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