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