Stewart Lee branches out into high culture while staying rooted in comedy for this postmodern revue
Stewart Lee’s writing is becoming increasingly confident. Having won plaudits and awards for his stripped down standup material and for the overblown Jerry Springer – The Opera, his new work Late But Live falls somewhere – very roughly – between the two: an imaginary revue hosted by two 18th-century literary greats.
Namely, these are the wit-of-the-age, English writer and lexicographer Samuel Johnson, and his Scottish friend and biographer James Boswell. Taking on such challenging subject matter, Lee’s script makes the delicate business of fusing historical accuracy with postmodern trickery look effortless. More impressive still, it displays a level of wit that holds up against Johnson’s: dry jokes at the expense of the Traverse Theatre, for example, keep things fresh, literary, and close to home.
Two excellent comedians – Simon Munnery (Johnson) and Miles Jupp (Boswell) – are playing the two leads, furthering the show’s late-night appeal. However, neither part is cast perfectly: though otherwise excellent, Jupp’s evident Englishness is sometimes hard to ignore. He is more than capable of delivering punchlines in deadly fashion but Munnery’s bug-eyed stare does not fit with Johnson’s dry style.
This is a minor quibble, however, as Late But Live is only very loosely authentic. Like Boswell’s biography of Johnson, Lee’s emphasis is on conveying an impression of events, rather than creating a rigidly accurate account, a fact played upon in the characters’ interactions. Happily for such an high-brow concept, the show will appeal as much to those with no prior knowledge of the original authors as to those who love them already, making Late But Live an intellectual success and, just as importantly, a hoot.
John Robins, Comedian
John Robins, Comedian
Tin Frog, Twitter
Tin Frog, Twitter
Cyberbloke, Twitter
Cyberbloke, Twitter
Peter Ould, Youtube
Peter Ould, Youtube
General Lurko 36, Guardian.co.uk
General Lurko 36, Guardian.co.uk
Fowkes81, Twitter
Fowkes81, Twitter
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Maninabananasuit, Guardian.co.uk
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Tokyofist, Youtube
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Guest1001, Youtube
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Etienne, Chortle.com
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Bosco239, youtube
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Joe, Independent.co.uk
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Secretdeveloper, Youtube
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Jackmumf, Twitter
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Tweeter Kyriakou, Twitter
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Johnny Kitkat, dontstartmeoff.com
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Brendon, Vauxhallownersnetwork.co.uk
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Anonymous, The Northfield Patriot
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Patrick Kavanagh, Guardian.co.uk
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GRTak, finalgear.com
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Someoneyoudon'tknow, Chortle.com
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Karen Laidlaw, Edfringe. com.
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Peter Ould, Twitter
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Brighton Argus
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Borathigh5, Youtube
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Carla, St Albans, Dailymail.co.uk
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Clampdown59, Twitter.
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Tweeterkiryakou, Twitter
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Funday’schild, youtube.
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12dgdgdgdgdgdg, Youtube
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Leach Juice, Twitter
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Genghis McKahn, Guardian.co.uk
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Microcuts 22, Twitter
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Nicetime, Guardian.co.uk
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Al Murray, Comedian
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Anon, BBC Complaints Log
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Yukio Mishima, dontstartmeoff.com
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Mpf1947, Youtube
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Wharto15, Twitter
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Chez, Chortle.com
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Ishamayura Byrd, Twitter
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98rosjon, Twitter
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Rubyshoes, Twitter
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Pnethor, pne-online.com
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Emilyistrendy, Youtube
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Spanner, dontstartmeoff.com
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Iain, eatenbymissionaries
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Anamatronix, Youtube
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A D Ward, Twitter
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Esme Folley, Actress, cellist, Twitter
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Deepbass, Guardian.co.uk
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Len Firewood, Twitter
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Guest, Dontstartmeoff.com
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Gwaites, Digitalspy
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Whoiscuriousgeorge, Youtube
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Mini-x2, readytogo.net
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Alex Quarmby, Edfringe.com
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Rowing Rob, Guardian.co.uk
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Shit Crit, Twitter
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Sidsings000, Youtube
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Z-factor, Twitter.
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Slothy Matt, Twitter
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Foxfoxton, Youtube
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Mrdavisn01, Twitter
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Gabrielle, Chortle.com
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NevW47479, UKTV.co.uk
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Anon, dontstartmeoff.com
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Lucinda Locketts, Twitter
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Cojones2, Guardian.co.uk
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Stokeylitfest, Twitter
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Dick Socrates, Twitter
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Pudabaya, beexcellenttoeachother.com
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Dahoum, Guardian.co.uk
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Tres Ryan, Twitter
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Lancethrustworthy, Youtube
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Anon, westhamonline.com
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Birmingham Sunday Mercury
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DVDhth's grandparents, Twitter
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Henry Howard Fun, Twitter
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Neva2busy, dontstartmeoff.com
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World Without End, Twitter
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James Dellingpole, Daily Telegraph
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Peter Fears, Twitter
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Visualiser1, Twitter
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Lee Mack, Mack The Life, 2012
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Sam Rooney, Youtube
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Danazawa, Youtube
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Frankie Boyle, Comedian
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Rudeness, Youtube
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Pudabaya, Twitter
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Sweeping Curves, Twitter
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Hiewy, Youtube
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Richard Herring, Comedian
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Coxy, Dontstartmeoff.com
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Anonymous, don'tstartmeoff.com
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Zombie Hamster, Twitter
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Lents, redandwhitekop.com
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Mearecate, Youtube
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Jamespearse, Twitter
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Lenny Darksphere, Twitter
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Joskins, Leeds Music Forum
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Cabluigi, Guardian.co.uk
BBC iPlayer edition of discussion of Stewart Lee on A Good Read
BBC iPlayer edition of discussion of Stewart Lee on A Good Read
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Pirate Crocodile, Twitter
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Gmanthedemon, bbc.co.uk
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Bobby Bhoy, Twitter
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Shane, Beverley, Dailymail.co.uk
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FBC, finalgear.com
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Idrie, Youtube
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Aaron, comedy.co.uk
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Neolab, Guardian.co.uk
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Robert Gavin, Twitter
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Liam Travitt, Twitter
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Aiden Hearn, Twitter
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Stuart, Chortle
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Meanstreetelite, Peoplesrepublicofcork
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Dave Wilson, Chortle.com
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Dominic Cavendish, Daily Telegraph
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Contrapuntal, Twitter
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Fairy Pingu, Twitter
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Alwyn, Digiguide.tv
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Dominic Cavendish, Telegraph
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Joycey, readytogo.net
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Horatio Melvin, Twitter
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Keilloh, Twitter
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Carcrazychica, Youtube
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Kozzy06, Youtube
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Syhr, breakbeat.co.uk
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Meninblack, Twitter