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