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