TV’s Frankie Boyle has declared that no-one over 40 should do stand-up, as the old comedians lose their edge and their anger. Stewart Lee is 42 and Frankie’s heartless Scottish words have made him wonder if it’s worth carrying on.
Undaunted, the furiously baffled comedian tries to win round the legendarily harsh Glasgow audience with a crowd-pleasing Mcintyre-style routine about coffee shops, but is distracted by scores of imaginary pirates; he tries to talk about every day middle aged men’s concerns, but is drawn into a forty minute rant against Top Gear and all it stands for; he attempts to find some common ground with happy childhood memories that he and the audience can share, but is instead consumed with loathing and despair as a result of a Magners’ Cider advertising campaign.
He screams from the balconies, stumbles in the aisles, and ends with a country and western song. If You Prefer A Milder Comedian Please Ask For One is a vast and all-consuming epic of stand-up comedy, exploring the absolute formal limits of the art form.
There are also some jokes.
Dan McCaid, Twitter
Dan McCaid, Twitter
Rowing Rob, Guardian.co.uk
Rowing Rob, 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
Bobby Bhoy, Twitter
Bobby Bhoy, Twitter
Esme Folley, Actress, cellist, Twitter
Esme Folley, Actress, cellist, Twitter
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Nicetime, Guardian.co.uk
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Anamatronix, Youtube
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Richard Herring, Comedian
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Borathigh5, Youtube
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Maninabananasuit, Guardian.co.uk
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Patrick Kavanagh, Guardian.co.uk
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Tin Frog, Twitter
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Meninblack, Twitter
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Pudabaya, Twitter
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Bosco239, youtube
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Mpf1947, Youtube
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Fairy Pingu, Twitter
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Visualiser1, Twitter
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Jamespearse, Twitter
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Neva2busy, dontstartmeoff.com
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General Lurko 36, Guardian.co.uk
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Clampdown59, Twitter.
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Len Firewood, Twitter
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Alwyn, Digiguide.tv
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Neolab, Guardian.co.uk
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Robert Gavin, Twitter
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Spursguy, Youtube
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Idrie, Youtube
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Pudabaya, beexcellenttoeachother.com
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Foxfoxton, Youtube
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Lancethrustworthy, Youtube
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Carla, St Albans, Dailymail.co.uk
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Gmanthedemon, bbc.co.uk
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NevW47479, UKTV.co.uk
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Rubyshoes, Twitter
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Whoiscuriousgeorge, Youtube
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Ishamayura Byrd, Twitter
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Frankie Boyle, Comedian
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Lee Mack, Mack The Life, 2012
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Cabluigi, Guardian.co.uk
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DVDhth's grandparents, Twitter
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Microcuts 22, Twitter
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98rosjon, Twitter
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Gabrielle, Chortle.com
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Johnny Kitkat, dontstartmeoff.com
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Mini-x2, readytogo.net
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Emilyistrendy, Youtube
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Contrapuntal, Twitter
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Lenny Darksphere, Twitter
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Karen Laidlaw, Edfringe. com.
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Shane, Beverley, Dailymail.co.uk
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Someoneyoudon'tknow, Chortle.com
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XPIJONpsY, Twitter
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Joskins, Leeds Music Forum
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Sidsings000, Youtube
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Fowkes81, Twitter
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Hiewy, Youtube
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Herald Scotland.
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Zombie Hamster, Twitter
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Guest, Dontstartmeoff.com
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A D Ward, Twitter
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Funday’schild, youtube.
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Meanstreetelite, Peoplesrepublicofcork
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Al Murray, Comedian
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Peter Fears, Twitter
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Birmingham Sunday Mercury
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Cojones2, Guardian.co.uk
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Guest1001, Youtube
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World Without End, Twitter
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Secretdeveloper, Youtube
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Liam Travitt, Twitter
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Carcrazychica, Youtube
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Gwaites, Digitalspy
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Stokeylitfest, Twitter
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Genghis McKahn, Guardian.co.uk
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Jackmumf, Twitter
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Tweeter Kyriakou, Twitter
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Zoot Cadillac, Twitter
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Mrdavisn01, Twitter
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Chez, Chortle.com
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Brendon, Vauxhallownersnetwork.co.uk
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Deepbass, Guardian.co.uk
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Dave Wilson, Chortle.com
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Kozzy06, Youtube
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Leach Juice, Twitter
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Dominic Cavendish, Telegraph
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Aiden Hearn, Twitter
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Shit Crit, Twitter
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Z-factor, Twitter.
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Sam Rooney, Youtube
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Anon, BBC Complaints Log
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Keilloh, Twitter
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Dick Socrates, Twitter
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Joe, Independent.co.uk
Syhr, breakbeat.co.uk
Syhr, breakbeat.co.uk
Spanner, dontstartmeoff.com
Spanner, dontstartmeoff.com
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Danazawa, Youtube
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Iain, eatenbymissionaries
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Anon, dontstartmeoff.com
Anonymous, don'tstartmeoff.com
Anonymous, don'tstartmeoff.com
Tres Ryan, Twitter
Tres Ryan, Twitter
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Slothy Matt, Twitter
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Dahoum, Guardian.co.uk
Pnethor, pne-online.com
Pnethor, pne-online.com
Lucinda Locketts, Twitter
Lucinda Locketts, Twitter
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Cyberbloke, Twitter
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Dominic Cavendish, Daily Telegraph
Wharto15, Twitter
Wharto15, Twitter
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Peter Ould, Youtube
FBC, finalgear.com
FBC, finalgear.com
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Anonymous, The Northfield Patriot
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Tokyofist, Youtube
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Tweeterkiryakou, Twitter
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Aaron, comedy.co.uk
James Dellingpole, Daily Telegraph
James Dellingpole, Daily Telegraph
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Etienne, Chortle.com
Stuart, Chortle
Stuart, Chortle
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Mearecate, Youtube
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GRTak, finalgear.com
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Dominic Cavendish, Daily Telegraph
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Henry Howard Fun, Twitter
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Alex Quarmby, Edfringe.com
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Lents, redandwhitekop.com
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John Robins, Comedian
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Anon, westhamonline.com
12dgdgdgdgdgdg, Youtube
12dgdgdgdgdgdg, Youtube
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Yukio Mishima, dontstartmeoff.com
Rudeness, Youtube
Rudeness, Youtube
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Joycey, readytogo.net
Brighton Argus
Brighton Argus
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Pirate Crocodile, Twitter
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Peter Ould, Twitter
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Sweeping Curves, Twitter
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Coxy, Dontstartmeoff.com
Horatio Melvin, Twitter
Horatio Melvin, Twitter