STEWART Lee is 41, as he keeps telling us. But this isn’t a reflective show to mull over the quirks of getting older, it’s an attack on the entertainment which winds him up, with particular ire reserved for Top Gear and rival comedian, Frankie Boyle. Boyle had the temerity to say stand-ups shouldn’t carry on beyond 40. This is where Lee’s show, If You Prefer A Milder Comedian Please Ask For One, lived up to his name.
“Frankie Boyle, who is 38… ” Lee began, before succinctly picking off some of his favourite targets: weak observational comedy, the cast of Top Gear and his old friends at the BBC.
Perversely inspired by Boyle, Lee delivered a show of quite extraordinary anger. Jeremy Clarkson’s unpleasant jokes about Gordon Brown’s loss of the use of one eye and Richard Hammond’s lackey status – “a licence feepayer-funded apologist for bullying” came off worst.
Lee trod a fine line, however, saying some of the cruellest things about the presenters and their families, before backtracking, claiming it was all a joke – “it’s the Top Gear defence”.
It worked, but only just. He didn’t take all of the audience with him on his flights of fancy but his calm fury retained some logic even as he ramped it up to an absurd level. This worked best when turning on the creative who he accused of stealing one of his family’s catchphrases to advertise pear cider.
Lee ran up to the dress circle, clambered from the seats to a box – to the alarm of a watching steward – and continued his diatribe, unhinged but hilarious. It wasn’t quite the stand-up masterclass we have come to expect from Lee, but it will live long in the memory.
So no thank you, I don’t want a milder comedian.
Neolab, Guardian.co.uk
Neolab, Guardian.co.uk
BBC iPlayer edition of discussion of Stewart Lee on A Good Read
BBC iPlayer edition of discussion of Stewart Lee on A Good Read
Len Firewood, Twitter
Len Firewood, Twitter
Aaron, comedy.co.uk
Aaron, comedy.co.uk
Joycey, readytogo.net
Joycey, readytogo.net
Sweeping Curves, Twitter
Sweeping Curves, Twitter
Liam Travitt, Twitter
Liam Travitt, Twitter
Rubyshoes, Twitter
Rubyshoes, Twitter
Rudeness, Youtube
Rudeness, Youtube
Idrie, Youtube
Idrie, Youtube
Rowing Rob, Guardian.co.uk
Rowing Rob, Guardian.co.uk
Peter Ould, Twitter
Peter Ould, Twitter
Dominic Cavendish, Daily Telegraph
Dominic Cavendish, Daily Telegraph
Yukio Mishima, dontstartmeoff.com
Yukio Mishima, dontstartmeoff.com
Whoiscuriousgeorge, Youtube
Whoiscuriousgeorge, Youtube
Hiewy, Youtube
Hiewy, Youtube
Meninblack, Twitter
Meninblack, Twitter
Carcrazychica, Youtube
Carcrazychica, Youtube
Anonymous, don'tstartmeoff.com
Anonymous, don'tstartmeoff.com
Gabrielle, Chortle.com
Gabrielle, Chortle.com
Alwyn, Digiguide.tv
Alwyn, Digiguide.tv
Zombie Hamster, Twitter
Zombie Hamster, Twitter
Birmingham Sunday Mercury
Birmingham Sunday Mercury
Sam Rooney, Youtube
Sam Rooney, Youtube
12dgdgdgdgdgdg, Youtube
12dgdgdgdgdgdg, Youtube
Contrapuntal, Twitter
Contrapuntal, Twitter
Anon, dontstartmeoff.com
Anon, dontstartmeoff.com
Johnny Kitkat, dontstartmeoff.com
Johnny Kitkat, dontstartmeoff.com
Aiden Hearn, Twitter
Aiden Hearn, Twitter
Pudabaya, beexcellenttoeachother.com
Pudabaya, beexcellenttoeachother.com
Ishamayura Byrd, Twitter
Ishamayura Byrd, Twitter
Slothy Matt, Twitter
Slothy Matt, Twitter
Foxfoxton, Youtube
Foxfoxton, Youtube
DVDhth's grandparents, Twitter
DVDhth's grandparents, Twitter
Al Murray, Comedian
Al Murray, Comedian
GRTak, finalgear.com
GRTak, finalgear.com
Jamespearse, Twitter
Jamespearse, Twitter
Brendon, Vauxhallownersnetwork.co.uk
Brendon, Vauxhallownersnetwork.co.uk
Brighton Argus
Brighton Argus
Richard Herring, Comedian
Richard Herring, Comedian
Stuart, Chortle
Stuart, Chortle
98rosjon, Twitter
98rosjon, Twitter
Mini-x2, readytogo.net
Mini-x2, readytogo.net
Dahoum, Guardian.co.uk
Dahoum, Guardian.co.uk
Iain, eatenbymissionaries
Iain, eatenbymissionaries
John Robins, Comedian
John Robins, Comedian
Robert Gavin, Twitter
Robert Gavin, Twitter
Tres Ryan, Twitter
Tres Ryan, Twitter
Chez, Chortle.com
Chez, Chortle.com
Pirate Crocodile, Twitter
Pirate Crocodile, Twitter
Dave Wilson, Chortle.com
Dave Wilson, Chortle.com
Joskins, Leeds Music Forum
Joskins, Leeds Music Forum
Anon, BBC Complaints Log
Anon, BBC Complaints Log
Emilyistrendy, Youtube
Emilyistrendy, Youtube
Pnethor, pne-online.com
Pnethor, pne-online.com
Tin Frog, Twitter
Tin Frog, Twitter
Tweeterkiryakou, Twitter
Tweeterkiryakou, Twitter
Meanstreetelite, Peoplesrepublicofcork
Meanstreetelite, Peoplesrepublicofcork
Mpf1947, Youtube
Mpf1947, Youtube
Cyberbloke, Twitter
Cyberbloke, Twitter
Fowkes81, Twitter
Fowkes81, Twitter
Guest1001, Youtube
Guest1001, Youtube
Maninabananasuit, Guardian.co.uk
Maninabananasuit, Guardian.co.uk
Dominic Cavendish, Telegraph
Dominic Cavendish, Telegraph
Nicetime, Guardian.co.uk
Nicetime, Guardian.co.uk
World Without End, Twitter
World Without End, Twitter
Funday’schild, youtube.
Funday’schild, youtube.
Anonymous, The Northfield Patriot
Anonymous, The Northfield Patriot
James Dellingpole, Daily Telegraph
James Dellingpole, Daily Telegraph
Wharto15, Twitter
Wharto15, Twitter
Syhr, breakbeat.co.uk
Syhr, breakbeat.co.uk
Shane, Beverley, Dailymail.co.uk
Shane, Beverley, Dailymail.co.uk
Karen Laidlaw, Edfringe. com.
Karen Laidlaw, Edfringe. com.
Secretdeveloper, Youtube
Secretdeveloper, Youtube
Horatio Melvin, Twitter
Horatio Melvin, Twitter
Visualiser1, Twitter
Visualiser1, Twitter
Etienne, Chortle.com
Etienne, Chortle.com
Fairy Pingu, Twitter
Fairy Pingu, Twitter
FBC, finalgear.com
FBC, finalgear.com
Borathigh5, Youtube
Borathigh5, Youtube
Tweeter Kyriakou, Twitter
Tweeter Kyriakou, Twitter
Bosco239, youtube
Bosco239, youtube
Mearecate, Youtube
Mearecate, Youtube
Peter Ould, Youtube
Peter Ould, Youtube
Gmanthedemon, bbc.co.uk
Gmanthedemon, bbc.co.uk
Lenny Darksphere, Twitter
Lenny Darksphere, Twitter
Keilloh, Twitter
Keilloh, Twitter
Dick Socrates, Twitter
Dick Socrates, Twitter
Patrick Kavanagh, Guardian.co.uk
Patrick Kavanagh, Guardian.co.uk
Someoneyoudon'tknow, Chortle.com
Someoneyoudon'tknow, Chortle.com
A D Ward, Twitter
A D Ward, Twitter
Carla, St Albans, Dailymail.co.uk
Carla, St Albans, Dailymail.co.uk
Danazawa, Youtube
Danazawa, Youtube
Henry Howard Fun, Twitter
Henry Howard Fun, Twitter
Deepbass, Guardian.co.uk
Deepbass, Guardian.co.uk
NevW47479, UKTV.co.uk
NevW47479, UKTV.co.uk
Microcuts 22, Twitter
Microcuts 22, Twitter
Lancethrustworthy, Youtube
Lancethrustworthy, Youtube
Tokyofist, Youtube
Tokyofist, Youtube
Alex Quarmby, Edfringe.com
Alex Quarmby, Edfringe.com
Lucinda Locketts, Twitter
Lucinda Locketts, Twitter
Pudabaya, Twitter
Pudabaya, Twitter
Coxy, Dontstartmeoff.com
Coxy, Dontstartmeoff.com
Leach Juice, Twitter
Leach Juice, Twitter
Cojones2, Guardian.co.uk
Cojones2, Guardian.co.uk
Stokeylitfest, Twitter
Stokeylitfest, Twitter
Gwaites, Digitalspy
Gwaites, Digitalspy
Lents, redandwhitekop.com
Lents, redandwhitekop.com
Neva2busy, dontstartmeoff.com
Neva2busy, dontstartmeoff.com
Frankie Boyle, Comedian
Frankie Boyle, Comedian
Shit Crit, Twitter
Shit Crit, Twitter
Peter Fears, Twitter
Peter Fears, Twitter
Jackmumf, Twitter
Jackmumf, Twitter
Z-factor, Twitter.
Z-factor, Twitter.
Bobby Bhoy, Twitter
Bobby Bhoy, Twitter
General Lurko 36, Guardian.co.uk
General Lurko 36, Guardian.co.uk
Anon, westhamonline.com
Anon, westhamonline.com
Sidsings000, Youtube
Sidsings000, Youtube
Mrdavisn01, Twitter
Mrdavisn01, Twitter
Esme Folley, Actress, cellist, Twitter
Esme Folley, Actress, cellist, Twitter
Genghis McKahn, Guardian.co.uk
Genghis McKahn, Guardian.co.uk
Clampdown59, Twitter.
Clampdown59, Twitter.
Guest, Dontstartmeoff.com
Guest, Dontstartmeoff.com
Kozzy06, Youtube
Kozzy06, Youtube
Lee Mack, Mack The Life, 2012
Lee Mack, Mack The Life, 2012
Spanner, dontstartmeoff.com
Spanner, dontstartmeoff.com
Joe, Independent.co.uk
Joe, Independent.co.uk
Anamatronix, Youtube
Anamatronix, Youtube
Cabluigi, Guardian.co.uk
Cabluigi, Guardian.co.uk