Yes, this show – If You Prefer a Milder Comedian, Please Ask For One – is the one that got the Daily Mail in a tizz over the summer. But after watching the full performance, the most shocking thing is coming away with evidence of just how papers willfully twist reality to shape their own ends. Stewart Lee, cruel and insensitive? Stewart Lee, boorish and ugly? What a deliberate and crass misinterpretation of what the man’s about.
Because Stewart Lee, should you be young or unfortunate enough not to have encountered him in his younger, more televisually exposed days with Richard Herring, is an exquisite satirist. His laid-back, sarcastic manner suggests someone who doesn’t care, but if you listen to the actual words (the words, Daily Mail) it’s clear that he’s pained by the facile and knee-jerk elements of our society – which he then adopts and rips apart from the inside. The effect is subtle but the method is confrontational; he faces down the audience and takes us to task for laughing at unusual moments, stopping to explain the structure of one particular joke, breaking it down into its constituent parts. Meta-comedy, if you like.
We’ve also got to take a moment to mention his style. That repetitious style that’s so very literary. We’ve got literate comedians, who might chuck in a reference to Dryden or Joyce, but Lee has a rhythm to his routines that’s almost poetic in its meter. And it’s a measure of his talent that, even with the careful and lengthy build-up, the punchline still catches you off guard. Yes, he’s clever, but not – as so often accused – clever-clever.
But what you really want to know is: is he funny? Of course he is. Would we have rambled on for several paragraphs of gushing praise if we’d sat there stony-faced, silently appreciating form and phrase? It’s not a book reading. Laughs are first and foremost, provoked by a man in complete control of his craft. This really is a show you cannot miss.
Carla, St Albans, Dailymail.co.uk
Carla, St Albans, Dailymail.co.uk
Peter Ould, Twitter
Peter Ould, Twitter
Pudabaya, Twitter
Pudabaya, Twitter
Alex Quarmby, Edfringe.com
Alex Quarmby, Edfringe.com
Microcuts 22, Twitter
Microcuts 22, Twitter
Al Murray, Comedian
Al Murray, Comedian
Rowing Rob, Guardian.co.uk
Rowing Rob, Guardian.co.uk
Shit Crit, Twitter
Shit Crit, Twitter
Whoiscuriousgeorge, Youtube
Whoiscuriousgeorge, Youtube
Lancethrustworthy, Youtube
Lancethrustworthy, Youtube
Zombie Hamster, Twitter
Zombie Hamster, Twitter
NevW47479, UKTV.co.uk
NevW47479, UKTV.co.uk
Mpf1947, Youtube
Mpf1947, Youtube
Brighton Argus
Brighton Argus
Pnethor, pne-online.com
Pnethor, pne-online.com
Tin Frog, Twitter
Tin Frog, Twitter
Richard Herring, Comedian
Richard Herring, Comedian
Sidsings000, Youtube
Sidsings000, Youtube
Joe, Independent.co.uk
Joe, Independent.co.uk
Tweeter Kyriakou, Twitter
Tweeter Kyriakou, Twitter
Idrie, Youtube
Idrie, Youtube
Frankie Boyle, Comedian
Frankie Boyle, Comedian
Bobby Bhoy, Twitter
Bobby Bhoy, Twitter
Keilloh, Twitter
Keilloh, Twitter
Jackmumf, Twitter
Jackmumf, Twitter
Dahoum, Guardian.co.uk
Dahoum, Guardian.co.uk
Bosco239, youtube
Bosco239, youtube
Gmanthedemon, bbc.co.uk
Gmanthedemon, bbc.co.uk
Contrapuntal, Twitter
Contrapuntal, Twitter
Johnny Kitkat, dontstartmeoff.com
Johnny Kitkat, dontstartmeoff.com
Rubyshoes, Twitter
Rubyshoes, Twitter
Anonymous, The Northfield Patriot
Anonymous, The Northfield Patriot
Wharto15, Twitter
Wharto15, Twitter
Patrick Kavanagh, Guardian.co.uk
Patrick Kavanagh, Guardian.co.uk
Cabluigi, Guardian.co.uk
Cabluigi, Guardian.co.uk
GRTak, finalgear.com
GRTak, finalgear.com
Liam Travitt, Twitter
Liam Travitt, Twitter
Pirate Crocodile, Twitter
Pirate Crocodile, Twitter
Tres Ryan, Twitter
Tres Ryan, Twitter
Fairy Pingu, Twitter
Fairy Pingu, Twitter
Clampdown59, Twitter.
Clampdown59, Twitter.
Alwyn, Digiguide.tv
Alwyn, Digiguide.tv
Syhr, breakbeat.co.uk
Syhr, breakbeat.co.uk
Z-factor, Twitter.
Z-factor, Twitter.
Carcrazychica, Youtube
Carcrazychica, Youtube
Anon, dontstartmeoff.com
Anon, dontstartmeoff.com
Meninblack, Twitter
Meninblack, Twitter
Shane, Beverley, Dailymail.co.uk
Shane, Beverley, Dailymail.co.uk
Lucinda Locketts, Twitter
Lucinda Locketts, Twitter
Meanstreetelite, Peoplesrepublicofcork
Meanstreetelite, Peoplesrepublicofcork
Esme Folley, Actress, cellist, Twitter
Esme Folley, Actress, cellist, Twitter
12dgdgdgdgdgdg, Youtube
12dgdgdgdgdgdg, Youtube
Gabrielle, Chortle.com
Gabrielle, Chortle.com
Aiden Hearn, Twitter
Aiden Hearn, Twitter
Maninabananasuit, Guardian.co.uk
Maninabananasuit, Guardian.co.uk
Hiewy, Youtube
Hiewy, Youtube
Dominic Cavendish, Daily Telegraph
Dominic Cavendish, Daily Telegraph
Len Firewood, Twitter
Len Firewood, Twitter
Kozzy06, Youtube
Kozzy06, Youtube
Mearecate, Youtube
Mearecate, Youtube
Peter Ould, Youtube
Peter Ould, Youtube
World Without End, Twitter
World Without End, 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
Anon, westhamonline.com
Anon, westhamonline.com
Mrdavisn01, Twitter
Mrdavisn01, Twitter
Lee Mack, Mack The Life, 2012
Lee Mack, Mack The Life, 2012
Funday’schild, youtube.
Funday’schild, youtube.
Danazawa, Youtube
Danazawa, Youtube
FBC, finalgear.com
FBC, finalgear.com
Henry Howard Fun, Twitter
Henry Howard Fun, Twitter
Anamatronix, Youtube
Anamatronix, Youtube
Ishamayura Byrd, Twitter
Ishamayura Byrd, Twitter
Coxy, Dontstartmeoff.com
Coxy, Dontstartmeoff.com
Anon, BBC Complaints Log
Anon, BBC Complaints Log
Joycey, readytogo.net
Joycey, readytogo.net
Pudabaya, beexcellenttoeachother.com
Pudabaya, beexcellenttoeachother.com
Etienne, Chortle.com
Etienne, Chortle.com
Lents, redandwhitekop.com
Lents, redandwhitekop.com
Aaron, comedy.co.uk
Aaron, comedy.co.uk
Leach Juice, Twitter
Leach Juice, Twitter
Stuart, Chortle
Stuart, Chortle
Dick Socrates, Twitter
Dick Socrates, Twitter
Borathigh5, Youtube
Borathigh5, Youtube
Genghis McKahn, Guardian.co.uk
Genghis McKahn, Guardian.co.uk
Karen Laidlaw, Edfringe. com.
Karen Laidlaw, Edfringe. com.
Chez, Chortle.com
Chez, Chortle.com
Horatio Melvin, Twitter
Horatio Melvin, Twitter
Birmingham Sunday Mercury
Birmingham Sunday Mercury
Yukio Mishima, dontstartmeoff.com
Yukio Mishima, dontstartmeoff.com
Slothy Matt, Twitter
Slothy Matt, Twitter
DVDhth's grandparents, Twitter
DVDhth's grandparents, Twitter
A D Ward, Twitter
A D Ward, Twitter
Visualiser1, Twitter
Visualiser1, Twitter
Anonymous, don'tstartmeoff.com
Anonymous, don'tstartmeoff.com
Secretdeveloper, Youtube
Secretdeveloper, Youtube
Guest1001, Youtube
Guest1001, Youtube
Spanner, dontstartmeoff.com
Spanner, dontstartmeoff.com
Mini-x2, readytogo.net
Mini-x2, readytogo.net
Gwaites, Digitalspy
Gwaites, Digitalspy
Joskins, Leeds Music Forum
Joskins, Leeds Music Forum
Sweeping Curves, Twitter
Sweeping Curves, Twitter
Someoneyoudon'tknow, Chortle.com
Someoneyoudon'tknow, Chortle.com
General Lurko 36, Guardian.co.uk
General Lurko 36, Guardian.co.uk
Tweeterkiryakou, Twitter
Tweeterkiryakou, Twitter
Jamespearse, Twitter
Jamespearse, Twitter
Neva2busy, dontstartmeoff.com
Neva2busy, dontstartmeoff.com
John Robins, Comedian
John Robins, Comedian
Robert Gavin, Twitter
Robert Gavin, Twitter
Emilyistrendy, Youtube
Emilyistrendy, Youtube
Sam Rooney, Youtube
Sam Rooney, Youtube
Cyberbloke, Twitter
Cyberbloke, Twitter
Deepbass, Guardian.co.uk
Deepbass, Guardian.co.uk
James Dellingpole, Daily Telegraph
James Dellingpole, Daily Telegraph
Peter Fears, Twitter
Peter Fears, Twitter
Neolab, Guardian.co.uk
Neolab, Guardian.co.uk
Stokeylitfest, Twitter
Stokeylitfest, Twitter
Fowkes81, Twitter
Fowkes81, Twitter
Dominic Cavendish, Telegraph
Dominic Cavendish, Telegraph
Iain, eatenbymissionaries
Iain, eatenbymissionaries
Lenny Darksphere, Twitter
Lenny Darksphere, Twitter
Tokyofist, Youtube
Tokyofist, Youtube
Cojones2, Guardian.co.uk
Cojones2, Guardian.co.uk
Guest, Dontstartmeoff.com
Guest, Dontstartmeoff.com
Foxfoxton, Youtube
Foxfoxton, Youtube
98rosjon, Twitter
98rosjon, Twitter
Nicetime, Guardian.co.uk
Nicetime, Guardian.co.uk
Dave Wilson, Chortle.com
Dave Wilson, Chortle.com
Rudeness, Youtube
Rudeness, Youtube
Brendon, Vauxhallownersnetwork.co.uk
Brendon, Vauxhallownersnetwork.co.uk