“CONTENT PROVIDER” reads the backdrop on the Philharmonic stage, behind a set made of just that – content.
Specifically, piles of other stand-up comics’ DVDs, which Stewart Lee bought online for 1p each, during the bouts of insomnia brought on by the nightly exertions of his sweaty, energetic on-stage persona.
The piles – of Russell Howard and Lee Mack and Michael MacIntyre and Jack Whitehall and Rob Beckett and Greg Davies and who knows who else – are like Chekhov’s gun. The ancient rule of drama states that if you see a gun on stage, you know it will be fired by the end of the play; once you see Lee’s piles of Mock The Week’s finest, you know at some point in the evening he’s going to kick them over and stamp on them, swearing and sweating pure distilled impotent rage.
He does so just after the midpoint of the first act, when the stage lights turn blue to wash out the words “CONTENT PROVIDER”, at the exact moment Lee casually drops into the conversation the BBC’s decision to axe his award-winning Comedy Vehicle. The moment signals a tightening of the set after a fun but slightly chaotic intro. He’s not written any material about Brexit, he tells us, before an opening half-hour almost entirely about Brexit. It’s met with warm applause, in a place Lee describes as one of the “shining citadels” of Remain voters.
But he – or rather, his stage self – is not happy with us, especially those of us who’ve brought friends along who don’t really get him. It’s nothing new for those familiar with Lee’s schtick, but it takes on an added pertinence as his routine about the difficulty of making successful comedy in a divided country ends with him dividing the audience into proper fans and their interloping friends.
Throughout Content Provider, division – discontent, in fact – is a running theme. He’s up there, we’re down here; he’s the wanderer, we are the sea of fog. “If this doesn’t go well tonight, the fault isn’t on this side of the stage,” he chides.
He does a bit, and we laugh, and he tells us we didn’t laugh at the right time, or loud enough. This is classic Lee – and will have sounded a lot fresher to the newbies he claims to despise. He may pretend that the stand-up comic’s dream gig is “a sold-out theatre of empty seats”, but we all know better.
You’re left with the impression that however much Stage Stew claims to despise us, Real Stew will always have a soft spot for his audience – as he exits the stage not to the side, but by diving into the fog. Into us.
He looks almost content.
Genghis McKahn, Guardian.co.uk
Genghis McKahn, Guardian.co.uk
Clampdown59, Twitter.
Clampdown59, Twitter.
Anonymous, The Northfield Patriot
Anonymous, The Northfield Patriot
Aiden Hearn, Twitter
Aiden Hearn, Twitter
Stuart, Chortle
Stuart, Chortle
Tweeterkiryakou, Twitter
Tweeterkiryakou, Twitter
Joycey, readytogo.net
Joycey, readytogo.net
Foxfoxton, Youtube
Foxfoxton, Youtube
Spanner, dontstartmeoff.com
Spanner, dontstartmeoff.com
Secretdeveloper, Youtube
Secretdeveloper, Youtube
Z-factor, Twitter.
Z-factor, Twitter.
Mpf1947, Youtube
Mpf1947, Youtube
Zombie Hamster, Twitter
Zombie Hamster, Twitter
Frankie Boyle, Comedian
Frankie Boyle, Comedian
Joskins, Leeds Music Forum
Joskins, Leeds Music Forum
Meanstreetelite, Peoplesrepublicofcork
Meanstreetelite, Peoplesrepublicofcork
Anon, dontstartmeoff.com
Anon, dontstartmeoff.com
Etienne, Chortle.com
Etienne, Chortle.com
Jackmumf, Twitter
Jackmumf, Twitter
Bobby Bhoy, Twitter
Bobby Bhoy, Twitter
Hiewy, Youtube
Hiewy, Youtube
Dominic Cavendish, Daily Telegraph
Dominic Cavendish, Daily Telegraph
Stokeylitfest, Twitter
Stokeylitfest, Twitter
Karen Laidlaw, Edfringe. com.
Karen Laidlaw, Edfringe. com.
Peter Ould, Youtube
Peter Ould, Youtube
Tweeter Kyriakou, Twitter
Tweeter Kyriakou, Twitter
Maninabananasuit, Guardian.co.uk
Maninabananasuit, Guardian.co.uk
Shit Crit, Twitter
Shit Crit, Twitter
Mini-x2, readytogo.net
Mini-x2, readytogo.net
Shane, Beverley, Dailymail.co.uk
Shane, Beverley, Dailymail.co.uk
DVDhth's grandparents, Twitter
DVDhth's grandparents, Twitter
John Robins, Comedian
John Robins, Comedian
Sam Rooney, Youtube
Sam Rooney, Youtube
Brighton Argus
Brighton Argus
FBC, finalgear.com
FBC, finalgear.com
Coxy, Dontstartmeoff.com
Coxy, Dontstartmeoff.com
Lents, redandwhitekop.com
Lents, redandwhitekop.com
Yukio Mishima, dontstartmeoff.com
Yukio Mishima, dontstartmeoff.com
Rowing Rob, Guardian.co.uk
Rowing Rob, Guardian.co.uk
Lucinda Locketts, Twitter
Lucinda Locketts, Twitter
Anon, westhamonline.com
Anon, westhamonline.com
Cyberbloke, Twitter
Cyberbloke, Twitter
Neva2busy, dontstartmeoff.com
Neva2busy, dontstartmeoff.com
Borathigh5, Youtube
Borathigh5, Youtube
World Without End, Twitter
World Without End, Twitter
Tokyofist, Youtube
Tokyofist, Youtube
Idrie, Youtube
Idrie, Youtube
Anon, BBC Complaints Log
Anon, BBC Complaints Log
Sweeping Curves, Twitter
Sweeping Curves, Twitter
Lancethrustworthy, Youtube
Lancethrustworthy, Youtube
Birmingham Sunday Mercury
Birmingham Sunday Mercury
Syhr, breakbeat.co.uk
Syhr, breakbeat.co.uk
Rubyshoes, Twitter
Rubyshoes, Twitter
Lee Mack, Mack The Life, 2012
Lee Mack, Mack The Life, 2012
Brendon, Vauxhallownersnetwork.co.uk
Brendon, Vauxhallownersnetwork.co.uk
Deepbass, Guardian.co.uk
Deepbass, Guardian.co.uk
Visualiser1, Twitter
Visualiser1, Twitter
Richard Herring, Comedian
Richard Herring, Comedian
Danazawa, Youtube
Danazawa, Youtube
Horatio Melvin, Twitter
Horatio Melvin, Twitter
GRTak, finalgear.com
GRTak, finalgear.com
Anonymous, don'tstartmeoff.com
Anonymous, don'tstartmeoff.com
98rosjon, Twitter
98rosjon, Twitter
Contrapuntal, Twitter
Contrapuntal, Twitter
Johnny Kitkat, dontstartmeoff.com
Johnny Kitkat, dontstartmeoff.com
Robert Gavin, Twitter
Robert Gavin, Twitter
Pudabaya, Twitter
Pudabaya, Twitter
Ishamayura Byrd, Twitter
Ishamayura Byrd, Twitter
Neolab, Guardian.co.uk
Neolab, Guardian.co.uk
Chez, Chortle.com
Chez, Chortle.com
Gwaites, Digitalspy
Gwaites, Digitalspy
Guest1001, Youtube
Guest1001, 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
Whoiscuriousgeorge, Youtube
Whoiscuriousgeorge, Youtube
Iain, eatenbymissionaries
Iain, eatenbymissionaries
Dick Socrates, Twitter
Dick Socrates, Twitter
Lenny Darksphere, Twitter
Lenny Darksphere, Twitter
Henry Howard Fun, Twitter
Henry Howard Fun, Twitter
Carcrazychica, Youtube
Carcrazychica, Youtube
Al Murray, Comedian
Al Murray, Comedian
Liam Travitt, Twitter
Liam Travitt, Twitter
Fairy Pingu, Twitter
Fairy Pingu, Twitter
Cabluigi, Guardian.co.uk
Cabluigi, Guardian.co.uk
Mrdavisn01, Twitter
Mrdavisn01, Twitter
Dominic Cavendish, Telegraph
Dominic Cavendish, Telegraph
Meninblack, Twitter
Meninblack, Twitter
Guest, Dontstartmeoff.com
Guest, Dontstartmeoff.com
Pirate Crocodile, Twitter
Pirate Crocodile, Twitter
Bosco239, youtube
Bosco239, youtube
Len Firewood, Twitter
Len Firewood, Twitter
Nicetime, Guardian.co.uk
Nicetime, Guardian.co.uk
Kozzy06, Youtube
Kozzy06, Youtube
Alex Quarmby, Edfringe.com
Alex Quarmby, Edfringe.com
Rudeness, Youtube
Rudeness, Youtube
Cojones2, Guardian.co.uk
Cojones2, Guardian.co.uk
Esme Folley, Actress, cellist, Twitter
Esme Folley, Actress, cellist, Twitter
Peter Fears, Twitter
Peter Fears, Twitter
12dgdgdgdgdgdg, Youtube
12dgdgdgdgdgdg, Youtube
Alwyn, Digiguide.tv
Alwyn, Digiguide.tv
Tres Ryan, Twitter
Tres Ryan, Twitter
Jamespearse, Twitter
Jamespearse, Twitter
Carla, St Albans, Dailymail.co.uk
Carla, St Albans, Dailymail.co.uk
General Lurko 36, Guardian.co.uk
General Lurko 36, Guardian.co.uk
Someoneyoudon'tknow, Chortle.com
Someoneyoudon'tknow, Chortle.com
Slothy Matt, Twitter
Slothy Matt, Twitter
Anamatronix, Youtube
Anamatronix, Youtube
Dahoum, Guardian.co.uk
Dahoum, Guardian.co.uk
Wharto15, Twitter
Wharto15, Twitter
Gmanthedemon, bbc.co.uk
Gmanthedemon, bbc.co.uk
Funday’schild, youtube.
Funday’schild, youtube.
Tin Frog, Twitter
Tin Frog, Twitter
Mearecate, Youtube
Mearecate, Youtube
James Dellingpole, Daily Telegraph
James Dellingpole, Daily Telegraph
Microcuts 22, Twitter
Microcuts 22, Twitter
Gabrielle, Chortle.com
Gabrielle, Chortle.com
Leach Juice, Twitter
Leach Juice, Twitter
A D Ward, Twitter
A D Ward, Twitter
Fowkes81, Twitter
Fowkes81, Twitter
Joe, Independent.co.uk
Joe, Independent.co.uk
Keilloh, Twitter
Keilloh, Twitter
Sidsings000, Youtube
Sidsings000, Youtube
NevW47479, UKTV.co.uk
NevW47479, UKTV.co.uk
Dave Wilson, Chortle.com
Dave Wilson, Chortle.com
Pnethor, pne-online.com
Pnethor, pne-online.com
Pudabaya, beexcellenttoeachother.com
Pudabaya, beexcellenttoeachother.com
Emilyistrendy, Youtube
Emilyistrendy, Youtube
Peter Ould, Twitter
Peter Ould, Twitter
Aaron, comedy.co.uk
Aaron, comedy.co.uk
Patrick Kavanagh, Guardian.co.uk
Patrick Kavanagh, Guardian.co.uk