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.
Gmanthedemon, bbc.co.uk
Gmanthedemon, bbc.co.uk
Patrick Kavanagh, Guardian.co.uk
Patrick Kavanagh, Guardian.co.uk
Spursguy, Youtube
Spursguy, Youtube
Cyberbloke, Twitter
Cyberbloke, Twitter
Henry Howard Fun, Twitter
Henry Howard Fun, Twitter
Aiden Hearn, Twitter
Aiden Hearn, Twitter
Joe, Independent.co.uk
Joe, Independent.co.uk
Contrapuntal, Twitter
Contrapuntal, Twitter
James Dellingpole, Daily Telegraph
James Dellingpole, Daily Telegraph
Rowing Rob, Guardian.co.uk
Rowing Rob, Guardian.co.uk
Wharto15, Twitter
Wharto15, Twitter
Gwaites, Digitalspy
Gwaites, Digitalspy
Rubyshoes, Twitter
Rubyshoes, Twitter
Mini-x2, readytogo.net
Mini-x2, readytogo.net
Yukio Mishima, dontstartmeoff.com
Yukio Mishima, dontstartmeoff.com
XPIJONpsY, Twitter
XPIJONpsY, Twitter
Cojones2, Guardian.co.uk
Cojones2, Guardian.co.uk
Tres Ryan, Twitter
Tres Ryan, Twitter
Pnethor, pne-online.com
Pnethor, pne-online.com
Iain, eatenbymissionaries
Iain, eatenbymissionaries
Anon, BBC Complaints Log
Anon, BBC Complaints Log
Dominic Cavendish, Daily Telegraph
Dominic Cavendish, Daily Telegraph
FBC, finalgear.com
FBC, finalgear.com
Meanstreetelite, Peoplesrepublicofcork
Meanstreetelite, Peoplesrepublicofcork
Coxy, Dontstartmeoff.com
Coxy, Dontstartmeoff.com
Anon, dontstartmeoff.com
Anon, dontstartmeoff.com
Peter Ould, Twitter
Peter Ould, Twitter
Anonymous, The Northfield Patriot
Anonymous, The Northfield Patriot
Joycey, readytogo.net
Joycey, readytogo.net
Stokeylitfest, Twitter
Stokeylitfest, Twitter
Gabrielle, Chortle.com
Gabrielle, Chortle.com
Dick Socrates, Twitter
Dick Socrates, Twitter
Stuart, Chortle
Stuart, Chortle
Visualiser1, Twitter
Visualiser1, Twitter
Brighton Argus
Brighton Argus
Fowkes81, Twitter
Fowkes81, Twitter
Dominic Cavendish, Telegraph
Dominic Cavendish, Telegraph
Lee Mack, Mack The Life, 2012
Lee Mack, Mack The Life, 2012
Lenny Darksphere, Twitter
Lenny Darksphere, Twitter
Tokyofist, Youtube
Tokyofist, Youtube
Leach Juice, Twitter
Leach Juice, Twitter
Richard Herring, Comedian
Richard Herring, Comedian
Pudabaya, Twitter
Pudabaya, Twitter
Dominic Cavendish, Daily Telegraph
Dominic Cavendish, Daily Telegraph
Slothy Matt, Twitter
Slothy Matt, Twitter
Jamespearse, Twitter
Jamespearse, Twitter
Neolab, Guardian.co.uk
Neolab, Guardian.co.uk
Johnny Kitkat, dontstartmeoff.com
Johnny Kitkat, dontstartmeoff.com
Genghis McKahn, Guardian.co.uk
Genghis McKahn, Guardian.co.uk
Fairy Pingu, Twitter
Fairy Pingu, Twitter
Sidsings000, Youtube
Sidsings000, Youtube
Dahoum, Guardian.co.uk
Dahoum, Guardian.co.uk
Peter Ould, Youtube
Peter Ould, Youtube
Frankie Boyle, Comedian
Frankie Boyle, Comedian
Guest, Dontstartmeoff.com
Guest, Dontstartmeoff.com
Cabluigi, Guardian.co.uk
Cabluigi, Guardian.co.uk
Lents, redandwhitekop.com
Lents, redandwhitekop.com
Mpf1947, Youtube
Mpf1947, Youtube
Ishamayura Byrd, Twitter
Ishamayura Byrd, Twitter
Z-factor, Twitter.
Z-factor, Twitter.
Bosco239, youtube
Bosco239, youtube
Horatio Melvin, Twitter
Horatio Melvin, Twitter
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
Peter Fears, Twitter
Peter Fears, Twitter
Tweeter Kyriakou, Twitter
Tweeter Kyriakou, Twitter
A D Ward, Twitter
A D Ward, Twitter
Clampdown59, Twitter.
Clampdown59, Twitter.
Rudeness, Youtube
Rudeness, Youtube
Etienne, Chortle.com
Etienne, Chortle.com
John Robins, Comedian
John Robins, Comedian
Zoot Cadillac, Twitter
Zoot Cadillac, Twitter
Pirate Crocodile, Twitter
Pirate Crocodile, Twitter
Anon, westhamonline.com
Anon, westhamonline.com
Nicetime, Guardian.co.uk
Nicetime, Guardian.co.uk
NevW47479, UKTV.co.uk
NevW47479, UKTV.co.uk
Carla, St Albans, Dailymail.co.uk
Carla, St Albans, Dailymail.co.uk
Karen Laidlaw, Edfringe. com.
Karen Laidlaw, Edfringe. com.
Keilloh, Twitter
Keilloh, Twitter
Dave Wilson, Chortle.com
Dave Wilson, Chortle.com
12dgdgdgdgdgdg, Youtube
12dgdgdgdgdgdg, Youtube
Joskins, Leeds Music Forum
Joskins, Leeds Music Forum
DVDhth's grandparents, Twitter
DVDhth's grandparents, Twitter
Shane, Beverley, Dailymail.co.uk
Shane, Beverley, Dailymail.co.uk
Lucinda Locketts, Twitter
Lucinda Locketts, Twitter
Spanner, dontstartmeoff.com
Spanner, dontstartmeoff.com
Tweeterkiryakou, Twitter
Tweeterkiryakou, Twitter
Someoneyoudon'tknow, Chortle.com
Someoneyoudon'tknow, Chortle.com
Neva2busy, dontstartmeoff.com
Neva2busy, dontstartmeoff.com
GRTak, finalgear.com
GRTak, finalgear.com
Al Murray, Comedian
Al Murray, Comedian
Sam Rooney, Youtube
Sam Rooney, Youtube
Maninabananasuit, Guardian.co.uk
Maninabananasuit, Guardian.co.uk
General Lurko 36, Guardian.co.uk
General Lurko 36, Guardian.co.uk
Aaron, comedy.co.uk
Aaron, comedy.co.uk
Mearecate, Youtube
Mearecate, Youtube
Borathigh5, Youtube
Borathigh5, Youtube
Birmingham Sunday Mercury
Birmingham Sunday Mercury
98rosjon, Twitter
98rosjon, Twitter
Idrie, Youtube
Idrie, Youtube
Shit Crit, Twitter
Shit Crit, Twitter
Anamatronix, Youtube
Anamatronix, Youtube
Chez, Chortle.com
Chez, Chortle.com
Brendon, Vauxhallownersnetwork.co.uk
Brendon, Vauxhallownersnetwork.co.uk
Secretdeveloper, Youtube
Secretdeveloper, Youtube
Emilyistrendy, Youtube
Emilyistrendy, Youtube
Alwyn, Digiguide.tv
Alwyn, Digiguide.tv
Foxfoxton, Youtube
Foxfoxton, Youtube
Anonymous, don'tstartmeoff.com
Anonymous, don'tstartmeoff.com
Dan McCaid, Twitter
Dan McCaid, Twitter
Danazawa, Youtube
Danazawa, Youtube
Alex Quarmby, Edfringe.com
Alex Quarmby, Edfringe.com
Mrdavisn01, Twitter
Mrdavisn01, Twitter
Meninblack, Twitter
Meninblack, Twitter
Whoiscuriousgeorge, Youtube
Whoiscuriousgeorge, Youtube
Herald Scotland.
Herald Scotland.
Hiewy, Youtube
Hiewy, Youtube
Zombie Hamster, Twitter
Zombie Hamster, Twitter
Microcuts 22, Twitter
Microcuts 22, Twitter
Carcrazychica, Youtube
Carcrazychica, Youtube
Syhr, breakbeat.co.uk
Syhr, breakbeat.co.uk
Robert Gavin, Twitter
Robert Gavin, Twitter
Guest1001, Youtube
Guest1001, Youtube
World Without End, Twitter
World Without End, Twitter
Pudabaya, beexcellenttoeachother.com
Pudabaya, beexcellenttoeachother.com
Sweeping Curves, Twitter
Sweeping Curves, Twitter
Funday’schild, youtube.
Funday’schild, youtube.
Len Firewood, Twitter
Len Firewood, Twitter
Kozzy06, Youtube
Kozzy06, Youtube
Lancethrustworthy, Youtube
Lancethrustworthy, Youtube
Tin Frog, Twitter
Tin Frog, Twitter
Jackmumf, Twitter
Jackmumf, Twitter
Deepbass, Guardian.co.uk
Deepbass, Guardian.co.uk
Liam Travitt, Twitter
Liam Travitt, Twitter
Esme Folley, Actress, cellist, Twitter
Esme Folley, Actress, cellist, Twitter