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