If there is anyone I see on TV who makes me laugh on a panel show, I can probably snap up a cheap DVD (maybe for 1p?) of them. But there are two comedians I have always wanted to see live. One was Richard Herring and the other Stewart Lee. They were a great comedy pairing, but arguably funnier apart. And 18 months ago I was due to see Herring at the Hawth Theatre, Crawley. But due to a late invite to a wedding the tickets had to go to a grateful recipient.
If there is anyone I see on TV who makes me laugh on a panel show, I can probably snap up a cheap DVD (maybe for 1p?) of them. But there are two comedians I have always wanted to see live. One was Richard Herring and the other Stewart Lee. They were a great comedy pairing, but arguably funnier apart. And 18 months ago I was due to see Herring at the Hawth Theatre, Crawley. But due to a late invite to a wedding the tickets had to go to a grateful recipient.
But luckily no such invite came my way for Friday, October 13 so I did not have to resent anyone and I got to enjoy Lee – one of Britain’s most critically-acclaimed stand-ups. Lee originally wanted his show Content Provider to be based around a 19th-century painting – Caspar David Friedrich’s Wanderer Above The Sea of Fog – but ‘then Brexit happened’. The first half of the show at the Hawth – which Lee was keen to point out was the venue with the most unsold tickets – is mainly about Brexit and Lee enjoys directing his comedy at ‘the metropolitan liberal elite’ in Crawley – we voted Leave remember.
The second half starts in a very clever way (same syntax, different proper nouns) and Lee’s views on David Cameron, Nigel Farage, Gary Lineker, Russell Howard, Donald Trump, East Grinstead, bendy bananas, vegetable spiralisers and the under-40s had the audience in roars of laughter.
But the real joy came when the audience did not get a joke – watching Lee point out the audiences’ inadequacies is a wonderful thing. Lee mentioned the death of Tommy Cooper and said he wouldn’t mind dying like that – but not in Crawley.
And he certainly didn’t die on stage tonight – he left the crowd, even the Friends of the Hawth, buzzing.
See this show if you can.
Visualiser1, Twitter
Visualiser1, Twitter
Shit Crit, Twitter
Shit Crit, Twitter
Mearecate, Youtube
Mearecate, Youtube
Guest, Dontstartmeoff.com
Guest, Dontstartmeoff.com
Microcuts 22, Twitter
Microcuts 22, Twitter
Tin Frog, Twitter
Tin Frog, Twitter
Dominic Cavendish, Telegraph
Dominic Cavendish, Telegraph
Emilyistrendy, Youtube
Emilyistrendy, Youtube
Funday’schild, youtube.
Funday’schild, youtube.
Dominic Cavendish, Daily Telegraph
Dominic Cavendish, Daily Telegraph
Joycey, readytogo.net
Joycey, readytogo.net
Dan McCaid, Twitter
Dan McCaid, Twitter
Carcrazychica, Youtube
Carcrazychica, Youtube
NevW47479, UKTV.co.uk
NevW47479, UKTV.co.uk
Secretdeveloper, Youtube
Secretdeveloper, Youtube
Peter Ould, Twitter
Peter Ould, Twitter
Neva2busy, dontstartmeoff.com
Neva2busy, dontstartmeoff.com
Karen Laidlaw, Edfringe. com.
Karen Laidlaw, Edfringe. com.
Peter Fears, Twitter
Peter Fears, Twitter
Anamatronix, Youtube
Anamatronix, Youtube
Anonymous, don'tstartmeoff.com
Anonymous, don'tstartmeoff.com
Lucinda Locketts, Twitter
Lucinda Locketts, Twitter
Carla, St Albans, Dailymail.co.uk
Carla, St Albans, Dailymail.co.uk
Guest1001, Youtube
Guest1001, Youtube
Pnethor, pne-online.com
Pnethor, pne-online.com
Tweeterkiryakou, Twitter
Tweeterkiryakou, Twitter
Anon, dontstartmeoff.com
Anon, dontstartmeoff.com
Rubyshoes, Twitter
Rubyshoes, Twitter
Sidsings000, Youtube
Sidsings000, Youtube
Nicetime, Guardian.co.uk
Nicetime, Guardian.co.uk
Z-factor, Twitter.
Z-factor, Twitter.
Leach Juice, Twitter
Leach Juice, Twitter
Anon, westhamonline.com
Anon, westhamonline.com
Borathigh5, Youtube
Borathigh5, Youtube
Brighton Argus
Brighton Argus
Johnny Kitkat, dontstartmeoff.com
Johnny Kitkat, dontstartmeoff.com
Cyberbloke, Twitter
Cyberbloke, Twitter
Patrick Kavanagh, Guardian.co.uk
Patrick Kavanagh, Guardian.co.uk
Bobby Bhoy, Twitter
Bobby Bhoy, Twitter
Fairy Pingu, Twitter
Fairy Pingu, Twitter
Richard Herring, Comedian
Richard Herring, Comedian
Al Murray, Comedian
Al Murray, Comedian
Gmanthedemon, bbc.co.uk
Gmanthedemon, bbc.co.uk
Iain, eatenbymissionaries
Iain, eatenbymissionaries
Rudeness, Youtube
Rudeness, Youtube
Clampdown59, Twitter.
Clampdown59, Twitter.
Horatio Melvin, Twitter
Horatio Melvin, Twitter
Rowing Rob, Guardian.co.uk
Rowing Rob, Guardian.co.uk
Pirate Crocodile, Twitter
Pirate Crocodile, Twitter
Cojones2, Guardian.co.uk
Cojones2, Guardian.co.uk
Dick Socrates, Twitter
Dick Socrates, Twitter
FBC, finalgear.com
FBC, finalgear.com
Deepbass, Guardian.co.uk
Deepbass, Guardian.co.uk
Len Firewood, Twitter
Len Firewood, Twitter
Danazawa, Youtube
Danazawa, Youtube
Herald Scotland.
Herald Scotland.
Jackmumf, Twitter
Jackmumf, Twitter
Pudabaya, Twitter
Pudabaya, Twitter
Joe, Independent.co.uk
Joe, Independent.co.uk
Mini-x2, readytogo.net
Mini-x2, readytogo.net
Anon, BBC Complaints Log
Anon, BBC Complaints Log
Whoiscuriousgeorge, Youtube
Whoiscuriousgeorge, Youtube
Tokyofist, Youtube
Tokyofist, Youtube
World Without End, Twitter
World Without End, Twitter
Gwaites, Digitalspy
Gwaites, Digitalspy
Aiden Hearn, Twitter
Aiden Hearn, Twitter
Aaron, comedy.co.uk
Aaron, comedy.co.uk
Mpf1947, Youtube
Mpf1947, Youtube
GRTak, finalgear.com
GRTak, finalgear.com
Bosco239, youtube
Bosco239, youtube
Lenny Darksphere, Twitter
Lenny Darksphere, Twitter
Birmingham Sunday Mercury
Birmingham Sunday Mercury
Meninblack, Twitter
Meninblack, Twitter
Tweeter Kyriakou, Twitter
Tweeter Kyriakou, Twitter
DVDhth's grandparents, Twitter
DVDhth's grandparents, Twitter
Sweeping Curves, Twitter
Sweeping Curves, Twitter
Yukio Mishima, dontstartmeoff.com
Yukio Mishima, dontstartmeoff.com
Alwyn, Digiguide.tv
Alwyn, Digiguide.tv
Syhr, breakbeat.co.uk
Syhr, breakbeat.co.uk
Slothy Matt, Twitter
Slothy Matt, Twitter
Alex Quarmby, Edfringe.com
Alex Quarmby, Edfringe.com
Dominic Cavendish, Daily Telegraph
Dominic Cavendish, Daily Telegraph
Maninabananasuit, Guardian.co.uk
Maninabananasuit, Guardian.co.uk
Chez, Chortle.com
Chez, Chortle.com
Frankie Boyle, Comedian
Frankie Boyle, Comedian
General Lurko 36, Guardian.co.uk
General Lurko 36, Guardian.co.uk
Wharto15, Twitter
Wharto15, Twitter
Joskins, Leeds Music Forum
Joskins, Leeds Music Forum
Jamespearse, Twitter
Jamespearse, Twitter
Hiewy, Youtube
Hiewy, Youtube
Liam Travitt, Twitter
Liam Travitt, Twitter
Neolab, Guardian.co.uk
Neolab, Guardian.co.uk
Etienne, Chortle.com
Etienne, Chortle.com
Coxy, Dontstartmeoff.com
Coxy, Dontstartmeoff.com
Henry Howard Fun, Twitter
Henry Howard Fun, Twitter
Idrie, Youtube
Idrie, Youtube
Zoot Cadillac, Twitter
Zoot Cadillac, 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
XPIJONpsY, Twitter
XPIJONpsY, Twitter
Dave Wilson, Chortle.com
Dave Wilson, Chortle.com
Lancethrustworthy, Youtube
Lancethrustworthy, Youtube
Pudabaya, beexcellenttoeachother.com
Pudabaya, beexcellenttoeachother.com
John Robins, Comedian
John Robins, Comedian
Stuart, Chortle
Stuart, Chortle
Meanstreetelite, Peoplesrepublicofcork
Meanstreetelite, Peoplesrepublicofcork
Lee Mack, Mack The Life, 2012
Lee Mack, Mack The Life, 2012
Lents, redandwhitekop.com
Lents, redandwhitekop.com
Kozzy06, Youtube
Kozzy06, Youtube
Someoneyoudon'tknow, Chortle.com
Someoneyoudon'tknow, Chortle.com
Peter Ould, Youtube
Peter Ould, Youtube
Cabluigi, Guardian.co.uk
Cabluigi, Guardian.co.uk
Zombie Hamster, Twitter
Zombie Hamster, Twitter
12dgdgdgdgdgdg, Youtube
12dgdgdgdgdgdg, Youtube
Genghis McKahn, Guardian.co.uk
Genghis McKahn, Guardian.co.uk
Spursguy, Youtube
Spursguy, Youtube
Dahoum, Guardian.co.uk
Dahoum, Guardian.co.uk
Ishamayura Byrd, Twitter
Ishamayura Byrd, Twitter
Contrapuntal, Twitter
Contrapuntal, Twitter
Fowkes81, Twitter
Fowkes81, Twitter
Keilloh, Twitter
Keilloh, Twitter
Mrdavisn01, Twitter
Mrdavisn01, Twitter
Shane, Beverley, Dailymail.co.uk
Shane, Beverley, Dailymail.co.uk
Tres Ryan, Twitter
Tres Ryan, Twitter
Stokeylitfest, Twitter
Stokeylitfest, Twitter
Sam Rooney, Youtube
Sam Rooney, Youtube
Esme Folley, Actress, cellist, Twitter
Esme Folley, Actress, cellist, Twitter
Gabrielle, Chortle.com
Gabrielle, Chortle.com
Spanner, dontstartmeoff.com
Spanner, dontstartmeoff.com
James Dellingpole, Daily Telegraph
James Dellingpole, Daily Telegraph
Robert Gavin, Twitter
Robert Gavin, Twitter
98rosjon, Twitter
98rosjon, Twitter
Foxfoxton, Youtube
Foxfoxton, Youtube
A D Ward, Twitter
A D Ward, Twitter
Anonymous, The Northfield Patriot
Anonymous, The Northfield Patriot
Brendon, Vauxhallownersnetwork.co.uk
Brendon, Vauxhallownersnetwork.co.uk