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