The comedian who looks like a lot of other famous people took to the Ulster Hall last night — and for a self-styled frustrated middle-aged liberal, there’s still plenty of bite in Stewart Lee.
The opening gag of If You Prefer A Milder Comedian, Please Ask For One gets off to a (pretend?) wobbly start when a member of the audience, asked if she drinks coffee, tells him she doesn’t.
He harangues his capacity Ulster Hall audience for letting him down before he picks up the story again. That segues into kids’ adventure centres, and the inappropriateness of a pirate activity centre as a first date for a pirate — then he’s off into country life and the angriest but most inventive segment of his show.
There’s a sustained attack on all three Top Gear presenters but it’s Richard Hammond who gets the hardest time.
It’s not for the sensitive but it’s funny, imaginative and refreshing to see a seemingly unassailable aspect of our culture held up to ridicule.
Lee Mack, Mack The Life, 2012
Lee Mack, Mack The Life, 2012
Shit Crit, Twitter
Shit Crit, Twitter
Anon, BBC Complaints Log
Anon, BBC Complaints Log
BBC iPlayer edition of discussion of Stewart Lee on A Good Read
BBC iPlayer edition of discussion of Stewart Lee on A Good Read
Aaron, comedy.co.uk
Aaron, comedy.co.uk
Foxfoxton, Youtube
Foxfoxton, Youtube
Deepbass, Guardian.co.uk
Deepbass, Guardian.co.uk
Etienne, Chortle.com
Etienne, Chortle.com
Slothy Matt, Twitter
Slothy Matt, Twitter
Mrdavisn01, Twitter
Mrdavisn01, Twitter
Someoneyoudon'tknow, Chortle.com
Someoneyoudon'tknow, Chortle.com
Bobby Bhoy, Twitter
Bobby Bhoy, Twitter
98rosjon, Twitter
98rosjon, Twitter
Anonymous, don'tstartmeoff.com
Anonymous, don'tstartmeoff.com
Genghis McKahn, Guardian.co.uk
Genghis McKahn, Guardian.co.uk
Frankie Boyle, Comedian
Frankie Boyle, Comedian
Patrick Kavanagh, Guardian.co.uk
Patrick Kavanagh, Guardian.co.uk
Borathigh5, Youtube
Borathigh5, Youtube
Joskins, Leeds Music Forum
Joskins, Leeds Music Forum
Leach Juice, Twitter
Leach Juice, Twitter
Liam Travitt, Twitter
Liam Travitt, Twitter
Shane, Beverley, Dailymail.co.uk
Shane, Beverley, Dailymail.co.uk
Pnethor, pne-online.com
Pnethor, pne-online.com
Peter Ould, Youtube
Peter Ould, Youtube
Sidsings000, Youtube
Sidsings000, Youtube
Guest1001, Youtube
Guest1001, Youtube
General Lurko 36, Guardian.co.uk
General Lurko 36, Guardian.co.uk
Lents, redandwhitekop.com
Lents, redandwhitekop.com
Ishamayura Byrd, Twitter
Ishamayura Byrd, Twitter
Sweeping Curves, Twitter
Sweeping Curves, Twitter
Anamatronix, Youtube
Anamatronix, Youtube
Birmingham Sunday Mercury
Birmingham Sunday Mercury
12dgdgdgdgdgdg, Youtube
12dgdgdgdgdgdg, Youtube
Cojones2, Guardian.co.uk
Cojones2, Guardian.co.uk
Whoiscuriousgeorge, Youtube
Whoiscuriousgeorge, Youtube
Anon, dontstartmeoff.com
Anon, dontstartmeoff.com
Secretdeveloper, Youtube
Secretdeveloper, Youtube
Chez, Chortle.com
Chez, Chortle.com
Zombie Hamster, Twitter
Zombie Hamster, Twitter
Brendon, Vauxhallownersnetwork.co.uk
Brendon, Vauxhallownersnetwork.co.uk
Dave Wilson, Chortle.com
Dave Wilson, Chortle.com
Cyberbloke, Twitter
Cyberbloke, Twitter
Tweeter Kyriakou, Twitter
Tweeter Kyriakou, Twitter
Danazawa, Youtube
Danazawa, Youtube
Nicetime, Guardian.co.uk
Nicetime, Guardian.co.uk
Dominic Cavendish, Telegraph
Dominic Cavendish, Telegraph
Fowkes81, Twitter
Fowkes81, Twitter
Mpf1947, Youtube
Mpf1947, Youtube
Syhr, breakbeat.co.uk
Syhr, breakbeat.co.uk
NevW47479, UKTV.co.uk
NevW47479, UKTV.co.uk
Robert Gavin, Twitter
Robert Gavin, Twitter
World Without End, Twitter
World Without End, Twitter
Carcrazychica, Youtube
Carcrazychica, Youtube
Esme Folley, Actress, cellist, Twitter
Esme Folley, Actress, cellist, Twitter
Tres Ryan, Twitter
Tres Ryan, Twitter
Gmanthedemon, bbc.co.uk
Gmanthedemon, bbc.co.uk
Meninblack, Twitter
Meninblack, Twitter
Johnny Kitkat, dontstartmeoff.com
Johnny Kitkat, dontstartmeoff.com
Anonymous, The Northfield Patriot
Anonymous, The Northfield Patriot
Dick Socrates, Twitter
Dick Socrates, Twitter
Al Murray, Comedian
Al Murray, Comedian
Keilloh, Twitter
Keilloh, Twitter
Jamespearse, Twitter
Jamespearse, Twitter
Aiden Hearn, Twitter
Aiden Hearn, Twitter
Cabluigi, Guardian.co.uk
Cabluigi, Guardian.co.uk
GRTak, finalgear.com
GRTak, finalgear.com
Gwaites, Digitalspy
Gwaites, Digitalspy
Kozzy06, Youtube
Kozzy06, Youtube
Karen Laidlaw, Edfringe. com.
Karen Laidlaw, Edfringe. com.
Rubyshoes, Twitter
Rubyshoes, Twitter
Meanstreetelite, Peoplesrepublicofcork
Meanstreetelite, Peoplesrepublicofcork
Lenny Darksphere, Twitter
Lenny Darksphere, Twitter
Pudabaya, beexcellenttoeachother.com
Pudabaya, beexcellenttoeachother.com
Rudeness, Youtube
Rudeness, Youtube
Horatio Melvin, Twitter
Horatio Melvin, Twitter
Clampdown59, Twitter.
Clampdown59, Twitter.
Stokeylitfest, Twitter
Stokeylitfest, Twitter
Jackmumf, Twitter
Jackmumf, Twitter
Rowing Rob, Guardian.co.uk
Rowing Rob, Guardian.co.uk
Dahoum, Guardian.co.uk
Dahoum, Guardian.co.uk
Mini-x2, readytogo.net
Mini-x2, readytogo.net
Contrapuntal, Twitter
Contrapuntal, Twitter
Lancethrustworthy, Youtube
Lancethrustworthy, Youtube
Pudabaya, Twitter
Pudabaya, Twitter
Yukio Mishima, dontstartmeoff.com
Yukio Mishima, dontstartmeoff.com
Peter Ould, Twitter
Peter Ould, Twitter
Alwyn, Digiguide.tv
Alwyn, Digiguide.tv
Sam Rooney, Youtube
Sam Rooney, Youtube
Visualiser1, Twitter
Visualiser1, Twitter
Wharto15, Twitter
Wharto15, Twitter
Lucinda Locketts, Twitter
Lucinda Locketts, Twitter
Henry Howard Fun, Twitter
Henry Howard Fun, Twitter
John Robins, Comedian
John Robins, Comedian
Iain, eatenbymissionaries
Iain, eatenbymissionaries
DVDhth's grandparents, Twitter
DVDhth's grandparents, Twitter
Len Firewood, Twitter
Len Firewood, Twitter
Stuart, Chortle
Stuart, Chortle
Mearecate, Youtube
Mearecate, Youtube
Carla, St Albans, Dailymail.co.uk
Carla, St Albans, Dailymail.co.uk
Funday’schild, youtube.
Funday’schild, youtube.
FBC, finalgear.com
FBC, finalgear.com
Peter Fears, Twitter
Peter Fears, Twitter
Coxy, Dontstartmeoff.com
Coxy, Dontstartmeoff.com
Idrie, Youtube
Idrie, Youtube
Neva2busy, dontstartmeoff.com
Neva2busy, dontstartmeoff.com
Microcuts 22, Twitter
Microcuts 22, Twitter
Emilyistrendy, Youtube
Emilyistrendy, Youtube
Hiewy, Youtube
Hiewy, Youtube
Guest, Dontstartmeoff.com
Guest, Dontstartmeoff.com
James Dellingpole, Daily Telegraph
James Dellingpole, Daily Telegraph
A D Ward, Twitter
A D Ward, Twitter
Brighton Argus
Brighton Argus
Anon, westhamonline.com
Anon, westhamonline.com
Maninabananasuit, Guardian.co.uk
Maninabananasuit, Guardian.co.uk
Richard Herring, Comedian
Richard Herring, Comedian
Pirate Crocodile, Twitter
Pirate Crocodile, Twitter
Tweeterkiryakou, Twitter
Tweeterkiryakou, Twitter
Joycey, readytogo.net
Joycey, readytogo.net
Gabrielle, Chortle.com
Gabrielle, Chortle.com
Tokyofist, Youtube
Tokyofist, Youtube
Neolab, Guardian.co.uk
Neolab, Guardian.co.uk
Spanner, dontstartmeoff.com
Spanner, dontstartmeoff.com
Tin Frog, Twitter
Tin Frog, Twitter
Dominic Cavendish, Daily Telegraph
Dominic Cavendish, Daily Telegraph
Z-factor, Twitter.
Z-factor, Twitter.
Joe, Independent.co.uk
Joe, Independent.co.uk
Alex Quarmby, Edfringe.com
Alex Quarmby, Edfringe.com
Bosco239, youtube
Bosco239, youtube
Fairy Pingu, Twitter
Fairy Pingu, Twitter