop.com
Frankie Boyle, Comedian
Frankie Boyle, Comedian
Henry Howard Fun, Twitter
Henry Howard Fun, Twitter
Neva2busy, dontstartmeoff.com
Neva2busy, dontstartmeoff.com
Borathigh5, Youtube
Borathigh5, Youtube
Sam Rooney, Youtube
Sam Rooney, Youtube
Dominic Cavendish, Daily Telegraph
Dominic Cavendish, Daily Telegraph
Peter Ould, Twitter
Peter Ould, Twitter
Joycey, readytogo.net
Joycey, readytogo.net
Anonymous, don'tstartmeoff.com
Anonymous, don'tstartmeoff.com
Tin Frog, Twitter
Tin Frog, Twitter
Jamespearse, Twitter
Jamespearse, Twitter
Joe, Independent.co.uk
Joe, Independent.co.uk
Bosco239, youtube
Bosco239, youtube
Richard Herring, Comedian
Richard Herring, Comedian
Tweeter Kyriakou, Twitter
Tweeter Kyriakou, Twitter
Gwaites, Digitalspy
Gwaites, Digitalspy
Spanner, dontstartmeoff.com
Spanner, dontstartmeoff.com
Johnny Kitkat, dontstartmeoff.com
Johnny Kitkat, dontstartmeoff.com
Deepbass, Guardian.co.uk
Deepbass, Guardian.co.uk
Zombie Hamster, Twitter
Zombie Hamster, Twitter
Dominic Cavendish, Telegraph
Dominic Cavendish, Telegraph
Foxfoxton, Youtube
Foxfoxton, Youtube
98rosjon, Twitter
98rosjon, Twitter
Fowkes81, Twitter
Fowkes81, Twitter
Z-factor, Twitter.
Z-factor, Twitter.
GRTak, finalgear.com
GRTak, finalgear.com
Peter Fears, Twitter
Peter Fears, Twitter
Lancethrustworthy, Youtube
Lancethrustworthy, Youtube
Kozzy06, Youtube
Kozzy06, Youtube
Cabluigi, Guardian.co.uk
Cabluigi, Guardian.co.uk
Anon, BBC Complaints Log
Anon, BBC Complaints Log
Jackmumf, Twitter
Jackmumf, Twitter
Someoneyoudon'tknow, Chortle.com
Someoneyoudon'tknow, Chortle.com
Herald Scotland.
Herald Scotland.
Whoiscuriousgeorge, Youtube
Whoiscuriousgeorge, Youtube
Cojones2, Guardian.co.uk
Cojones2, Guardian.co.uk
Anon, westhamonline.com
Anon, westhamonline.com
Rubyshoes, Twitter
Rubyshoes, Twitter
Stuart, Chortle
Stuart, Chortle
Tweeterkiryakou, Twitter
Tweeterkiryakou, Twitter
A D Ward, Twitter
A D Ward, Twitter
Anonymous, The Northfield Patriot
Anonymous, The Northfield Patriot
Esme Folley, Actress, cellist, Twitter
Esme Folley, Actress, cellist, Twitter
Patrick Kavanagh, Guardian.co.uk
Patrick Kavanagh, Guardian.co.uk
Dan McCaid, Twitter
Dan McCaid, Twitter
Rowing Rob, Guardian.co.uk
Rowing Rob, Guardian.co.uk
Guest, Dontstartmeoff.com
Guest, Dontstartmeoff.com
Birmingham Sunday Mercury
Birmingham Sunday Mercury
Mearecate, Youtube
Mearecate, Youtube
Syhr, breakbeat.co.uk
Syhr, breakbeat.co.uk
Sweeping Curves, Twitter
Sweeping Curves, Twitter
XPIJONpsY, Twitter
XPIJONpsY, Twitter
Anon, dontstartmeoff.com
Anon, dontstartmeoff.com
Chez, Chortle.com
Chez, Chortle.com
Secretdeveloper, Youtube
Secretdeveloper, Youtube
Liam Travitt, Twitter
Liam Travitt, Twitter
Fairy Pingu, Twitter
Fairy Pingu, 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
Dominic Cavendish, Daily Telegraph
Dominic Cavendish, Daily Telegraph
Len Firewood, Twitter
Len Firewood, Twitter
John Robins, Comedian
John Robins, Comedian
Funday’schild, youtube.
Funday’schild, youtube.
Wharto15, Twitter
Wharto15, Twitter
Microcuts 22, Twitter
Microcuts 22, Twitter
Mrdavisn01, Twitter
Mrdavisn01, Twitter
Peter Ould, Youtube
Peter Ould, Youtube
DVDhth's grandparents, Twitter
DVDhth's grandparents, Twitter
Pudabaya, beexcellenttoeachother.com
Pudabaya, beexcellenttoeachother.com
FBC, finalgear.com
FBC, finalgear.com
Iain, eatenbymissionaries
Iain, eatenbymissionaries
Aaron, comedy.co.uk
Aaron, comedy.co.uk
Ishamayura Byrd, Twitter
Ishamayura Byrd, Twitter
Tokyofist, Youtube
Tokyofist, Youtube
Pnethor, pne-online.com
Pnethor, pne-online.com
Leach Juice, Twitter
Leach Juice, Twitter
Visualiser1, Twitter
Visualiser1, Twitter
Shane, Beverley, Dailymail.co.uk
Shane, Beverley, Dailymail.co.uk
Al Murray, Comedian
Al Murray, Comedian
General Lurko 36, Guardian.co.uk
General Lurko 36, Guardian.co.uk
Maninabananasuit, Guardian.co.uk
Maninabananasuit, Guardian.co.uk
Lucinda Locketts, Twitter
Lucinda Locketts, Twitter
Joskins, Leeds Music Forum
Joskins, Leeds Music Forum
James Dellingpole, Daily Telegraph
James Dellingpole, Daily Telegraph
Cyberbloke, Twitter
Cyberbloke, Twitter
Shit Crit, Twitter
Shit Crit, Twitter
Emilyistrendy, Youtube
Emilyistrendy, Youtube
Stokeylitfest, Twitter
Stokeylitfest, Twitter
Sidsings000, Youtube
Sidsings000, Youtube
NevW47479, UKTV.co.uk
NevW47479, UKTV.co.uk
Tres Ryan, Twitter
Tres Ryan, Twitter
Nicetime, Guardian.co.uk
Nicetime, Guardian.co.uk
Alwyn, Digiguide.tv
Alwyn, Digiguide.tv
Lee Mack, Mack The Life, 2012
Lee Mack, Mack The Life, 2012
Slothy Matt, Twitter
Slothy Matt, Twitter
Lenny Darksphere, Twitter
Lenny Darksphere, Twitter
Yukio Mishima, dontstartmeoff.com
Yukio Mishima, dontstartmeoff.com
Pirate Crocodile, Twitter
Pirate Crocodile, Twitter
Clampdown59, Twitter.
Clampdown59, Twitter.
Contrapuntal, Twitter
Contrapuntal, Twitter
Brendon, Vauxhallownersnetwork.co.uk
Brendon, Vauxhallownersnetwork.co.uk
Etienne, Chortle.com
Etienne, Chortle.com
Carcrazychica, Youtube
Carcrazychica, Youtube
Mpf1947, Youtube
Mpf1947, Youtube
Carla, St Albans, Dailymail.co.uk
Carla, St Albans, Dailymail.co.uk
Zoot Cadillac, Twitter
Zoot Cadillac, Twitter
Neolab, Guardian.co.uk
Neolab, Guardian.co.uk
Robert Gavin, Twitter
Robert Gavin, Twitter
Hiewy, Youtube
Hiewy, Youtube
Dave Wilson, Chortle.com
Dave Wilson, Chortle.com
Dick Socrates, Twitter
Dick Socrates, Twitter
Keilloh, Twitter
Keilloh, Twitter