YOU may have paid your money, but Stewart Lee isn’t going to go easy on you.
The greying comedian, who made a recent return to television screens with BBC Two’s Comedy Vehicle, cast an unforgiving eye over everything from coffee shop loyalty cards to Top Gear as he took to the stage of Malvern’s Forum Theatre on Saturday (January 30).
Eschewing the current trend for snappy one-liners, Lee painfully, and often hilariously, deconstructed every joke, point by point, simultaneously warning the audience worse was to come.
There was no attempt to get the crowd ‘on-side’ as he fantasised about Top Gear’s Richard Hammond being killed in the car crash which left him with brain injuries in 2006.
The skit’s tabloid reception was tackled head-on by Lee who explained that although his comments were ‘only a joke’, they coincidentally represented his true feelings about ‘the Hamster’.
Lee’s characteristic repetition was used to great effect in the closing segment where a throw-away line from a cider advert was plucked from obscurity and subjected to 20-minutes of ridicule.
During this prolonged invective against the advert, in which Lee pretended the line had in fact been a passed-down tradition of his own family, he left the stage and circled the theatre, bellowing at the audience from behind their heads.
The former comic partner of Richard Herring and writer/director behind Jerry Springer the Opera proved that compromise and dumbing-down did not need to go hand-in-hand with comedy.
If You Prefer a Milder Comedian, Please Ask For One took no easy routes and was all the better for it.
Idrie, Youtube
Idrie, Youtube
A D Ward, Twitter
A D Ward, Twitter
Rudeness, Youtube
Rudeness, Youtube
Liam Travitt, Twitter
Liam Travitt, Twitter
Chez, Chortle.com
Chez, Chortle.com
Tweeter Kyriakou, Twitter
Tweeter Kyriakou, Twitter
Ishamayura Byrd, Twitter
Ishamayura Byrd, Twitter
Anon, dontstartmeoff.com
Anon, dontstartmeoff.com
Joe, Independent.co.uk
Joe, Independent.co.uk
Fowkes81, Twitter
Fowkes81, Twitter
Borathigh5, Youtube
Borathigh5, Youtube
Cojones2, Guardian.co.uk
Cojones2, Guardian.co.uk
Emilyistrendy, Youtube
Emilyistrendy, Youtube
Lancethrustworthy, Youtube
Lancethrustworthy, Youtube
Visualiser1, Twitter
Visualiser1, Twitter
Robert Gavin, Twitter
Robert Gavin, Twitter
Contrapuntal, Twitter
Contrapuntal, Twitter
Sam Rooney, Youtube
Sam Rooney, Youtube
Dominic Cavendish, Telegraph
Dominic Cavendish, Telegraph
GRTak, finalgear.com
GRTak, finalgear.com
Tokyofist, Youtube
Tokyofist, Youtube
World Without End, Twitter
World Without End, Twitter
Guest, Dontstartmeoff.com
Guest, Dontstartmeoff.com
Syhr, breakbeat.co.uk
Syhr, breakbeat.co.uk
Cyberbloke, Twitter
Cyberbloke, Twitter
98rosjon, Twitter
98rosjon, Twitter
Aiden Hearn, Twitter
Aiden Hearn, Twitter
Rubyshoes, Twitter
Rubyshoes, Twitter
Alex Quarmby, Edfringe.com
Alex Quarmby, Edfringe.com
Tweeterkiryakou, Twitter
Tweeterkiryakou, Twitter
Pudabaya, beexcellenttoeachother.com
Pudabaya, beexcellenttoeachother.com
Al Murray, Comedian
Al Murray, Comedian
Gmanthedemon, bbc.co.uk
Gmanthedemon, bbc.co.uk
Whoiscuriousgeorge, Youtube
Whoiscuriousgeorge, Youtube
Leach Juice, Twitter
Leach Juice, Twitter
Jamespearse, Twitter
Jamespearse, Twitter
Carla, St Albans, Dailymail.co.uk
Carla, St Albans, Dailymail.co.uk
Pnethor, pne-online.com
Pnethor, pne-online.com
Jackmumf, Twitter
Jackmumf, Twitter
Mini-x2, readytogo.net
Mini-x2, readytogo.net
Brendon, Vauxhallownersnetwork.co.uk
Brendon, Vauxhallownersnetwork.co.uk
Sweeping Curves, Twitter
Sweeping Curves, Twitter
Esme Folley, Actress, cellist, Twitter
Esme Folley, Actress, cellist, Twitter
Tin Frog, Twitter
Tin Frog, Twitter
Dave Wilson, Chortle.com
Dave Wilson, Chortle.com
Mpf1947, Youtube
Mpf1947, Youtube
Microcuts 22, Twitter
Microcuts 22, Twitter
Maninabananasuit, Guardian.co.uk
Maninabananasuit, Guardian.co.uk
Mrdavisn01, Twitter
Mrdavisn01, Twitter
Carcrazychica, Youtube
Carcrazychica, Youtube
Patrick Kavanagh, Guardian.co.uk
Patrick Kavanagh, Guardian.co.uk
Funday’schild, youtube.
Funday’schild, youtube.
Bosco239, youtube
Bosco239, youtube
Lents, redandwhitekop.com
Lents, redandwhitekop.com
Wharto15, Twitter
Wharto15, Twitter
12dgdgdgdgdgdg, Youtube
12dgdgdgdgdgdg, Youtube
Bobby Bhoy, Twitter
Bobby Bhoy, Twitter
Cabluigi, Guardian.co.uk
Cabluigi, Guardian.co.uk
Lucinda Locketts, Twitter
Lucinda Locketts, Twitter
James Dellingpole, Daily Telegraph
James Dellingpole, Daily Telegraph
Pudabaya, Twitter
Pudabaya, Twitter
Len Firewood, Twitter
Len Firewood, Twitter
Etienne, Chortle.com
Etienne, Chortle.com
Lenny Darksphere, Twitter
Lenny Darksphere, Twitter
Anonymous, don'tstartmeoff.com
Anonymous, don'tstartmeoff.com
Anon, westhamonline.com
Anon, westhamonline.com
Anonymous, The Northfield Patriot
Anonymous, The Northfield Patriot
Gwaites, Digitalspy
Gwaites, Digitalspy
Anamatronix, Youtube
Anamatronix, Youtube
Neolab, Guardian.co.uk
Neolab, Guardian.co.uk
Shit Crit, Twitter
Shit Crit, Twitter
Coxy, Dontstartmeoff.com
Coxy, Dontstartmeoff.com
Guest1001, Youtube
Guest1001, Youtube
DVDhth's grandparents, Twitter
DVDhth's grandparents, Twitter
Slothy Matt, Twitter
Slothy Matt, Twitter
Tres Ryan, Twitter
Tres Ryan, Twitter
Meanstreetelite, Peoplesrepublicofcork
Meanstreetelite, Peoplesrepublicofcork
Henry Howard Fun, Twitter
Henry Howard Fun, 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
Richard Herring, Comedian
Richard Herring, Comedian
Clampdown59, Twitter.
Clampdown59, Twitter.
Danazawa, Youtube
Danazawa, Youtube
Dahoum, Guardian.co.uk
Dahoum, Guardian.co.uk
Mearecate, Youtube
Mearecate, Youtube
Someoneyoudon'tknow, Chortle.com
Someoneyoudon'tknow, Chortle.com
Sidsings000, Youtube
Sidsings000, Youtube
Hiewy, Youtube
Hiewy, Youtube
Spanner, dontstartmeoff.com
Spanner, dontstartmeoff.com
Joskins, Leeds Music Forum
Joskins, Leeds Music Forum
Rowing Rob, Guardian.co.uk
Rowing Rob, Guardian.co.uk
FBC, finalgear.com
FBC, finalgear.com
Aaron, comedy.co.uk
Aaron, comedy.co.uk
Peter Fears, Twitter
Peter Fears, Twitter
NevW47479, UKTV.co.uk
NevW47479, UKTV.co.uk
Dick Socrates, Twitter
Dick Socrates, Twitter
Shane, Beverley, Dailymail.co.uk
Shane, Beverley, Dailymail.co.uk
Karen Laidlaw, Edfringe. com.
Karen Laidlaw, Edfringe. com.
Dominic Cavendish, Daily Telegraph
Dominic Cavendish, Daily Telegraph
Johnny Kitkat, dontstartmeoff.com
Johnny Kitkat, dontstartmeoff.com
Stokeylitfest, Twitter
Stokeylitfest, Twitter
Keilloh, Twitter
Keilloh, Twitter
Genghis McKahn, Guardian.co.uk
Genghis McKahn, Guardian.co.uk
Peter Ould, Twitter
Peter Ould, Twitter
General Lurko 36, Guardian.co.uk
General Lurko 36, Guardian.co.uk
Gabrielle, Chortle.com
Gabrielle, Chortle.com
Zombie Hamster, Twitter
Zombie Hamster, Twitter
Deepbass, Guardian.co.uk
Deepbass, Guardian.co.uk
Peter Ould, Youtube
Peter Ould, Youtube
Horatio Melvin, Twitter
Horatio Melvin, Twitter
Anon, BBC Complaints Log
Anon, BBC Complaints Log
Nicetime, Guardian.co.uk
Nicetime, Guardian.co.uk
Frankie Boyle, Comedian
Frankie Boyle, Comedian
Lee Mack, Mack The Life, 2012
Lee Mack, Mack The Life, 2012
Fairy Pingu, Twitter
Fairy Pingu, Twitter
Iain, eatenbymissionaries
Iain, eatenbymissionaries
Birmingham Sunday Mercury
Birmingham Sunday Mercury
Stuart, Chortle
Stuart, Chortle
Yukio Mishima, dontstartmeoff.com
Yukio Mishima, dontstartmeoff.com
Neva2busy, dontstartmeoff.com
Neva2busy, dontstartmeoff.com
John Robins, Comedian
John Robins, Comedian
Foxfoxton, Youtube
Foxfoxton, Youtube
Pirate Crocodile, Twitter
Pirate Crocodile, Twitter
Joycey, readytogo.net
Joycey, readytogo.net
Kozzy06, Youtube
Kozzy06, Youtube
Alwyn, Digiguide.tv
Alwyn, Digiguide.tv
Brighton Argus
Brighton Argus
Z-factor, Twitter.
Z-factor, Twitter.
Secretdeveloper, Youtube
Secretdeveloper, Youtube
Meninblack, Twitter
Meninblack, Twitter