When Stewart Lee came to filming his most recent live performance for TV, he was keen to record a Brexit-inflected show that had a real sense of edge and occasion. So, Content Provider was not made in front of an audience in Remain-friendly locations such as London, Glasgow or Belfast, but instead it was produced in the Leave heartland of Southend. Love him or despise him (judging by the below-the-line comments on his Guardian columns, samples of which are almost gleefully reproduced in March of the Lemmings, there are reams of folk in the latter category), you can’t deny that he ever shirks a challenge.
An arch contrarian not averse to winding up the liberal-left while standing proud as an out-and-out bogeyman for the right, three ‘Stewart Lee’ personae are platformed in March of the Lemmings. There’s the Guardian columnist, a largely confused individual riddled with self-doubt and trying to make some sense of the post-Brexit vote landscape that lies in tatters before him. The stand-up comedian ‘Stewart Lee’ (represented here via the full script of Content Provider) is a vaguely bitter man who looks down on both his audience and comedy contemporaries with a withering, elitist contempt. Meanwhile, the ‘real’ Stewart Lee enters proceedings offering up perfectly reasonable and very entertaining interjections in the form of footnotes so abundant that they most likely make up the majority of the book’s near-400 pages.
The reprinted columns begin from the moment immediately prior to the EU referendum in June 2016 right up until his mid-March piece this year which tackled everything from Andrew Neil to Pat Kane and Bake Off to Viz. As a totality, they show the trajectory of a man, husband and father-of-two who has become ever more fretful of the future as the months and years have gone by. His not-so friendly (f)ire lands on a large mass of players in the Brexit panto, though Michael Gove appears to attract more than his fair share of derision.
Recently voted the number 41 comedian of this century so far by his pals at The Guardian (clearly a cheeky reference to 41st Best Stand-Up Ever!, Lee’s stand-up show which itself was his response to a Channel 4 poll from 2007), books like March of the Lemmings (frequently hilarious, occasionally bamboozling), will help cement Stewart Lee’s spot in the British comedy pantheon. And that’s assured whether his old pal Al Murray or his sworn enemies at the Daily Mail like it or not.
Karen Laidlaw, Edfringe. com.
Karen Laidlaw, Edfringe. com.
Lancethrustworthy, Youtube
Lancethrustworthy, Youtube
12dgdgdgdgdgdg, Youtube
12dgdgdgdgdgdg, Youtube
Cojones2, Guardian.co.uk
Cojones2, Guardian.co.uk
Shane, Beverley, Dailymail.co.uk
Shane, Beverley, Dailymail.co.uk
Lucinda Locketts, Twitter
Lucinda Locketts, Twitter
Microcuts 22, Twitter
Microcuts 22, Twitter
Jackmumf, Twitter
Jackmumf, Twitter
Kozzy06, Youtube
Kozzy06, Youtube
Fowkes81, Twitter
Fowkes81, Twitter
Shit Crit, Twitter
Shit Crit, Twitter
Robert Gavin, Twitter
Robert Gavin, Twitter
Dominic Cavendish, Daily Telegraph
Dominic Cavendish, Daily Telegraph
Wharto15, Twitter
Wharto15, Twitter
Stokeylitfest, Twitter
Stokeylitfest, Twitter
Mrdavisn01, Twitter
Mrdavisn01, Twitter
Aaron, comedy.co.uk
Aaron, comedy.co.uk
Brendon, Vauxhallownersnetwork.co.uk
Brendon, Vauxhallownersnetwork.co.uk
Bobby Bhoy, Twitter
Bobby Bhoy, Twitter
Mpf1947, Youtube
Mpf1947, Youtube
Anon, BBC Complaints Log
Anon, BBC Complaints Log
Syhr, breakbeat.co.uk
Syhr, breakbeat.co.uk
Joycey, readytogo.net
Joycey, readytogo.net
Deepbass, Guardian.co.uk
Deepbass, Guardian.co.uk
Henry Howard Fun, Twitter
Henry Howard Fun, Twitter
Richard Herring, Comedian
Richard Herring, Comedian
Neva2busy, dontstartmeoff.com
Neva2busy, dontstartmeoff.com
Idrie, Youtube
Idrie, Youtube
Whoiscuriousgeorge, Youtube
Whoiscuriousgeorge, Youtube
Anon, westhamonline.com
Anon, westhamonline.com
Pudabaya, beexcellenttoeachother.com
Pudabaya, beexcellenttoeachother.com
Tweeterkiryakou, Twitter
Tweeterkiryakou, Twitter
Carcrazychica, Youtube
Carcrazychica, Youtube
Pnethor, pne-online.com
Pnethor, pne-online.com
Genghis McKahn, Guardian.co.uk
Genghis McKahn, Guardian.co.uk
Emilyistrendy, Youtube
Emilyistrendy, Youtube
Len Firewood, Twitter
Len Firewood, Twitter
GRTak, finalgear.com
GRTak, finalgear.com
Guest, Dontstartmeoff.com
Guest, Dontstartmeoff.com
Slothy Matt, Twitter
Slothy Matt, Twitter
Etienne, Chortle.com
Etienne, Chortle.com
Rowing Rob, Guardian.co.uk
Rowing Rob, Guardian.co.uk
Rubyshoes, Twitter
Rubyshoes, Twitter
Al Murray, Comedian
Al Murray, Comedian
Maninabananasuit, Guardian.co.uk
Maninabananasuit, Guardian.co.uk
Spanner, dontstartmeoff.com
Spanner, dontstartmeoff.com
Tokyofist, Youtube
Tokyofist, Youtube
Mini-x2, readytogo.net
Mini-x2, readytogo.net
Lee Mack, Mack The Life, 2012
Lee Mack, Mack The Life, 2012
A D Ward, Twitter
A D Ward, Twitter
Hiewy, Youtube
Hiewy, Youtube
Liam Travitt, Twitter
Liam Travitt, Twitter
Nicetime, Guardian.co.uk
Nicetime, Guardian.co.uk
Iain, eatenbymissionaries
Iain, eatenbymissionaries
Z-factor, Twitter.
Z-factor, Twitter.
Rudeness, Youtube
Rudeness, Youtube
Horatio Melvin, Twitter
Horatio Melvin, Twitter
Danazawa, Youtube
Danazawa, Youtube
Anonymous, don'tstartmeoff.com
Anonymous, don'tstartmeoff.com
Guest1001, Youtube
Guest1001, Youtube
Patrick Kavanagh, Guardian.co.uk
Patrick Kavanagh, Guardian.co.uk
Keilloh, Twitter
Keilloh, Twitter
Dick Socrates, Twitter
Dick Socrates, Twitter
DVDhth's grandparents, Twitter
DVDhth's grandparents, Twitter
Bosco239, youtube
Bosco239, youtube
Borathigh5, Youtube
Borathigh5, Youtube
John Robins, Comedian
John Robins, Comedian
Peter Ould, Youtube
Peter Ould, Youtube
Alwyn, Digiguide.tv
Alwyn, Digiguide.tv
Esme Folley, Actress, cellist, Twitter
Esme Folley, Actress, cellist, Twitter
Frankie Boyle, Comedian
Frankie Boyle, Comedian
Gabrielle, Chortle.com
Gabrielle, Chortle.com
Contrapuntal, Twitter
Contrapuntal, Twitter
James Dellingpole, Daily Telegraph
James Dellingpole, Daily Telegraph
Coxy, Dontstartmeoff.com
Coxy, Dontstartmeoff.com
NevW47479, UKTV.co.uk
NevW47479, UKTV.co.uk
FBC, finalgear.com
FBC, finalgear.com
Foxfoxton, Youtube
Foxfoxton, Youtube
Neolab, Guardian.co.uk
Neolab, Guardian.co.uk
Jamespearse, Twitter
Jamespearse, Twitter
Pirate Crocodile, Twitter
Pirate Crocodile, Twitter
Meninblack, Twitter
Meninblack, Twitter
Visualiser1, Twitter
Visualiser1, Twitter
Anonymous, The Northfield Patriot
Anonymous, The Northfield Patriot
Gwaites, Digitalspy
Gwaites, Digitalspy
Sam Rooney, Youtube
Sam Rooney, Youtube
Zombie Hamster, Twitter
Zombie Hamster, Twitter
Anon, dontstartmeoff.com
Anon, dontstartmeoff.com
Lenny Darksphere, Twitter
Lenny Darksphere, Twitter
Dave Wilson, Chortle.com
Dave Wilson, Chortle.com
Sidsings000, Youtube
Sidsings000, Youtube
Aiden Hearn, Twitter
Aiden Hearn, Twitter
Peter Fears, Twitter
Peter Fears, Twitter
Tin Frog, Twitter
Tin Frog, Twitter
Yukio Mishima, dontstartmeoff.com
Yukio Mishima, dontstartmeoff.com
98rosjon, Twitter
98rosjon, Twitter
Chez, Chortle.com
Chez, Chortle.com
Lents, redandwhitekop.com
Lents, redandwhitekop.com
Peter Ould, Twitter
Peter Ould, Twitter
Tweeter Kyriakou, Twitter
Tweeter Kyriakou, Twitter
Stuart, Chortle
Stuart, Chortle
Alex Quarmby, Edfringe.com
Alex Quarmby, Edfringe.com
Carla, St Albans, Dailymail.co.uk
Carla, St Albans, Dailymail.co.uk
General Lurko 36, Guardian.co.uk
General Lurko 36, Guardian.co.uk
Clampdown59, Twitter.
Clampdown59, Twitter.
Mearecate, Youtube
Mearecate, Youtube
Leach Juice, Twitter
Leach Juice, Twitter
Meanstreetelite, Peoplesrepublicofcork
Meanstreetelite, Peoplesrepublicofcork
Dahoum, Guardian.co.uk
Dahoum, Guardian.co.uk
Brighton Argus
Brighton Argus
World Without End, Twitter
World Without End, Twitter
Cyberbloke, Twitter
Cyberbloke, Twitter
Secretdeveloper, Youtube
Secretdeveloper, Youtube
Ishamayura Byrd, Twitter
Ishamayura Byrd, Twitter
Pudabaya, Twitter
Pudabaya, Twitter
Joe, Independent.co.uk
Joe, Independent.co.uk
Fairy Pingu, Twitter
Fairy Pingu, Twitter
Dominic Cavendish, Telegraph
Dominic Cavendish, Telegraph
Sweeping Curves, Twitter
Sweeping Curves, Twitter
Gmanthedemon, bbc.co.uk
Gmanthedemon, bbc.co.uk
Cabluigi, Guardian.co.uk
Cabluigi, Guardian.co.uk
Someoneyoudon'tknow, Chortle.com
Someoneyoudon'tknow, Chortle.com
Anamatronix, Youtube
Anamatronix, Youtube
Joskins, Leeds Music Forum
Joskins, Leeds Music Forum
Birmingham Sunday Mercury
Birmingham Sunday Mercury
BBC iPlayer edition of discussion of Stewart Lee on A Good Read
BBC iPlayer edition of discussion of Stewart Lee on A Good Read
Johnny Kitkat, dontstartmeoff.com
Johnny Kitkat, dontstartmeoff.com
Tres Ryan, Twitter
Tres Ryan, Twitter
Funday’schild, youtube.
Funday’schild, youtube.