In many ways, Stewart Lee shows are all previews. He’s always testing his stuff on the audience, working out why gags do or don’t work as he goes along, deconstructing his skits for even more laughs.
But Much A-Stew About Nothing was especially open in its aims: there were three separate 30-minutes slots being prepped to make up the new series of Stewart Lee’s Comedy Vehicle.
He tagged on a free work-in-progress encore, too, and showed how he builds up an idea in much the same way Phil Spector might make a wall of sound.
Even half-complete, his tearing apart of Vodafone and its digital parenting advice – “what’s wrong with analogue?” – was worthy of three stars.
The rest of the material, which occasionally descended to agreement, ie claps not laughs, or “mass acceptance from a narrow demographic”, was mostly that rare thing in comedy: progressive.
Picking out his favourite Tories to explain why he’ll vote Tory was a clever set-up; his admiration for Peter Stringfellow’s work provided the best gag of the night.
A well-constructed piece on stereotypes using cabbies, call-backs and his imaginary black wife and gay husband was another keeper.
Even without overall narrative the material flowed. Because anyone who can combine the idea of a parasitic worm up a cat’s backside and shoehorn his wife into the joke knows how to weave lines together.
Lee Mack, Mack The Life, 2012
Lee Mack, Mack The Life, 2012
Carla, St Albans, Dailymail.co.uk
Carla, St Albans, Dailymail.co.uk
Johnny Kitkat, dontstartmeoff.com
Johnny Kitkat, dontstartmeoff.com
Sweeping Curves, Twitter
Sweeping Curves, Twitter
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Sidsings000, Youtube
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Frankie Boyle, Comedian
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Joycey, readytogo.net
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Secretdeveloper, Youtube
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Funday’schild, youtube.
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Dick Socrates, Twitter
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Microcuts 22, Twitter
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Foxfoxton, Youtube
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Tweeter Kyriakou, Twitter
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Cojones2, Guardian.co.uk
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General Lurko 36, Guardian.co.uk
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Shane, Beverley, Dailymail.co.uk
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Nicetime, Guardian.co.uk
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Richard Herring, Comedian
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Pirate Crocodile, Twitter
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James Dellingpole, Daily Telegraph
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DVDhth's grandparents, Twitter
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Etienne, Chortle.com
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Ishamayura Byrd, Twitter
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Mini-x2, readytogo.net
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Anon, dontstartmeoff.com
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Visualiser1, Twitter
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Dahoum, Guardian.co.uk
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NevW47479, UKTV.co.uk
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Coxy, Dontstartmeoff.com
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Danazawa, Youtube
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Dominic Cavendish, Telegraph
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Peter Ould, Youtube
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Anonymous, The Northfield Patriot
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Meanstreetelite, Peoplesrepublicofcork
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Sam Rooney, Youtube
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Mpf1947, Youtube
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Fairy Pingu, Twitter
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John Robins, Comedian
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Pudabaya, Twitter
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Tin Frog, Twitter
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Pudabaya, beexcellenttoeachother.com
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Alwyn, Digiguide.tv
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Peter Fears, Twitter
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Syhr, breakbeat.co.uk
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Karen Laidlaw, Edfringe. com.
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Esme Folley, Actress, cellist, Twitter
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Bobby Bhoy, Twitter
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Anon, westhamonline.com
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Genghis McKahn, Guardian.co.uk
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Fowkes81, Twitter
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Patrick Kavanagh, Guardian.co.uk
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Carcrazychica, Youtube
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Chez, Chortle.com
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Borathigh5, Youtube
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Iain, eatenbymissionaries
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Tres Ryan, Twitter
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Spanner, dontstartmeoff.com
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Leach Juice, Twitter
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Pnethor, pne-online.com
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Neolab, Guardian.co.uk
FBC, finalgear.com
FBC, finalgear.com
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Guest, Dontstartmeoff.com
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Meninblack, Twitter
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Lents, redandwhitekop.com
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Rubyshoes, Twitter
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Keilloh, Twitter
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Mearecate, Youtube
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Birmingham Sunday Mercury
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Dominic Cavendish, Daily Telegraph
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Dave Wilson, Chortle.com
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Alex Quarmby, Edfringe.com
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Clampdown59, Twitter.
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Len Firewood, Twitter
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Wharto15, Twitter
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Rowing Rob, Guardian.co.uk
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Rudeness, Youtube
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Gmanthedemon, bbc.co.uk
Gwaites, Digitalspy
Gwaites, Digitalspy
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Lenny Darksphere, Twitter
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Mrdavisn01, 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
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Hiewy, Youtube
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Anonymous, don'tstartmeoff.com
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Gabrielle, Chortle.com
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Whoiscuriousgeorge, Youtube
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GRTak, finalgear.com
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Guest1001, Youtube
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Aaron, comedy.co.uk
Neva2busy, dontstartmeoff.com
Neva2busy, dontstartmeoff.com
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Peter Ould, Twitter
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Slothy Matt, Twitter
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Kozzy06, Youtube
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Yukio Mishima, dontstartmeoff.com
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Z-factor, Twitter.
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Lancethrustworthy, Youtube
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Cabluigi, Guardian.co.uk
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Jackmumf, Twitter
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Deepbass, Guardian.co.uk
Joskins, Leeds Music Forum
Joskins, Leeds Music Forum
Anon, BBC Complaints Log
Anon, BBC Complaints Log
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Al Murray, Comedian
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Idrie, Youtube
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Joe, Independent.co.uk
12dgdgdgdgdgdg, Youtube
12dgdgdgdgdgdg, Youtube
Brighton Argus
Brighton Argus
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Emilyistrendy, Youtube
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Contrapuntal, Twitter
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98rosjon, Twitter
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Stuart, Chortle
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Bosco239, youtube
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Henry Howard Fun, Twitter
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Cyberbloke, Twitter
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Shit Crit, Twitter
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Liam Travitt, Twitter
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A D Ward, Twitter
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Tokyofist, Youtube
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Brendon, Vauxhallownersnetwork.co.uk
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Robert Gavin, Twitter
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Horatio Melvin, Twitter
Zombie Hamster, Twitter
Zombie Hamster, Twitter
Stokeylitfest, Twitter
Stokeylitfest, Twitter
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Aiden Hearn, Twitter
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Someoneyoudon'tknow, Chortle.com
Tweeterkiryakou, Twitter
Tweeterkiryakou, Twitter
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Lucinda Locketts, Twitter
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Maninabananasuit, Guardian.co.uk
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Jamespearse, Twitter
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World Without End, Twitter
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Anamatronix, Youtube