STROLLING out for the biggest Scottish date he’s played during a topsy turvy 20-year career, it’s clear that even the Festival Theatre stage isn’t enough to contain Stewart Lee’s comedy vehicle.
Taking his cue from the Johnny Vegas school of wandering among the people (minus the overt physicality), Lee eventually makes his way up to the balcony, continuing a micfree rant about a cider advert’s slogan. For seasoned watchers of the comic who co-wrote Jerry Springer: The Opera, this is classic fourth-wall dismantling Lee; for anyone new to his game, it’s a perplexing, nervy experience where the lines between funny and irritating are deliberately being fogged.
While Lee maintains with apparent uninterest that there are those present who will find his comedy “boring” and “awful”, what he has been solidly delivering in the last five years are masterclasses in the art of stand-up. With this current touring show, If You Prefer A Milder Comedian, Please Ask For One, Lee begins with a made-up letter from a pirate, moves on to the petty bureaucracy he encountered at a high street coffee chain, and along the way takes swipes at the public utterances of Frankie Boyle, Michael McIntyre and Richard “Hamster” Hammond.
Sporting a typically surprising flourish, he ends by singing Steve Earle’s Galway Girl with genuine sincerity, albeit with a couple of references to the night’s material thrown in.
While the concept of failure dominated his immense 41st Best Stand-Up Ever set, here the overarching theme is disappointment. Stewart Lee’s devoted fanbase don’t know the meaning of the word.
Z-factor, Twitter.
Z-factor, Twitter.
Sam Rooney, Youtube
Sam Rooney, Youtube
Carcrazychica, Youtube
Carcrazychica, Youtube
Guest1001, Youtube
Guest1001, Youtube
Spursguy, Youtube
Spursguy, Youtube
Aaron, comedy.co.uk
Aaron, comedy.co.uk
Hiewy, Youtube
Hiewy, Youtube
Slothy Matt, Twitter
Slothy Matt, Twitter
Leach Juice, Twitter
Leach Juice, Twitter
Karen Laidlaw, Edfringe. com.
Karen Laidlaw, Edfringe. com.
Anamatronix, Youtube
Anamatronix, Youtube
Tweeterkiryakou, Twitter
Tweeterkiryakou, Twitter
Cyberbloke, Twitter
Cyberbloke, Twitter
Funday’schild, youtube.
Funday’schild, youtube.
Horatio Melvin, Twitter
Horatio Melvin, Twitter
Microcuts 22, Twitter
Microcuts 22, Twitter
Frankie Boyle, Comedian
Frankie Boyle, Comedian
Peter Ould, Youtube
Peter Ould, Youtube
Maninabananasuit, Guardian.co.uk
Maninabananasuit, Guardian.co.uk
Tokyofist, Youtube
Tokyofist, Youtube
Etienne, Chortle.com
Etienne, Chortle.com
Nicetime, Guardian.co.uk
Nicetime, Guardian.co.uk
Anon, westhamonline.com
Anon, westhamonline.com
Dick Socrates, Twitter
Dick Socrates, Twitter
Meninblack, Twitter
Meninblack, Twitter
Gabrielle, Chortle.com
Gabrielle, Chortle.com
James Dellingpole, Daily Telegraph
James Dellingpole, Daily Telegraph
Danazawa, Youtube
Danazawa, Youtube
Secretdeveloper, Youtube
Secretdeveloper, Youtube
Bobby Bhoy, Twitter
Bobby Bhoy, Twitter
Wharto15, Twitter
Wharto15, Twitter
Tin Frog, Twitter
Tin Frog, Twitter
Meanstreetelite, Peoplesrepublicofcork
Meanstreetelite, Peoplesrepublicofcork
Anonymous, The Northfield Patriot
Anonymous, The Northfield Patriot
Chez, Chortle.com
Chez, Chortle.com
John Robins, Comedian
John Robins, Comedian
Genghis McKahn, Guardian.co.uk
Genghis McKahn, Guardian.co.uk
Birmingham Sunday Mercury
Birmingham Sunday Mercury
Pudabaya, Twitter
Pudabaya, Twitter
Cojones2, Guardian.co.uk
Cojones2, Guardian.co.uk
Zoot Cadillac, Twitter
Zoot Cadillac, Twitter
Brendon, Vauxhallownersnetwork.co.uk
Brendon, Vauxhallownersnetwork.co.uk
Yukio Mishima, dontstartmeoff.com
Yukio Mishima, dontstartmeoff.com
Herald Scotland.
Herald Scotland.
A D Ward, Twitter
A D Ward, Twitter
Sweeping Curves, Twitter
Sweeping Curves, Twitter
Mrdavisn01, Twitter
Mrdavisn01, Twitter
Pirate Crocodile, Twitter
Pirate Crocodile, Twitter
Lucinda Locketts, Twitter
Lucinda Locketts, Twitter
Carla, St Albans, Dailymail.co.uk
Carla, St Albans, Dailymail.co.uk
Anon, BBC Complaints Log
Anon, BBC Complaints Log
General Lurko 36, Guardian.co.uk
General Lurko 36, Guardian.co.uk
Mearecate, Youtube
Mearecate, Youtube
Neva2busy, dontstartmeoff.com
Neva2busy, dontstartmeoff.com
Dahoum, Guardian.co.uk
Dahoum, Guardian.co.uk
NevW47479, UKTV.co.uk
NevW47479, UKTV.co.uk
World Without End, Twitter
World Without End, Twitter
12dgdgdgdgdgdg, Youtube
12dgdgdgdgdgdg, Youtube
BBC iPlayer edition of discussion of Stewart Lee on A Good Read
BBC iPlayer edition of discussion of Stewart Lee on A Good Read
Len Firewood, Twitter
Len Firewood, Twitter
Rowing Rob, Guardian.co.uk
Rowing Rob, Guardian.co.uk
Emilyistrendy, Youtube
Emilyistrendy, Youtube
Idrie, Youtube
Idrie, Youtube
Patrick Kavanagh, Guardian.co.uk
Patrick Kavanagh, Guardian.co.uk
Deepbass, Guardian.co.uk
Deepbass, Guardian.co.uk
Fowkes81, Twitter
Fowkes81, Twitter
Dominic Cavendish, Daily Telegraph
Dominic Cavendish, Daily Telegraph
Anon, dontstartmeoff.com
Anon, dontstartmeoff.com
Coxy, Dontstartmeoff.com
Coxy, Dontstartmeoff.com
Lenny Darksphere, Twitter
Lenny Darksphere, Twitter
DVDhth's grandparents, Twitter
DVDhth's grandparents, Twitter
Spanner, dontstartmeoff.com
Spanner, dontstartmeoff.com
Rudeness, Youtube
Rudeness, Youtube
Dan McCaid, Twitter
Dan McCaid, Twitter
Dominic Cavendish, Telegraph
Dominic Cavendish, Telegraph
Aiden Hearn, Twitter
Aiden Hearn, Twitter
Keilloh, Twitter
Keilloh, Twitter
Mpf1947, Youtube
Mpf1947, Youtube
Clampdown59, Twitter.
Clampdown59, Twitter.
Bosco239, youtube
Bosco239, youtube
Dave Wilson, Chortle.com
Dave Wilson, Chortle.com
98rosjon, Twitter
98rosjon, Twitter
Richard Herring, Comedian
Richard Herring, Comedian
Gwaites, Digitalspy
Gwaites, Digitalspy
Tres Ryan, Twitter
Tres Ryan, Twitter
Visualiser1, Twitter
Visualiser1, Twitter
Cabluigi, Guardian.co.uk
Cabluigi, Guardian.co.uk
Peter Fears, Twitter
Peter Fears, Twitter
Rubyshoes, Twitter
Rubyshoes, Twitter
Syhr, breakbeat.co.uk
Syhr, breakbeat.co.uk
Joskins, Leeds Music Forum
Joskins, Leeds Music Forum
Stuart, Chortle
Stuart, Chortle
Pnethor, pne-online.com
Pnethor, pne-online.com
Shane, Beverley, Dailymail.co.uk
Shane, Beverley, Dailymail.co.uk
Henry Howard Fun, Twitter
Henry Howard Fun, Twitter
Stokeylitfest, Twitter
Stokeylitfest, Twitter
Peter Ould, Twitter
Peter Ould, Twitter
Johnny Kitkat, dontstartmeoff.com
Johnny Kitkat, dontstartmeoff.com
Tweeter Kyriakou, Twitter
Tweeter Kyriakou, Twitter
Alwyn, Digiguide.tv
Alwyn, Digiguide.tv
Anonymous, don'tstartmeoff.com
Anonymous, don'tstartmeoff.com
Fairy Pingu, Twitter
Fairy Pingu, Twitter
Gmanthedemon, bbc.co.uk
Gmanthedemon, bbc.co.uk
Mini-x2, readytogo.net
Mini-x2, readytogo.net
Guest, Dontstartmeoff.com
Guest, Dontstartmeoff.com
Jamespearse, Twitter
Jamespearse, Twitter
GRTak, finalgear.com
GRTak, finalgear.com
XPIJONpsY, Twitter
XPIJONpsY, Twitter
Lancethrustworthy, Youtube
Lancethrustworthy, Youtube
Borathigh5, Youtube
Borathigh5, Youtube
Robert Gavin, Twitter
Robert Gavin, Twitter
Whoiscuriousgeorge, Youtube
Whoiscuriousgeorge, Youtube
Pudabaya, beexcellenttoeachother.com
Pudabaya, beexcellenttoeachother.com
Ishamayura Byrd, Twitter
Ishamayura Byrd, Twitter
Sidsings000, Youtube
Sidsings000, Youtube
Al Murray, Comedian
Al Murray, Comedian
Lents, redandwhitekop.com
Lents, redandwhitekop.com
Joycey, readytogo.net
Joycey, readytogo.net
Dominic Cavendish, Daily Telegraph
Dominic Cavendish, Daily Telegraph
Esme Folley, Actress, cellist, Twitter
Esme Folley, Actress, cellist, Twitter
Foxfoxton, Youtube
Foxfoxton, Youtube
Jackmumf, Twitter
Jackmumf, Twitter
Someoneyoudon'tknow, Chortle.com
Someoneyoudon'tknow, Chortle.com
Kozzy06, Youtube
Kozzy06, Youtube
Contrapuntal, Twitter
Contrapuntal, Twitter
Iain, eatenbymissionaries
Iain, eatenbymissionaries
Brighton Argus
Brighton Argus
Alex Quarmby, Edfringe.com
Alex Quarmby, Edfringe.com
Zombie Hamster, Twitter
Zombie Hamster, Twitter
Shit Crit, Twitter
Shit Crit, Twitter
Lee Mack, Mack The Life, 2012
Lee Mack, Mack The Life, 2012
Neolab, Guardian.co.uk
Neolab, Guardian.co.uk
FBC, finalgear.com
FBC, finalgear.com
Joe, Independent.co.uk
Joe, Independent.co.uk
Liam Travitt, Twitter
Liam Travitt, Twitter