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