Stewart Lee’s back with his new live show, Content Provider. Opening with an exploration of Caspar David Friedrich’s painting Wanderer Above a Sea of Fog, in reference to man in the age of digital consumption, in classic SL style this quickly blurs into an ocean of things that the show is not supposed to be about. Whether it’s jokes about Brexit, people under 40, S&M sex through the ages (including an uncomfortable segment about everyone’s grandparents) or Russell Howard, Lee’s irreverent style of talking about the things that he definitely did not intend to talk about hit the ground running with the sold out crowd, most of which were clearly familiar with his style (although he didn’t let that stop him from riffing with the audience about how he would rather people stopped bringing their uninitiated friends to the show as some sort of sympathy vote).
Lee seemed at ease, pleased to be back on stage, and completely in control of the audience. For me, there’s pure comedy genius in the way he purposefully undermines the success of his own show whilst it’s happening, with observations and theories about why the audience may not have understood the joke as well as he intended, or simply not laughed as hard as they should (presumably because us Norwichians are that little bit more detached from the “metropolitan elite” of London). Having said that, it’s not all at the audience’s expense. Lee isn’t afraid to turn his scorn on himself like a comedy shotgun in his own mouth, as he refers to himself as an “ex TV comic” (following the unfathomable cancellation of his critically acclaimed Comedy Vehicle), who buys his own secondhand DVDs to push their online price above those of his peers, before going “full meta” to bemoan how he is starting to become sick of the character of Stewart Lee.
The moments that shine the brightest though, are the ones where, just as you think the whole show has gone off its carefully structured rails, it suddenly veers back on course, and before you know it Lee’s standing in a sea of fog, brandishing a selfie stick in a call-back that you thought had long since been abandoned. It was good. How good? Well, good enough to sell out, but not so good for the optimistic (and very possibly imaginary) touts that were left empty-pocketed after trying to sell front row seats online for £150 each. But as Lee himself said, he wouldn’t rather have it any other way.
Microcuts 22, Twitter
Microcuts 22, Twitter
Lents, redandwhitekop.com
Lents, redandwhitekop.com
Al Murray, Comedian
Al Murray, Comedian
James Dellingpole, Daily Telegraph
James Dellingpole, Daily Telegraph
Nicetime, Guardian.co.uk
Nicetime, Guardian.co.uk
Sidsings000, Youtube
Sidsings000, Youtube
Pudabaya, Twitter
Pudabaya, Twitter
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Yukio Mishima, dontstartmeoff.com
Sam Rooney, Youtube
Sam Rooney, Youtube
Patrick Kavanagh, Guardian.co.uk
Patrick Kavanagh, Guardian.co.uk
Hiewy, Youtube
Hiewy, Youtube
Tres Ryan, Twitter
Tres Ryan, Twitter
Esme Folley, Actress, cellist, Twitter
Esme Folley, Actress, cellist, 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
Bosco239, youtube
Bosco239, youtube
Shit Crit, Twitter
Shit Crit, Twitter
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Dave Wilson, Chortle.com
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Peter Ould, Twitter
Birmingham Sunday Mercury
Birmingham Sunday Mercury
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Genghis McKahn, Guardian.co.uk
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Emilyistrendy, Youtube
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Tin Frog, Twitter
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Alex Quarmby, Edfringe.com
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Visualiser1, Twitter
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Henry Howard Fun, Twitter
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Leach Juice, Twitter
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Anon, westhamonline.com
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Anonymous, The Northfield Patriot
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Pudabaya, beexcellenttoeachother.com
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Etienne, Chortle.com
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Lucinda Locketts, Twitter
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GRTak, finalgear.com
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Guest, Dontstartmeoff.com
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Peter Fears, Twitter
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Keilloh, Twitter
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Jamespearse, Twitter
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Kozzy06, Youtube
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Meanstreetelite, Peoplesrepublicofcork
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Slothy Matt, Twitter
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Tweeter Kyriakou, Twitter
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Funday’schild, youtube.
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General Lurko 36, Guardian.co.uk
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Aiden Hearn, Twitter
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Clampdown59, Twitter.
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Cyberbloke, Twitter
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Iain, eatenbymissionaries
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Brendon, Vauxhallownersnetwork.co.uk
Anon, dontstartmeoff.com
Anon, dontstartmeoff.com
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Borathigh5, Youtube
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Mearecate, Youtube
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Fowkes81, Twitter
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Maninabananasuit, Guardian.co.uk
Frankie Boyle, Comedian
Frankie Boyle, Comedian
Jackmumf, Twitter
Jackmumf, Twitter
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Gmanthedemon, bbc.co.uk
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Len Firewood, Twitter
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98rosjon, Twitter
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Liam Travitt, Twitter
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Joycey, readytogo.net
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DVDhth's grandparents, Twitter
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Carla, St Albans, Dailymail.co.uk
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Mrdavisn01, Twitter
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Stokeylitfest, Twitter
Zombie Hamster, Twitter
Zombie Hamster, Twitter
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Cabluigi, Guardian.co.uk
Rubyshoes, Twitter
Rubyshoes, Twitter
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John Robins, Comedian
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Syhr, breakbeat.co.uk
12dgdgdgdgdgdg, Youtube
12dgdgdgdgdgdg, Youtube
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Rowing Rob, Guardian.co.uk
Contrapuntal, Twitter
Contrapuntal, Twitter
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Chez, Chortle.com
Richard Herring, Comedian
Richard Herring, Comedian
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Danazawa, Youtube
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Guest1001, Youtube
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Joskins, Leeds Music Forum
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Peter Ould, Youtube
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Sweeping Curves, Twitter
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Whoiscuriousgeorge, Youtube
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Shane, Beverley, Dailymail.co.uk
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Coxy, Dontstartmeoff.com
Horatio Melvin, Twitter
Horatio Melvin, Twitter
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Pnethor, pne-online.com
FBC, finalgear.com
FBC, finalgear.com
Spanner, dontstartmeoff.com
Spanner, dontstartmeoff.com
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NevW47479, UKTV.co.uk
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Meninblack, Twitter
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Z-factor, Twitter.
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Alwyn, Digiguide.tv
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Dominic Cavendish, Telegraph
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Foxfoxton, Youtube
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Karen Laidlaw, Edfringe. com.
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Carcrazychica, Youtube
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Anonymous, don'tstartmeoff.com
Lee Mack, Mack The Life, 2012
Lee Mack, Mack The Life, 2012
Tokyofist, Youtube
Tokyofist, Youtube
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Dominic Cavendish, Daily Telegraph
A D Ward, Twitter
A D Ward, Twitter
Gwaites, Digitalspy
Gwaites, Digitalspy
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Someoneyoudon'tknow, Chortle.com
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Pirate Crocodile, Twitter
Idrie, Youtube
Idrie, Youtube
Dick Socrates, Twitter
Dick Socrates, Twitter
Mini-x2, readytogo.net
Mini-x2, readytogo.net
Robert Gavin, Twitter
Robert Gavin, Twitter
Stuart, Chortle
Stuart, Chortle
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Secretdeveloper, Youtube
Ishamayura Byrd, Twitter
Ishamayura Byrd, Twitter
Rudeness, Youtube
Rudeness, Youtube
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Lenny Darksphere, Twitter
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Neolab, Guardian.co.uk
Anamatronix, Youtube
Anamatronix, Youtube
Brighton Argus
Brighton Argus
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Bobby Bhoy, Twitter
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Fairy Pingu, Twitter
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World Without End, Twitter
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Aaron, comedy.co.uk
Gabrielle, Chortle.com
Gabrielle, Chortle.com
Anon, BBC Complaints Log
Anon, BBC Complaints Log
Lancethrustworthy, Youtube
Lancethrustworthy, Youtube
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Cojones2, Guardian.co.uk
Mpf1947, Youtube
Mpf1947, Youtube
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Johnny Kitkat, dontstartmeoff.com
Joe, Independent.co.uk
Joe, Independent.co.uk
Dahoum, Guardian.co.uk
Dahoum, Guardian.co.uk
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Neva2busy, dontstartmeoff.com
Wharto15, Twitter
Wharto15, Twitter
Tweeterkiryakou, Twitter
Tweeterkiryakou, Twitter
Deepbass, Guardian.co.uk
Deepbass, Guardian.co.uk