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