Stewart Lee comes on stage, gazes around in mild amusement and shakes his head. He has barely uttered a word, nor heard our reaction, and yet he has already formed an opinion of his audience – and he is not impressed. Or at least, he is pretending not to be impressed – which is, of course, the joke.
There’s a lot of that with Lee. While lesser comics play for straight laughs or stride around the stage with their headset microphones (both earning the ire of this unforgiving master of what used to be called alternative comedy), Lee leads us part way up his torturous garden path and allows us to reach our own conclusions. Kind of. He also delights in playing us off against each other, toying with the boundaries of what it means to be a comedian, and with the traditional form of the comedy gig.
“I’m coming to despise the character Stewart Lee in the way Rod Hull hated emu,” he grimaces.
There are laughs. Loads. It’s painfully funny – if you get it. We do, though he would beg to differ, insisting Oxford is a ‘strange place. “It’s not London is it?” he says. “It’s basically a farming community.”
At his best he is the funniest stand-up on the scene. And this is vintage Lee – which means we are in for some chiding, especially if we don’t laugh loud enough for the clever bits. “You’re not putting enough effort into being an audience, by being too mainstream,” he complains.
He also suggests that by playing the venue for a week, too many of the ‘wrong’ people are coming. Maybe one night would have worked better, he smirks.
He tells us early on he won’t be doing jokes about Brexit or Donald Trump, because he’ll be touring the material for months to come, and he doesn’t want it to go stale. However, he proceeds to do exactly that – his profoundly profane digs at the political ‘right’ in the UK and US getting some of the biggest laughs of the night – the first before the interval and the latter in the second half, in an identical set-up, which he tells us off for not realising is deliberate.
Boris Johnson comes in for a thorough roughing-up as does the toilet humour-obsessed ‘comedian’ Russell Howard (could you imagine two performers more diametrically-opposed?). The Howard-mocking extends way beyond the limits of what is comfortable. “I’ll still be doing this when you get back,” he tells a young woman who leaves her seat for a comfort break. And he was.
A section about why bondage was better in our grandparent’s generation is beyond funny. To the delight of this audience he also has a dig at the phone and selfie-obsessed under-40s. It goes on and on, and just gets funnier.
“Don’t imagine your indifference will make me bail out sooner,” he warns us. “This is for my benefit… I’m not enjoying it… but I’ll look back on it with excitement – like being in a car crash.”
Quite brilliant.
Tim Hughes 5/5
* Stewart Lee, Content Provider, is at the Oxford Playhouse until Saturday. All shows have sold out
Anon, BBC Complaints Log
Anon, BBC Complaints Log
Dominic Cavendish, Telegraph
Dominic Cavendish, Telegraph
Pnethor, pne-online.com
Pnethor, pne-online.com
Kozzy06, Youtube
Kozzy06, Youtube
Etienne, Chortle.com
Etienne, Chortle.com
Carcrazychica, Youtube
Carcrazychica, Youtube
Tweeter Kyriakou, Twitter
Tweeter Kyriakou, Twitter
Lucinda Locketts, Twitter
Lucinda Locketts, Twitter
Chez, Chortle.com
Chez, Chortle.com
Pudabaya, beexcellenttoeachother.com
Pudabaya, beexcellenttoeachother.com
Birmingham Sunday Mercury
Birmingham Sunday Mercury
Shit Crit, Twitter
Shit Crit, Twitter
Shane, Beverley, Dailymail.co.uk
Shane, Beverley, Dailymail.co.uk
Keilloh, Twitter
Keilloh, Twitter
Yukio Mishima, dontstartmeoff.com
Yukio Mishima, dontstartmeoff.com
Idrie, Youtube
Idrie, Youtube
World Without End, Twitter
World Without End, Twitter
Wharto15, Twitter
Wharto15, Twitter
Richard Herring, Comedian
Richard Herring, Comedian
Cabluigi, Guardian.co.uk
Cabluigi, Guardian.co.uk
Maninabananasuit, Guardian.co.uk
Maninabananasuit, Guardian.co.uk
Jackmumf, Twitter
Jackmumf, Twitter
Rowing Rob, Guardian.co.uk
Rowing Rob, Guardian.co.uk
Anon, dontstartmeoff.com
Anon, dontstartmeoff.com
Clampdown59, Twitter.
Clampdown59, Twitter.
Pudabaya, Twitter
Pudabaya, Twitter
Coxy, Dontstartmeoff.com
Coxy, Dontstartmeoff.com
Len Firewood, Twitter
Len Firewood, Twitter
NevW47479, UKTV.co.uk
NevW47479, UKTV.co.uk
Pirate Crocodile, Twitter
Pirate Crocodile, Twitter
Anonymous, The Northfield Patriot
Anonymous, The Northfield Patriot
Stuart, Chortle
Stuart, Chortle
Cyberbloke, Twitter
Cyberbloke, Twitter
Joe, Independent.co.uk
Joe, Independent.co.uk
DVDhth's grandparents, Twitter
DVDhth's grandparents, Twitter
Tres Ryan, Twitter
Tres Ryan, Twitter
Dominic Cavendish, Daily Telegraph
Dominic Cavendish, Daily Telegraph
Henry Howard Fun, Twitter
Henry Howard Fun, Twitter
Microcuts 22, Twitter
Microcuts 22, Twitter
Gabrielle, Chortle.com
Gabrielle, Chortle.com
Tokyofist, Youtube
Tokyofist, Youtube
Spanner, dontstartmeoff.com
Spanner, dontstartmeoff.com
Anonymous, don'tstartmeoff.com
Anonymous, don'tstartmeoff.com
Whoiscuriousgeorge, Youtube
Whoiscuriousgeorge, Youtube
Peter Fears, Twitter
Peter Fears, Twitter
Bobby Bhoy, Twitter
Bobby Bhoy, Twitter
Nicetime, Guardian.co.uk
Nicetime, Guardian.co.uk
Zombie Hamster, Twitter
Zombie Hamster, Twitter
Ishamayura Byrd, Twitter
Ishamayura Byrd, Twitter
James Dellingpole, Daily Telegraph
James Dellingpole, Daily Telegraph
Slothy Matt, Twitter
Slothy Matt, Twitter
Johnny Kitkat, dontstartmeoff.com
Johnny Kitkat, dontstartmeoff.com
Gmanthedemon, bbc.co.uk
Gmanthedemon, bbc.co.uk
Alwyn, Digiguide.tv
Alwyn, Digiguide.tv
Sidsings000, Youtube
Sidsings000, Youtube
Genghis McKahn, Guardian.co.uk
Genghis McKahn, Guardian.co.uk
Mearecate, Youtube
Mearecate, Youtube
Meanstreetelite, Peoplesrepublicofcork
Meanstreetelite, Peoplesrepublicofcork
Cojones2, Guardian.co.uk
Cojones2, Guardian.co.uk
Contrapuntal, Twitter
Contrapuntal, Twitter
Brendon, Vauxhallownersnetwork.co.uk
Brendon, Vauxhallownersnetwork.co.uk
Lee Mack, Mack The Life, 2012
Lee Mack, Mack The Life, 2012
Funday’schild, youtube.
Funday’schild, youtube.
Carla, St Albans, Dailymail.co.uk
Carla, St Albans, Dailymail.co.uk
Mrdavisn01, Twitter
Mrdavisn01, Twitter
Danazawa, Youtube
Danazawa, Youtube
Borathigh5, Youtube
Borathigh5, Youtube
Karen Laidlaw, Edfringe. com.
Karen Laidlaw, Edfringe. com.
Neva2busy, dontstartmeoff.com
Neva2busy, dontstartmeoff.com
Tweeterkiryakou, Twitter
Tweeterkiryakou, Twitter
98rosjon, Twitter
98rosjon, Twitter
Mpf1947, Youtube
Mpf1947, Youtube
Robert Gavin, Twitter
Robert Gavin, Twitter
Tin Frog, Twitter
Tin Frog, Twitter
Liam Travitt, Twitter
Liam Travitt, Twitter
Joskins, Leeds Music Forum
Joskins, Leeds Music Forum
Peter Ould, Twitter
Peter Ould, Twitter
FBC, finalgear.com
FBC, finalgear.com
Gwaites, Digitalspy
Gwaites, Digitalspy
12dgdgdgdgdgdg, Youtube
12dgdgdgdgdgdg, Youtube
Frankie Boyle, Comedian
Frankie Boyle, Comedian
Fowkes81, Twitter
Fowkes81, Twitter
Jamespearse, Twitter
Jamespearse, Twitter
Someoneyoudon'tknow, Chortle.com
Someoneyoudon'tknow, Chortle.com
John Robins, Comedian
John Robins, Comedian
Z-factor, Twitter.
Z-factor, Twitter.
Meninblack, Twitter
Meninblack, Twitter
Sweeping Curves, Twitter
Sweeping Curves, Twitter
Patrick Kavanagh, Guardian.co.uk
Patrick Kavanagh, Guardian.co.uk
Iain, eatenbymissionaries
Iain, eatenbymissionaries
Visualiser1, Twitter
Visualiser1, Twitter
Mini-x2, readytogo.net
Mini-x2, readytogo.net
Secretdeveloper, Youtube
Secretdeveloper, Youtube
Sam Rooney, Youtube
Sam Rooney, Youtube
Dick Socrates, Twitter
Dick Socrates, Twitter
Dave Wilson, Chortle.com
Dave Wilson, Chortle.com
Stokeylitfest, Twitter
Stokeylitfest, Twitter
Fairy Pingu, Twitter
Fairy Pingu, Twitter
Leach Juice, Twitter
Leach Juice, Twitter
Horatio Melvin, Twitter
Horatio Melvin, Twitter
Rudeness, Youtube
Rudeness, Youtube
Dahoum, Guardian.co.uk
Dahoum, Guardian.co.uk
Guest1001, Youtube
Guest1001, Youtube
Joycey, readytogo.net
Joycey, readytogo.net
General Lurko 36, Guardian.co.uk
General Lurko 36, Guardian.co.uk
Guest, Dontstartmeoff.com
Guest, Dontstartmeoff.com
Neolab, Guardian.co.uk
Neolab, Guardian.co.uk
Foxfoxton, Youtube
Foxfoxton, Youtube
Lenny Darksphere, Twitter
Lenny Darksphere, Twitter
Al Murray, Comedian
Al Murray, Comedian
Anon, westhamonline.com
Anon, westhamonline.com
Lents, redandwhitekop.com
Lents, redandwhitekop.com
Peter Ould, Youtube
Peter Ould, Youtube
Syhr, breakbeat.co.uk
Syhr, breakbeat.co.uk
Aiden Hearn, Twitter
Aiden Hearn, Twitter
Brighton Argus
Brighton Argus
Alex Quarmby, Edfringe.com
Alex Quarmby, Edfringe.com
Deepbass, Guardian.co.uk
Deepbass, Guardian.co.uk
Anamatronix, Youtube
Anamatronix, Youtube
Bosco239, youtube
Bosco239, youtube
Esme Folley, Actress, cellist, Twitter
Esme Folley, Actress, cellist, Twitter
Rubyshoes, Twitter
Rubyshoes, 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
Aaron, comedy.co.uk
Aaron, comedy.co.uk
GRTak, finalgear.com
GRTak, finalgear.com
A D Ward, Twitter
A D Ward, Twitter
Lancethrustworthy, Youtube
Lancethrustworthy, Youtube
Hiewy, Youtube
Hiewy, Youtube
Emilyistrendy, Youtube
Emilyistrendy, Youtube