When is a show about Brexit and Trump not about Brexit and Trump? Stewart Lee‘s latest effort was an essay on the social media-driven cultural landscape, refracted through a prism of 2016’s EU referendum and US presidential election. Set against a backdrop of cheap stand-up DVDs and an artistic framing device, Content Provider was yet another triumph from a performer who has steadily grown his fan-base in similar proportion to his critical acclaim.
His first proper show since Carpet Remnant World, having concentrated for a few years on running in material for his Comedy Vehicle TV series, didn’t merely focus on the volatile political climate, also taking in music, Game of Thrones, and the commercialisation of S&M. All were fertile ground, and Lee didn’t disappoint even on such disparate topics.
A fascinating aspect of Lee’s trajectory in the past decade or so has been his indulgence of certain stand-up conventions and his own approach, and in many ways this new outing was a continuation of that oeuvre. Utilising the status of the character ‘Stewart Lee’, he’s been able to maintain a distance which resulted in intelligent, superbly-crafted comedy, while Lee himself looked like he was having enormous fun, occasionally betraying the character’s withering commentary on the audience by being unable to conceal his glee.
Content Provider, in much the same way as all his recent output, was a masterclass in control – a tightly-written and -constructed show which knew exactly how to probe and push the audience, leading them one way and then the other. Upping the pace and using fewer instances of repetition than on the Comedy Vehicle series – without veering too far away from that reliable technique – this felt like a joy of a set, familiar in rhythm but with his singular take on the state of the world and some astonishingly good jokes.
At this stage, he’s so far ahead of the field, the rest are in danger of being lapped.
GRTak, finalgear.com
GRTak, finalgear.com
Mrdavisn01, Twitter
Mrdavisn01, Twitter
Funday’schild, youtube.
Funday’schild, youtube.
Coxy, Dontstartmeoff.com
Coxy, Dontstartmeoff.com
Anon, BBC Complaints Log
Anon, BBC Complaints Log
Mpf1947, Youtube
Mpf1947, Youtube
Anamatronix, Youtube
Anamatronix, Youtube
Meninblack, Twitter
Meninblack, Twitter
Mearecate, Youtube
Mearecate, Youtube
Dick Socrates, Twitter
Dick Socrates, Twitter
A D Ward, Twitter
A D Ward, Twitter
Patrick Kavanagh, Guardian.co.uk
Patrick Kavanagh, Guardian.co.uk
Liam Travitt, Twitter
Liam Travitt, Twitter
Cyberbloke, Twitter
Cyberbloke, Twitter
Z-factor, Twitter.
Z-factor, Twitter.
Tres Ryan, Twitter
Tres Ryan, Twitter
Brighton Argus
Brighton Argus
James Dellingpole, Daily Telegraph
James Dellingpole, Daily Telegraph
Gabrielle, Chortle.com
Gabrielle, Chortle.com
Someoneyoudon'tknow, Chortle.com
Someoneyoudon'tknow, Chortle.com
Richard Herring, Comedian
Richard Herring, Comedian
Rowing Rob, Guardian.co.uk
Rowing Rob, Guardian.co.uk
Whoiscuriousgeorge, Youtube
Whoiscuriousgeorge, Youtube
Gwaites, Digitalspy
Gwaites, Digitalspy
Alex Quarmby, Edfringe.com
Alex Quarmby, Edfringe.com
Spanner, dontstartmeoff.com
Spanner, dontstartmeoff.com
Stuart, Chortle
Stuart, Chortle
Ishamayura Byrd, Twitter
Ishamayura Byrd, Twitter
Joycey, readytogo.net
Joycey, readytogo.net
Tokyofist, Youtube
Tokyofist, Youtube
Yukio Mishima, dontstartmeoff.com
Yukio Mishima, dontstartmeoff.com
Jamespearse, Twitter
Jamespearse, Twitter
Rubyshoes, Twitter
Rubyshoes, Twitter
Tweeterkiryakou, Twitter
Tweeterkiryakou, Twitter
Carcrazychica, Youtube
Carcrazychica, Youtube
Pudabaya, Twitter
Pudabaya, Twitter
Maninabananasuit, Guardian.co.uk
Maninabananasuit, Guardian.co.uk
Pirate Crocodile, Twitter
Pirate Crocodile, Twitter
Keilloh, Twitter
Keilloh, Twitter
Lenny Darksphere, Twitter
Lenny Darksphere, Twitter
Tweeter Kyriakou, Twitter
Tweeter Kyriakou, Twitter
Kozzy06, Youtube
Kozzy06, Youtube
Hiewy, Youtube
Hiewy, Youtube
Esme Folley, Actress, cellist, Twitter
Esme Folley, Actress, cellist, Twitter
Guest, Dontstartmeoff.com
Guest, Dontstartmeoff.com
Birmingham Sunday Mercury
Birmingham Sunday Mercury
Peter Fears, Twitter
Peter Fears, Twitter
Slothy Matt, Twitter
Slothy Matt, Twitter
Etienne, Chortle.com
Etienne, Chortle.com
Cabluigi, Guardian.co.uk
Cabluigi, Guardian.co.uk
Emilyistrendy, Youtube
Emilyistrendy, Youtube
Anonymous, don'tstartmeoff.com
Anonymous, don'tstartmeoff.com
Pudabaya, beexcellenttoeachother.com
Pudabaya, beexcellenttoeachother.com
Guest1001, Youtube
Guest1001, Youtube
12dgdgdgdgdgdg, Youtube
12dgdgdgdgdgdg, Youtube
Syhr, breakbeat.co.uk
Syhr, breakbeat.co.uk
Dave Wilson, Chortle.com
Dave Wilson, Chortle.com
Joe, Independent.co.uk
Joe, Independent.co.uk
Len Firewood, Twitter
Len Firewood, Twitter
Visualiser1, Twitter
Visualiser1, Twitter
Stokeylitfest, Twitter
Stokeylitfest, Twitter
Lee Mack, Mack The Life, 2012
Lee Mack, Mack The Life, 2012
Cojones2, Guardian.co.uk
Cojones2, Guardian.co.uk
Peter Ould, Twitter
Peter Ould, Twitter
Carla, St Albans, Dailymail.co.uk
Carla, St Albans, Dailymail.co.uk
Alwyn, Digiguide.tv
Alwyn, Digiguide.tv
Chez, Chortle.com
Chez, Chortle.com
General Lurko 36, Guardian.co.uk
General Lurko 36, Guardian.co.uk
Karen Laidlaw, Edfringe. com.
Karen Laidlaw, Edfringe. com.
Anon, westhamonline.com
Anon, westhamonline.com
Aiden Hearn, Twitter
Aiden Hearn, Twitter
Borathigh5, Youtube
Borathigh5, Youtube
Nicetime, Guardian.co.uk
Nicetime, Guardian.co.uk
Bobby Bhoy, Twitter
Bobby Bhoy, Twitter
Brendon, Vauxhallownersnetwork.co.uk
Brendon, Vauxhallownersnetwork.co.uk
NevW47479, UKTV.co.uk
NevW47479, UKTV.co.uk
Wharto15, Twitter
Wharto15, Twitter
Frankie Boyle, Comedian
Frankie Boyle, Comedian
Sam Rooney, Youtube
Sam Rooney, Youtube
Neolab, Guardian.co.uk
Neolab, Guardian.co.uk
Dahoum, Guardian.co.uk
Dahoum, Guardian.co.uk
Clampdown59, Twitter.
Clampdown59, Twitter.
Iain, eatenbymissionaries
Iain, eatenbymissionaries
Henry Howard Fun, Twitter
Henry Howard Fun, Twitter
John Robins, Comedian
John Robins, Comedian
DVDhth's grandparents, Twitter
DVDhth's grandparents, Twitter
Al Murray, Comedian
Al Murray, Comedian
Neva2busy, dontstartmeoff.com
Neva2busy, dontstartmeoff.com
98rosjon, Twitter
98rosjon, Twitter
Danazawa, Youtube
Danazawa, Youtube
Secretdeveloper, Youtube
Secretdeveloper, Youtube
Leach Juice, Twitter
Leach Juice, Twitter
Johnny Kitkat, dontstartmeoff.com
Johnny Kitkat, dontstartmeoff.com
Rudeness, Youtube
Rudeness, Youtube
Anon, dontstartmeoff.com
Anon, dontstartmeoff.com
Contrapuntal, Twitter
Contrapuntal, Twitter
Sweeping Curves, Twitter
Sweeping Curves, Twitter
Dominic Cavendish, Telegraph
Dominic Cavendish, Telegraph
Jackmumf, Twitter
Jackmumf, Twitter
Fairy Pingu, Twitter
Fairy Pingu, Twitter
Meanstreetelite, Peoplesrepublicofcork
Meanstreetelite, Peoplesrepublicofcork
Bosco239, youtube
Bosco239, youtube
Dominic Cavendish, Daily Telegraph
Dominic Cavendish, Daily Telegraph
Peter Ould, Youtube
Peter Ould, Youtube
Joskins, Leeds Music Forum
Joskins, Leeds Music Forum
Microcuts 22, Twitter
Microcuts 22, Twitter
Shane, Beverley, Dailymail.co.uk
Shane, Beverley, Dailymail.co.uk
Lucinda Locketts, Twitter
Lucinda Locketts, Twitter
Horatio Melvin, Twitter
Horatio Melvin, 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
Mini-x2, readytogo.net
Mini-x2, readytogo.net
Genghis McKahn, Guardian.co.uk
Genghis McKahn, Guardian.co.uk
Foxfoxton, Youtube
Foxfoxton, Youtube
Zombie Hamster, Twitter
Zombie Hamster, Twitter
Lancethrustworthy, Youtube
Lancethrustworthy, Youtube
Pnethor, pne-online.com
Pnethor, pne-online.com
Fowkes81, Twitter
Fowkes81, Twitter
Aaron, comedy.co.uk
Aaron, comedy.co.uk
Lents, redandwhitekop.com
Lents, redandwhitekop.com
FBC, finalgear.com
FBC, finalgear.com
Shit Crit, Twitter
Shit Crit, Twitter
Deepbass, Guardian.co.uk
Deepbass, Guardian.co.uk
Sidsings000, Youtube
Sidsings000, Youtube
Anonymous, The Northfield Patriot
Anonymous, The Northfield Patriot
Idrie, Youtube
Idrie, Youtube
World Without End, Twitter
World Without End, Twitter
Robert Gavin, Twitter
Robert Gavin, Twitter
Gmanthedemon, bbc.co.uk
Gmanthedemon, bbc.co.uk
Tin Frog, Twitter
Tin Frog, Twitter