I had wanted to start this review with the old Bob Monkhouse gag: ‘Everyone laughed when I said I wanted to be a comedian. They’re not laughing now’.
This was because Lee was the knowingly intelligent, metropolitan liberal whose deep analysis of the method of comedy allied to strongly-held political views would simply lead to two hours of sermonising.
It was also because he would be a man stridently complaining about things, a man creating friction between him and the Poole audience and a man railing at everyone else in the room for not being intelligent enough to understand him.
And it was because he would just rant at various other comedians, look aghast when supposedly humorous lines fell flat and be uncomfortable when the diverse nature of the audience didn’t fit his tribe.
He was all that, obviously, but sadly for the accurate use of the aforementioned Monkhouse line, he was also hilariously funny.
Lee’s shtick is this very grumpy persona he has created for himself, a stage character he uses for his stand-up routine and (in his own words) a deluded man who believes he’s a comic. Of course, it’s all an act.
In the current tour, Content Provider, he sets his sights on our throwaway digital age, our minute attention span and the very lack of substance in today’s instant world.
But he also finds time to chew up Brexit, Trump, Game of Thrones, the under-40s, Gary Lineker, Eamon Holmes, Russell Brand, Russell Howard, Dara O Briain and even his own brother-in-law.
The stage was littered with piles of other comedians’ DVDs ‘bought for a penny on e-Bay’ and the backdrop was a rather underused white screen– an elaborate set-up for his finale.
Not everything was hilarious, some flabby parts dragged a bit (although repetition is his big trademark), but even if he’d only done the ‘you’ve never had it so good’ bondage in the 1930s routine involving hessian sacks and dripping, it would still have been worth the ticket price.
Neolab, Guardian.co.uk
Neolab, Guardian.co.uk
Richard Herring, Comedian
Richard Herring, Comedian
Carla, St Albans, Dailymail.co.uk
Carla, St Albans, Dailymail.co.uk
DVDhth's grandparents, Twitter
DVDhth's grandparents, Twitter
GRTak, finalgear.com
GRTak, finalgear.com
Anamatronix, Youtube
Anamatronix, Youtube
Joe, Independent.co.uk
Joe, Independent.co.uk
Karen Laidlaw, Edfringe. com.
Karen Laidlaw, Edfringe. com.
Contrapuntal, Twitter
Contrapuntal, Twitter
Horatio Melvin, Twitter
Horatio Melvin, Twitter
12dgdgdgdgdgdg, Youtube
12dgdgdgdgdgdg, Youtube
Anonymous, The Northfield Patriot
Anonymous, The Northfield Patriot
Idrie, Youtube
Idrie, Youtube
Alwyn, Digiguide.tv
Alwyn, Digiguide.tv
Cabluigi, Guardian.co.uk
Cabluigi, Guardian.co.uk
Emilyistrendy, Youtube
Emilyistrendy, Youtube
Rowing Rob, Guardian.co.uk
Rowing Rob, Guardian.co.uk
Tin Frog, Twitter
Tin Frog, Twitter
Pnethor, pne-online.com
Pnethor, pne-online.com
Carcrazychica, Youtube
Carcrazychica, Youtube
Peter Ould, Youtube
Peter Ould, Youtube
Tokyofist, Youtube
Tokyofist, Youtube
Lenny Darksphere, Twitter
Lenny Darksphere, Twitter
Sidsings000, Youtube
Sidsings000, Youtube
Foxfoxton, Youtube
Foxfoxton, Youtube
Sam Rooney, Youtube
Sam Rooney, Youtube
Henry Howard Fun, Twitter
Henry Howard Fun, Twitter
Visualiser1, Twitter
Visualiser1, Twitter
Lucinda Locketts, Twitter
Lucinda Locketts, Twitter
NevW47479, UKTV.co.uk
NevW47479, UKTV.co.uk
Chez, Chortle.com
Chez, Chortle.com
Len Firewood, Twitter
Len Firewood, Twitter
Dave Wilson, Chortle.com
Dave Wilson, Chortle.com
Dick Socrates, Twitter
Dick Socrates, Twitter
Z-factor, Twitter.
Z-factor, Twitter.
Nicetime, Guardian.co.uk
Nicetime, Guardian.co.uk
Cyberbloke, Twitter
Cyberbloke, Twitter
Aiden Hearn, Twitter
Aiden Hearn, Twitter
Frankie Boyle, Comedian
Frankie Boyle, Comedian
Mini-x2, readytogo.net
Mini-x2, readytogo.net
John Robins, Comedian
John Robins, Comedian
Anon, BBC Complaints Log
Anon, BBC Complaints Log
Iain, eatenbymissionaries
Iain, eatenbymissionaries
Meninblack, Twitter
Meninblack, Twitter
Fairy Pingu, Twitter
Fairy Pingu, Twitter
Jackmumf, Twitter
Jackmumf, Twitter
Wharto15, Twitter
Wharto15, Twitter
Tweeterkiryakou, Twitter
Tweeterkiryakou, Twitter
Patrick Kavanagh, Guardian.co.uk
Patrick Kavanagh, Guardian.co.uk
Robert Gavin, Twitter
Robert Gavin, Twitter
Jamespearse, Twitter
Jamespearse, Twitter
Fowkes81, Twitter
Fowkes81, Twitter
Brendon, Vauxhallownersnetwork.co.uk
Brendon, Vauxhallownersnetwork.co.uk
Peter Fears, Twitter
Peter Fears, Twitter
Kozzy06, Youtube
Kozzy06, Youtube
Etienne, Chortle.com
Etienne, Chortle.com
Peter Ould, Twitter
Peter Ould, Twitter
Sweeping Curves, Twitter
Sweeping Curves, Twitter
Spanner, dontstartmeoff.com
Spanner, dontstartmeoff.com
Pudabaya, Twitter
Pudabaya, Twitter
James Dellingpole, Daily Telegraph
James Dellingpole, Daily Telegraph
Bobby Bhoy, Twitter
Bobby Bhoy, Twitter
Al Murray, Comedian
Al Murray, Comedian
Zombie Hamster, Twitter
Zombie Hamster, Twitter
Lee Mack, Mack The Life, 2012
Lee Mack, Mack The Life, 2012
Slothy Matt, Twitter
Slothy Matt, Twitter
Meanstreetelite, Peoplesrepublicofcork
Meanstreetelite, Peoplesrepublicofcork
Neva2busy, dontstartmeoff.com
Neva2busy, dontstartmeoff.com
Joycey, readytogo.net
Joycey, readytogo.net
Leach Juice, Twitter
Leach Juice, Twitter
Esme Folley, Actress, cellist, Twitter
Esme Folley, Actress, cellist, Twitter
Microcuts 22, Twitter
Microcuts 22, Twitter
Gmanthedemon, bbc.co.uk
Gmanthedemon, bbc.co.uk
Secretdeveloper, Youtube
Secretdeveloper, Youtube
Tres Ryan, Twitter
Tres Ryan, 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
Mpf1947, Youtube
Mpf1947, Youtube
World Without End, Twitter
World Without End, Twitter
Dahoum, Guardian.co.uk
Dahoum, Guardian.co.uk
Coxy, Dontstartmeoff.com
Coxy, Dontstartmeoff.com
Hiewy, Youtube
Hiewy, Youtube
Maninabananasuit, Guardian.co.uk
Maninabananasuit, Guardian.co.uk
Bosco239, youtube
Bosco239, youtube
Pirate Crocodile, Twitter
Pirate Crocodile, Twitter
Yukio Mishima, dontstartmeoff.com
Yukio Mishima, dontstartmeoff.com
Dominic Cavendish, Telegraph
Dominic Cavendish, Telegraph
Pudabaya, beexcellenttoeachother.com
Pudabaya, beexcellenttoeachother.com
Rubyshoes, Twitter
Rubyshoes, Twitter
Alex Quarmby, Edfringe.com
Alex Quarmby, Edfringe.com
Anon, westhamonline.com
Anon, westhamonline.com
Whoiscuriousgeorge, Youtube
Whoiscuriousgeorge, Youtube
Tweeter Kyriakou, Twitter
Tweeter Kyriakou, Twitter
General Lurko 36, Guardian.co.uk
General Lurko 36, Guardian.co.uk
Lents, redandwhitekop.com
Lents, redandwhitekop.com
Gabrielle, Chortle.com
Gabrielle, Chortle.com
Stokeylitfest, Twitter
Stokeylitfest, Twitter
FBC, finalgear.com
FBC, finalgear.com
Deepbass, Guardian.co.uk
Deepbass, Guardian.co.uk
Mearecate, Youtube
Mearecate, Youtube
Ishamayura Byrd, Twitter
Ishamayura Byrd, Twitter
Brighton Argus
Brighton Argus
Liam Travitt, Twitter
Liam Travitt, Twitter
Birmingham Sunday Mercury
Birmingham Sunday Mercury
Danazawa, Youtube
Danazawa, Youtube
Aaron, comedy.co.uk
Aaron, comedy.co.uk
Borathigh5, Youtube
Borathigh5, Youtube
Guest1001, Youtube
Guest1001, Youtube
Keilloh, Twitter
Keilloh, Twitter
Shane, Beverley, Dailymail.co.uk
Shane, Beverley, Dailymail.co.uk
Funday’schild, youtube.
Funday’schild, youtube.
Clampdown59, Twitter.
Clampdown59, Twitter.
Someoneyoudon'tknow, Chortle.com
Someoneyoudon'tknow, Chortle.com
Dominic Cavendish, Daily Telegraph
Dominic Cavendish, Daily Telegraph
98rosjon, Twitter
98rosjon, Twitter
Johnny Kitkat, dontstartmeoff.com
Johnny Kitkat, dontstartmeoff.com
Anonymous, don'tstartmeoff.com
Anonymous, don'tstartmeoff.com
Genghis McKahn, Guardian.co.uk
Genghis McKahn, Guardian.co.uk
Gwaites, Digitalspy
Gwaites, Digitalspy
Mrdavisn01, Twitter
Mrdavisn01, Twitter
Lancethrustworthy, Youtube
Lancethrustworthy, Youtube
Stuart, Chortle
Stuart, Chortle
Cojones2, Guardian.co.uk
Cojones2, Guardian.co.uk
Joskins, Leeds Music Forum
Joskins, Leeds Music Forum
Syhr, breakbeat.co.uk
Syhr, breakbeat.co.uk
Anon, dontstartmeoff.com
Anon, dontstartmeoff.com
A D Ward, Twitter
A D Ward, Twitter
Shit Crit, Twitter
Shit Crit, Twitter
Guest, Dontstartmeoff.com
Guest, Dontstartmeoff.com
Rudeness, Youtube
Rudeness, Youtube