FRANKIE Boyle would have you believe that comics hitting 40 lose their potency, the righteous anger that compels them to mock the Queen’s anatomy on comedy panel shows. At 41, Stewart Lee is not about to let this lie and meticulously dissects the Glaswegian’s assertion, as he does everything else in this show, with playful aggression and measured sarcasm.
One of the genuinely thrilling aspects of seeing Lee is trying to ascertain just how deep his distaste for something extends before he blows it up into one of his elaborate set-pieces, especially as some of the targets are so close – his employers at the BBC and a Sunday newspaper are guilty by association of the emergence of the “Russell comedian” and the rise of Jeremy Clarkson.
Yet it’s Clarkson’s partner in politically incorrect sniggering, Richard Hammond, who bears the brunt of Lee’s ire. And just so any tabloid newspapers or bootleggers posting out-of-context YouTube clips of him denouncing his ex-schoolmate understand, he truly wishes Hammond had died in his car crash, with all the jollying contempt the Top Gear presenters reserve for Gordon Brown’s blindness or the “myth” of climate change.
His last routine, some furious grandstanding at the vacuity of advertising, is rendered all the sweeter for taking a pop at the cider sponsors of the Glasgow Comedy Festival, which, despite flirting with self-parody, is a suitably impressive climax. As a coda, he adds something allegedly shocking in contemporary stand-up, a seemingly genuine attempt to do something sincerely and well, singing Steve Earle’s Galway Girl.
Joe, Independent.co.uk
Joe, Independent.co.uk
Meanstreetelite, Peoplesrepublicofcork
Meanstreetelite, Peoplesrepublicofcork
Guest, Dontstartmeoff.com
Guest, Dontstartmeoff.com
Dave Wilson, Chortle.com
Dave Wilson, Chortle.com
Joycey, readytogo.net
Joycey, readytogo.net
Anonymous, The Northfield Patriot
Anonymous, The Northfield Patriot
Dominic Cavendish, Telegraph
Dominic Cavendish, Telegraph
Secretdeveloper, Youtube
Secretdeveloper, Youtube
Lee Mack, Mack The Life, 2012
Lee Mack, Mack The Life, 2012
Z-factor, Twitter.
Z-factor, Twitter.
Sam Rooney, Youtube
Sam Rooney, Youtube
Hiewy, Youtube
Hiewy, Youtube
Pnethor, pne-online.com
Pnethor, pne-online.com
Gmanthedemon, bbc.co.uk
Gmanthedemon, bbc.co.uk
World Without End, Twitter
World Without End, Twitter
Danazawa, Youtube
Danazawa, Youtube
Kozzy06, Youtube
Kozzy06, Youtube
Frankie Boyle, Comedian
Frankie Boyle, Comedian
Whoiscuriousgeorge, Youtube
Whoiscuriousgeorge, Youtube
Dominic Cavendish, Daily Telegraph
Dominic Cavendish, Daily Telegraph
Wharto15, Twitter
Wharto15, Twitter
Stokeylitfest, Twitter
Stokeylitfest, Twitter
Gwaites, Digitalspy
Gwaites, Digitalspy
Tres Ryan, Twitter
Tres Ryan, Twitter
Birmingham Sunday Mercury
Birmingham Sunday Mercury
Lenny Darksphere, Twitter
Lenny Darksphere, Twitter
Bobby Bhoy, Twitter
Bobby Bhoy, Twitter
NevW47479, UKTV.co.uk
NevW47479, UKTV.co.uk
Fowkes81, Twitter
Fowkes81, Twitter
Anonymous, don'tstartmeoff.com
Anonymous, don'tstartmeoff.com
Cyberbloke, Twitter
Cyberbloke, 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
Borathigh5, Youtube
Borathigh5, Youtube
Spanner, dontstartmeoff.com
Spanner, dontstartmeoff.com
Deepbass, Guardian.co.uk
Deepbass, Guardian.co.uk
Jackmumf, Twitter
Jackmumf, Twitter
Karen Laidlaw, Edfringe. com.
Karen Laidlaw, Edfringe. com.
Tweeterkiryakou, Twitter
Tweeterkiryakou, Twitter
Sweeping Curves, Twitter
Sweeping Curves, Twitter
Brendon, Vauxhallownersnetwork.co.uk
Brendon, Vauxhallownersnetwork.co.uk
Ishamayura Byrd, Twitter
Ishamayura Byrd, Twitter
Clampdown59, Twitter.
Clampdown59, Twitter.
Brighton Argus
Brighton Argus
General Lurko 36, Guardian.co.uk
General Lurko 36, Guardian.co.uk
Fairy Pingu, Twitter
Fairy Pingu, Twitter
Carcrazychica, Youtube
Carcrazychica, Youtube
Slothy Matt, Twitter
Slothy Matt, Twitter
Lents, redandwhitekop.com
Lents, redandwhitekop.com
Dick Socrates, Twitter
Dick Socrates, Twitter
Alwyn, Digiguide.tv
Alwyn, Digiguide.tv
Rowing Rob, Guardian.co.uk
Rowing Rob, Guardian.co.uk
Peter Fears, Twitter
Peter Fears, Twitter
Aiden Hearn, Twitter
Aiden Hearn, Twitter
Maninabananasuit, Guardian.co.uk
Maninabananasuit, Guardian.co.uk
Stuart, Chortle
Stuart, Chortle
Richard Herring, Comedian
Richard Herring, Comedian
Joskins, Leeds Music Forum
Joskins, Leeds Music Forum
FBC, finalgear.com
FBC, finalgear.com
Emilyistrendy, Youtube
Emilyistrendy, Youtube
GRTak, finalgear.com
GRTak, finalgear.com
Tweeter Kyriakou, Twitter
Tweeter Kyriakou, Twitter
Neolab, Guardian.co.uk
Neolab, Guardian.co.uk
Contrapuntal, Twitter
Contrapuntal, Twitter
Leach Juice, Twitter
Leach Juice, Twitter
12dgdgdgdgdgdg, Youtube
12dgdgdgdgdgdg, Youtube
Someoneyoudon'tknow, Chortle.com
Someoneyoudon'tknow, Chortle.com
Dahoum, Guardian.co.uk
Dahoum, Guardian.co.uk
Iain, eatenbymissionaries
Iain, eatenbymissionaries
Yukio Mishima, dontstartmeoff.com
Yukio Mishima, dontstartmeoff.com
Gabrielle, Chortle.com
Gabrielle, Chortle.com
Sidsings000, Youtube
Sidsings000, Youtube
Mrdavisn01, Twitter
Mrdavisn01, Twitter
Anamatronix, Youtube
Anamatronix, Youtube
Peter Ould, Twitter
Peter Ould, Twitter
Mearecate, Youtube
Mearecate, Youtube
Etienne, Chortle.com
Etienne, Chortle.com
Visualiser1, Twitter
Visualiser1, Twitter
Robert Gavin, Twitter
Robert Gavin, Twitter
Meninblack, Twitter
Meninblack, Twitter
Len Firewood, Twitter
Len Firewood, Twitter
Lucinda Locketts, Twitter
Lucinda Locketts, Twitter
Shane, Beverley, Dailymail.co.uk
Shane, Beverley, Dailymail.co.uk
Keilloh, Twitter
Keilloh, Twitter
Pudabaya, Twitter
Pudabaya, Twitter
Coxy, Dontstartmeoff.com
Coxy, Dontstartmeoff.com
DVDhth's grandparents, Twitter
DVDhth's grandparents, Twitter
Funday’schild, youtube.
Funday’schild, youtube.
Mpf1947, Youtube
Mpf1947, Youtube
Tokyofist, Youtube
Tokyofist, Youtube
Zombie Hamster, Twitter
Zombie Hamster, Twitter
Bosco239, youtube
Bosco239, youtube
Chez, Chortle.com
Chez, Chortle.com
Tin Frog, Twitter
Tin Frog, Twitter
Patrick Kavanagh, Guardian.co.uk
Patrick Kavanagh, Guardian.co.uk
Alex Quarmby, Edfringe.com
Alex Quarmby, Edfringe.com
A D Ward, Twitter
A D Ward, Twitter
Guest1001, Youtube
Guest1001, Youtube
Pirate Crocodile, Twitter
Pirate Crocodile, Twitter
Cojones2, Guardian.co.uk
Cojones2, Guardian.co.uk
Horatio Melvin, Twitter
Horatio Melvin, Twitter
Al Murray, Comedian
Al Murray, Comedian
Rudeness, Youtube
Rudeness, Youtube
Idrie, Youtube
Idrie, Youtube
Carla, St Albans, Dailymail.co.uk
Carla, St Albans, Dailymail.co.uk
Foxfoxton, Youtube
Foxfoxton, Youtube
Anon, dontstartmeoff.com
Anon, dontstartmeoff.com
Microcuts 22, Twitter
Microcuts 22, Twitter
Syhr, breakbeat.co.uk
Syhr, breakbeat.co.uk
Shit Crit, Twitter
Shit Crit, Twitter
Pudabaya, beexcellenttoeachother.com
Pudabaya, beexcellenttoeachother.com
John Robins, Comedian
John Robins, Comedian
Henry Howard Fun, Twitter
Henry Howard Fun, Twitter
Nicetime, Guardian.co.uk
Nicetime, Guardian.co.uk
Johnny Kitkat, dontstartmeoff.com
Johnny Kitkat, dontstartmeoff.com
Rubyshoes, Twitter
Rubyshoes, Twitter
Anon, BBC Complaints Log
Anon, BBC Complaints Log
98rosjon, Twitter
98rosjon, Twitter
Aaron, comedy.co.uk
Aaron, comedy.co.uk
Lancethrustworthy, Youtube
Lancethrustworthy, Youtube
Genghis McKahn, Guardian.co.uk
Genghis McKahn, Guardian.co.uk
Cabluigi, Guardian.co.uk
Cabluigi, Guardian.co.uk
Mini-x2, readytogo.net
Mini-x2, readytogo.net
Neva2busy, dontstartmeoff.com
Neva2busy, dontstartmeoff.com
James Dellingpole, Daily Telegraph
James Dellingpole, Daily Telegraph
Peter Ould, Youtube
Peter Ould, Youtube
Esme Folley, Actress, cellist, Twitter
Esme Folley, Actress, cellist, Twitter
Liam Travitt, Twitter
Liam Travitt, Twitter
Jamespearse, Twitter
Jamespearse, Twitter
Anon, westhamonline.com
Anon, westhamonline.com