Stewart Lee might have been beaten by Michael McIntyre in the Best Stand-up category at Saturday’s British Comedy Awards but there are plenty of comedy buffs flocking to Lee’s current show who beg to differ.
While McIntyre is the arena-packing people’s punster, Lee is the art-house comedian’s comedian, admired as much for his craft, poise and intelligence as his quips.
In this supremely accomplished set, however, Lee does not feel a million miles away from McIntyre. Both are essentially observational entertainers but where the slick-suited superstar tickles life’s trivia, the tight-jacketed cult joker goes for the jugular, brilliantly unpicking the vogue for offensive humour and the way capitalism tramples on people’s memories.
If an attack on Frankie Boyle’s shock-jock mentality is an effective warm-up, the real venom is saved for Lee’s already notorious assault on Top Gear’s bully-boy blokeism. Out of context his controversial wish that Richard Hammond had died gruesomely in his 2006 dragster accident is tasteless. In the context of exploring limits of taste it is a superb piece of Swiftian satire.
This high point is not quite matched by an excellent extended riff on advertising’s habit of soiling great music but there is still a sting in the tale as Lee closes with a surprisingly well-sung song.
A masterclass in stand-up being more than just a bag of gags and a top gear performance from this driven man.
Lenny Darksphere, Twitter
Lenny Darksphere, Twitter
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Keilloh, Twitter
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Jackmumf, Twitter
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Lee Mack, Mack The Life, 2012
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Z-factor, Twitter.
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Mpf1947, Youtube
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Joycey, readytogo.net
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98rosjon, Twitter
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Richard Herring, Comedian
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Peter Ould, Youtube
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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Anon, westhamonline.com
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Meanstreetelite, Peoplesrepublicofcork
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Rudeness, Youtube
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A D Ward, Twitter
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Genghis McKahn, Guardian.co.uk
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Len Firewood, Twitter
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Joskins, Leeds Music Forum
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NevW47479, UKTV.co.uk
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Fairy Pingu, Twitter
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12dgdgdgdgdgdg, Youtube
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Microcuts 22, Twitter
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Anon, BBC Complaints Log
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Esme Folley, Actress, cellist, Twitter
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Secretdeveloper, Youtube
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Dave Wilson, Chortle.com
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Anon, dontstartmeoff.com
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Maninabananasuit, Guardian.co.uk
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Yukio Mishima, dontstartmeoff.com
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Tweeter Kyriakou, Twitter
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Joe, Independent.co.uk
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Al Murray, Comedian
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Gabrielle, Chortle.com
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Tres Ryan, Twitter
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Aiden Hearn, Twitter
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General Lurko 36, Guardian.co.uk
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Carcrazychica, Youtube
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Gmanthedemon, bbc.co.uk
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Shane, Beverley, Dailymail.co.uk
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GRTak, finalgear.com
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Cabluigi, Guardian.co.uk
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Dahoum, Guardian.co.uk
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Dominic Cavendish, Telegraph
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James Dellingpole, Daily Telegraph
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Emilyistrendy, Youtube
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Leach Juice, Twitter
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Carla, St Albans, Dailymail.co.uk
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Bosco239, youtube
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Aaron, comedy.co.uk
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Dominic Cavendish, Daily Telegraph
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Zombie Hamster, Twitter
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Alex Quarmby, Edfringe.com
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Tokyofist, Youtube
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Pudabaya, beexcellenttoeachother.com
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Nicetime, Guardian.co.uk
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Frankie Boyle, Comedian
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Idrie, Youtube
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Robert Gavin, Twitter
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Anamatronix, Youtube
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Pirate Crocodile, Twitter
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Tin Frog, Twitter
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Birmingham Sunday Mercury
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Clampdown59, Twitter.
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Anonymous, The Northfield Patriot
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Wharto15, Twitter
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Bobby Bhoy, Twitter
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Neva2busy, dontstartmeoff.com
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Tweeterkiryakou, Twitter
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Sam Rooney, Youtube
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Danazawa, Youtube
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Lucinda Locketts, Twitter
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Rowing Rob, Guardian.co.uk
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Whoiscuriousgeorge, Youtube
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Slothy Matt, Twitter
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Patrick Kavanagh, Guardian.co.uk
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John Robins, Comedian
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Deepbass, Guardian.co.uk
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Ishamayura Byrd, Twitter