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.
John Robins, Comedian
John Robins, Comedian
Lents, redandwhitekop.com
Lents, redandwhitekop.com
Aiden Hearn, Twitter
Aiden Hearn, Twitter
Neolab, Guardian.co.uk
Neolab, Guardian.co.uk
Visualiser1, Twitter
Visualiser1, Twitter
Sidsings000, Youtube
Sidsings000, 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
Slothy Matt, Twitter
Slothy Matt, Twitter
Anamatronix, Youtube
Anamatronix, Youtube
Syhr, breakbeat.co.uk
Syhr, breakbeat.co.uk
Tres Ryan, Twitter
Tres Ryan, Twitter
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Secretdeveloper, Youtube
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Tweeterkiryakou, Twitter
Johnny Kitkat, dontstartmeoff.com
Johnny Kitkat, dontstartmeoff.com
Ishamayura Byrd, Twitter
Ishamayura Byrd, Twitter
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Foxfoxton, Youtube
Emilyistrendy, Youtube
Emilyistrendy, Youtube
Wharto15, Twitter
Wharto15, Twitter
Dahoum, Guardian.co.uk
Dahoum, Guardian.co.uk
Carla, St Albans, Dailymail.co.uk
Carla, St Albans, Dailymail.co.uk
Iain, eatenbymissionaries
Iain, eatenbymissionaries
World Without End, Twitter
World Without End, Twitter
Mini-x2, readytogo.net
Mini-x2, readytogo.net
Anon, BBC Complaints Log
Anon, BBC Complaints Log
Sam Rooney, Youtube
Sam Rooney, Youtube
Contrapuntal, Twitter
Contrapuntal, Twitter
Meanstreetelite, Peoplesrepublicofcork
Meanstreetelite, Peoplesrepublicofcork
Gwaites, Digitalspy
Gwaites, Digitalspy
Pudabaya, Twitter
Pudabaya, Twitter
Liam Travitt, Twitter
Liam Travitt, Twitter
Mrdavisn01, Twitter
Mrdavisn01, Twitter
Cyberbloke, Twitter
Cyberbloke, Twitter
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Dick Socrates, Twitter
FBC, finalgear.com
FBC, finalgear.com
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Fowkes81, Twitter
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Clampdown59, Twitter.
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Meninblack, Twitter
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Z-factor, Twitter.
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Pirate Crocodile, Twitter
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Joe, Independent.co.uk
GRTak, finalgear.com
GRTak, finalgear.com
Lee Mack, Mack The Life, 2012
Lee Mack, Mack The Life, 2012
Tin Frog, Twitter
Tin Frog, Twitter
Peter Fears, Twitter
Peter Fears, Twitter
Brighton Argus
Brighton Argus
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Peter Ould, Twitter
Keilloh, Twitter
Keilloh, Twitter
Joycey, readytogo.net
Joycey, readytogo.net
Kozzy06, Youtube
Kozzy06, Youtube
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Bobby Bhoy, Twitter
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Karen Laidlaw, Edfringe. com.
Esme Folley, Actress, cellist, Twitter
Esme Folley, Actress, cellist, Twitter
Idrie, Youtube
Idrie, Youtube
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Dominic Cavendish, Daily Telegraph
12dgdgdgdgdgdg, Youtube
12dgdgdgdgdgdg, Youtube
Spanner, dontstartmeoff.com
Spanner, dontstartmeoff.com
Anon, dontstartmeoff.com
Anon, dontstartmeoff.com
Aaron, comedy.co.uk
Aaron, comedy.co.uk
Guest, Dontstartmeoff.com
Guest, Dontstartmeoff.com
Gabrielle, Chortle.com
Gabrielle, Chortle.com
Robert Gavin, Twitter
Robert Gavin, Twitter
Mpf1947, Youtube
Mpf1947, Youtube
Dominic Cavendish, Telegraph
Dominic Cavendish, Telegraph
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Whoiscuriousgeorge, Youtube
Stuart, Chortle
Stuart, Chortle
Yukio Mishima, dontstartmeoff.com
Yukio Mishima, dontstartmeoff.com
Gmanthedemon, bbc.co.uk
Gmanthedemon, bbc.co.uk
Richard Herring, Comedian
Richard Herring, Comedian
General Lurko 36, Guardian.co.uk
General Lurko 36, Guardian.co.uk
Guest1001, Youtube
Guest1001, Youtube
Rubyshoes, Twitter
Rubyshoes, Twitter
Cabluigi, Guardian.co.uk
Cabluigi, Guardian.co.uk
Etienne, Chortle.com
Etienne, Chortle.com
Shit Crit, Twitter
Shit Crit, Twitter
Fairy Pingu, Twitter
Fairy Pingu, Twitter
Sweeping Curves, Twitter
Sweeping Curves, Twitter
Borathigh5, Youtube
Borathigh5, Youtube
Al Murray, Comedian
Al Murray, Comedian
Peter Ould, Youtube
Peter Ould, Youtube
Carcrazychica, Youtube
Carcrazychica, Youtube
Pudabaya, beexcellenttoeachother.com
Pudabaya, beexcellenttoeachother.com
Henry Howard Fun, Twitter
Henry Howard Fun, Twitter
Chez, Chortle.com
Chez, Chortle.com
James Dellingpole, Daily Telegraph
James Dellingpole, Daily Telegraph
Cojones2, Guardian.co.uk
Cojones2, Guardian.co.uk
Patrick Kavanagh, Guardian.co.uk
Patrick Kavanagh, Guardian.co.uk
98rosjon, Twitter
98rosjon, Twitter
Alwyn, Digiguide.tv
Alwyn, Digiguide.tv
DVDhth's grandparents, Twitter
DVDhth's grandparents, Twitter
Anon, westhamonline.com
Anon, westhamonline.com
Bosco239, youtube
Bosco239, youtube
Len Firewood, Twitter
Len Firewood, Twitter
Microcuts 22, Twitter
Microcuts 22, Twitter
Joskins, Leeds Music Forum
Joskins, Leeds Music Forum
Leach Juice, Twitter
Leach Juice, Twitter
Hiewy, Youtube
Hiewy, Youtube
Birmingham Sunday Mercury
Birmingham Sunday Mercury
Frankie Boyle, Comedian
Frankie Boyle, Comedian
Rowing Rob, Guardian.co.uk
Rowing Rob, Guardian.co.uk
Jackmumf, Twitter
Jackmumf, Twitter
Mearecate, Youtube
Mearecate, Youtube
Danazawa, Youtube
Danazawa, Youtube
Maninabananasuit, Guardian.co.uk
Maninabananasuit, Guardian.co.uk
Shane, Beverley, Dailymail.co.uk
Shane, Beverley, Dailymail.co.uk
Someoneyoudon'tknow, Chortle.com
Someoneyoudon'tknow, Chortle.com
Dave Wilson, Chortle.com
Dave Wilson, Chortle.com
Lucinda Locketts, Twitter
Lucinda Locketts, Twitter
Rudeness, Youtube
Rudeness, Youtube
Anonymous, don'tstartmeoff.com
Anonymous, don'tstartmeoff.com
Lenny Darksphere, Twitter
Lenny Darksphere, Twitter
Anonymous, The Northfield Patriot
Anonymous, The Northfield Patriot
Stokeylitfest, Twitter
Stokeylitfest, Twitter
Zombie Hamster, Twitter
Zombie Hamster, Twitter
Alex Quarmby, Edfringe.com
Alex Quarmby, Edfringe.com
Deepbass, Guardian.co.uk
Deepbass, Guardian.co.uk
Horatio Melvin, Twitter
Horatio Melvin, Twitter
NevW47479, UKTV.co.uk
NevW47479, UKTV.co.uk
Tokyofist, Youtube
Tokyofist, Youtube
Funday’schild, youtube.
Funday’schild, youtube.
Jamespearse, Twitter
Jamespearse, Twitter
A D Ward, Twitter
A D Ward, Twitter
Pnethor, pne-online.com
Pnethor, pne-online.com
Lancethrustworthy, Youtube
Lancethrustworthy, Youtube
Tweeter Kyriakou, Twitter
Tweeter Kyriakou, Twitter
Brendon, Vauxhallownersnetwork.co.uk
Brendon, Vauxhallownersnetwork.co.uk
Neva2busy, dontstartmeoff.com
Neva2busy, dontstartmeoff.com
Nicetime, Guardian.co.uk
Nicetime, Guardian.co.uk
Coxy, Dontstartmeoff.com
Coxy, Dontstartmeoff.com
Genghis McKahn, Guardian.co.uk
Genghis McKahn, Guardian.co.uk