Either Stewart Lee was attempting a biting social satire of property developer culture or something more sinister in Interiors. Unfortunately he doesn’t manage either.
The main misjudgment in this blackly comic theatre-cum-performance art attempt is casting Johnny Vegas in the role of Jeffrey Parkin, the trouble shooter-turned-Montenegro property developer, whose beloved semi-detached home we are being shown around.
Vegas does a mean line in put-upon losers, and Parkin, naive, pretentious and desperately trying to sell up for a new life, is certainly that.
But having the shambolic St Helens comic uttering self-conscious gags about middle-class preoccupations with organic tea and MDF is akin to watching Germaine Greer in the Big Brother house: weird and unconvincing.
You can’t fault the ambition however. There are fleeting moments of pathos-driven darkness (one in particular cruelly interrupted with a question about council tax from an over-zealous audience member).
The Victorian house with its ‘original features’ is a fine vehicle for Parkin’s story, and unopened post and photos on the fridge all add to the voyeurism and discomfort.
But, unusually for Lee, the writing is stilted and the acting is without real conviction. In fact, unless you’re going along in buyer capacity, Interiors is an unholy waste of £25.
Dave Wilson, Chortle.com
Dave Wilson, Chortle.com
Rudeness, Youtube
Rudeness, Youtube
Genghis McKahn, Guardian.co.uk
Genghis McKahn, Guardian.co.uk
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Dominic Cavendish, Telegraph
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Secretdeveloper, Youtube
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Stokeylitfest, Twitter
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Joe, Independent.co.uk
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Fairy Pingu, Twitter
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Lenny Darksphere, Twitter
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Tweeterkiryakou, Twitter
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Peter Ould, Twitter
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Gabrielle, Chortle.com
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Syhr, breakbeat.co.uk
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Liam Travitt, Twitter
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Len Firewood, Twitter
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GRTak, finalgear.com
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Bobby Bhoy, Twitter
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BBC iPlayer edition of discussion of Stewart Lee on A Good Read
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Borathigh5, Youtube
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Al Murray, Comedian
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Joskins, Leeds Music Forum
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FBC, finalgear.com
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Cabluigi, Guardian.co.uk
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Pnethor, pne-online.com
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James Dellingpole, Daily Telegraph
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Johnny Kitkat, dontstartmeoff.com
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Richard Herring, Comedian
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Esme Folley, Actress, cellist, Twitter
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Alwyn, Digiguide.tv
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Dominic Cavendish, Daily Telegraph
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Someoneyoudon'tknow, Chortle.com
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Pirate Crocodile, Twitter
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Microcuts 22, Twitter
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Meanstreetelite, Peoplesrepublicofcork
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Deepbass, Guardian.co.uk
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Anamatronix, Youtube
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Meninblack, Twitter
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Lee Mack, Mack The Life, 2012
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Rowing Rob, Guardian.co.uk
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Karen Laidlaw, Edfringe. com.
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Wharto15, Twitter
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Frankie Boyle, Comedian
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John Robins, Comedian
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Dahoum, Guardian.co.uk
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Sam Rooney, Youtube
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Sweeping Curves, Twitter
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Birmingham Sunday Mercury
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Neva2busy, dontstartmeoff.com
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Patrick Kavanagh, Guardian.co.uk
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Dick Socrates, Twitter
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Carla, St Albans, Dailymail.co.uk
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General Lurko 36, Guardian.co.uk
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Iain, eatenbymissionaries
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Lents, redandwhitekop.com
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Tweeter Kyriakou, Twitter
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Anon, dontstartmeoff.com
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Brighton Argus
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Cyberbloke, Twitter
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Mpf1947, Youtube
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Mrdavisn01, Twitter
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Alex Quarmby, Edfringe.com
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Bosco239, youtube
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Peter Ould, Youtube
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Pudabaya, beexcellenttoeachother.com
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Neolab, Guardian.co.uk
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Lucinda Locketts, Twitter
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Henry Howard Fun, Twitter
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Guest, Dontstartmeoff.com
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Joycey, readytogo.net
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DVDhth's grandparents, Twitter
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NevW47479, UKTV.co.uk
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Shane, Beverley, Dailymail.co.uk
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Robert Gavin, Twitter
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Anon, westhamonline.com
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Maninabananasuit, Guardian.co.uk
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Cojones2, Guardian.co.uk
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Anonymous, The Northfield Patriot
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Gmanthedemon, bbc.co.uk
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Tokyofist, Youtube
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Sidsings000, Youtube
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Nicetime, Guardian.co.uk
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Anon, BBC Complaints Log
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Jackmumf, Twitter
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Visualiser1, Twitter