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