Though I’m personally invited to drop a star by Lee tonight, I’ll resist the temptation. This rating comes with a caveat, however. The ursine comic’s often sublime shtick (here ranging over politics, race and age) still requires those allergic to alienating repetition, knowing deconstruction and long-game subversion to deal with that, albeit to a lesser extent than before.
Shakespeare, assured my English teacher, always supplied a direct hit even in his most involved passages. So it is with fellow West Midlander Lee, who can despatch his targets with caustic brevity: “You have to have imagination on the left… to look at Ed Miliband and imagine that he represents anything other than the destruction of the post-war socialist dream.”
For UKIP deputy leader, Paul Nuttall, there is more trademark, and therefore more elaborate, rebuff. Lee takes Nuttall’s view that Bulgaria should retain its high achievers to a nihilistic conclusion, reaching it via a backwards chronological rundown of immigration that includes the evolution of fish to land animals.
The mix of pathos and playfulness is heightened in a closing sequence where Lee puffs himself up only to puncture his ego and portrays himself as a burnt out performer, berated by his family who apply their own ‘dropped star’ rating to him.
Mini-x2, readytogo.net
Mini-x2, readytogo.net
Peter Ould, Twitter
Peter Ould, Twitter
Anon, BBC Complaints Log
Anon, BBC Complaints Log
Etienne, Chortle.com
Etienne, Chortle.com
Secretdeveloper, Youtube
Secretdeveloper, Youtube
Aaron, comedy.co.uk
Aaron, comedy.co.uk
Aiden Hearn, Twitter
Aiden Hearn, Twitter
Johnny Kitkat, dontstartmeoff.com
Johnny Kitkat, dontstartmeoff.com
Lee Mack, Mack The Life, 2012
Lee Mack, Mack The Life, 2012
Tres Ryan, Twitter
Tres Ryan, Twitter
Al Murray, Comedian
Al Murray, Comedian
Ishamayura Byrd, Twitter
Ishamayura Byrd, Twitter
Rowing Rob, Guardian.co.uk
Rowing Rob, Guardian.co.uk
GRTak, finalgear.com
GRTak, finalgear.com
12dgdgdgdgdgdg, Youtube
12dgdgdgdgdgdg, Youtube
Jackmumf, Twitter
Jackmumf, Twitter
Pirate Crocodile, Twitter
Pirate Crocodile, Twitter
Rubyshoes, Twitter
Rubyshoes, Twitter
Rudeness, Youtube
Rudeness, Youtube
Tweeterkiryakou, Twitter
Tweeterkiryakou, Twitter
Keilloh, Twitter
Keilloh, Twitter
Anonymous, The Northfield Patriot
Anonymous, The Northfield Patriot
Lancethrustworthy, Youtube
Lancethrustworthy, Youtube
General Lurko 36, Guardian.co.uk
General Lurko 36, Guardian.co.uk
Clampdown59, Twitter.
Clampdown59, Twitter.
Neolab, Guardian.co.uk
Neolab, Guardian.co.uk
Dominic Cavendish, Daily Telegraph
Dominic Cavendish, Daily Telegraph
Syhr, breakbeat.co.uk
Syhr, breakbeat.co.uk
Neva2busy, dontstartmeoff.com
Neva2busy, dontstartmeoff.com
Richard Herring, Comedian
Richard Herring, Comedian
Sweeping Curves, Twitter
Sweeping Curves, Twitter
Horatio Melvin, Twitter
Horatio Melvin, Twitter
Dave Wilson, Chortle.com
Dave Wilson, Chortle.com
Joycey, readytogo.net
Joycey, readytogo.net
Mpf1947, Youtube
Mpf1947, Youtube
Foxfoxton, Youtube
Foxfoxton, Youtube
Someoneyoudon'tknow, Chortle.com
Someoneyoudon'tknow, Chortle.com
Gabrielle, Chortle.com
Gabrielle, Chortle.com
Dahoum, Guardian.co.uk
Dahoum, Guardian.co.uk
Borathigh5, Youtube
Borathigh5, Youtube
Microcuts 22, Twitter
Microcuts 22, Twitter
Lenny Darksphere, Twitter
Lenny Darksphere, Twitter
Len Firewood, Twitter
Len Firewood, Twitter
Gmanthedemon, bbc.co.uk
Gmanthedemon, bbc.co.uk
Tin Frog, Twitter
Tin Frog, Twitter
Birmingham Sunday Mercury
Birmingham Sunday Mercury
Slothy Matt, Twitter
Slothy Matt, Twitter
Anon, westhamonline.com
Anon, westhamonline.com
Tokyofist, Youtube
Tokyofist, Youtube
Peter Fears, Twitter
Peter Fears, Twitter
Coxy, Dontstartmeoff.com
Coxy, Dontstartmeoff.com
Brendon, Vauxhallownersnetwork.co.uk
Brendon, Vauxhallownersnetwork.co.uk
Guest1001, Youtube
Guest1001, Youtube
Spanner, dontstartmeoff.com
Spanner, dontstartmeoff.com
Carcrazychica, Youtube
Carcrazychica, Youtube
DVDhth's grandparents, Twitter
DVDhth's grandparents, Twitter
Joe, Independent.co.uk
Joe, Independent.co.uk
Gwaites, Digitalspy
Gwaites, Digitalspy
Cabluigi, Guardian.co.uk
Cabluigi, Guardian.co.uk
Dick Socrates, Twitter
Dick Socrates, Twitter
Fowkes81, Twitter
Fowkes81, Twitter
Idrie, Youtube
Idrie, Youtube
Nicetime, Guardian.co.uk
Nicetime, Guardian.co.uk
Chez, Chortle.com
Chez, Chortle.com
Stokeylitfest, Twitter
Stokeylitfest, Twitter
Mrdavisn01, Twitter
Mrdavisn01, Twitter
Iain, eatenbymissionaries
Iain, eatenbymissionaries
Deepbass, Guardian.co.uk
Deepbass, Guardian.co.uk
Anon, dontstartmeoff.com
Anon, dontstartmeoff.com
Stuart, Chortle
Stuart, Chortle
Mearecate, Youtube
Mearecate, Youtube
Maninabananasuit, Guardian.co.uk
Maninabananasuit, Guardian.co.uk
Kozzy06, Youtube
Kozzy06, Youtube
Jamespearse, Twitter
Jamespearse, Twitter
Liam Travitt, Twitter
Liam Travitt, Twitter
Shane, Beverley, Dailymail.co.uk
Shane, Beverley, Dailymail.co.uk
Cojones2, Guardian.co.uk
Cojones2, Guardian.co.uk
World Without End, Twitter
World Without End, Twitter
Hiewy, Youtube
Hiewy, Youtube
Shit Crit, Twitter
Shit Crit, Twitter
Pudabaya, beexcellenttoeachother.com
Pudabaya, beexcellenttoeachother.com
John Robins, Comedian
John Robins, Comedian
Z-factor, Twitter.
Z-factor, Twitter.
Leach Juice, Twitter
Leach Juice, Twitter
Meninblack, Twitter
Meninblack, Twitter
Alwyn, Digiguide.tv
Alwyn, Digiguide.tv
NevW47479, UKTV.co.uk
NevW47479, UKTV.co.uk
98rosjon, Twitter
98rosjon, Twitter
Robert Gavin, Twitter
Robert Gavin, Twitter
Tweeter Kyriakou, Twitter
Tweeter Kyriakou, Twitter
Guest, Dontstartmeoff.com
Guest, Dontstartmeoff.com
Alex Quarmby, Edfringe.com
Alex Quarmby, Edfringe.com
Bosco239, youtube
Bosco239, youtube
Pudabaya, Twitter
Pudabaya, Twitter
James Dellingpole, Daily Telegraph
James Dellingpole, Daily Telegraph
Meanstreetelite, Peoplesrepublicofcork
Meanstreetelite, Peoplesrepublicofcork
Peter Ould, Youtube
Peter Ould, Youtube
Zombie Hamster, Twitter
Zombie Hamster, Twitter
Esme Folley, Actress, cellist, Twitter
Esme Folley, Actress, cellist, Twitter
Dominic Cavendish, Telegraph
Dominic Cavendish, Telegraph
Anonymous, don'tstartmeoff.com
Anonymous, don'tstartmeoff.com
Yukio Mishima, dontstartmeoff.com
Yukio Mishima, dontstartmeoff.com
Wharto15, Twitter
Wharto15, 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
Carla, St Albans, Dailymail.co.uk
Carla, St Albans, Dailymail.co.uk
Anamatronix, Youtube
Anamatronix, Youtube
Pnethor, pne-online.com
Pnethor, pne-online.com
Cyberbloke, Twitter
Cyberbloke, Twitter
Sidsings000, Youtube
Sidsings000, Youtube
Visualiser1, Twitter
Visualiser1, Twitter
Lucinda Locketts, Twitter
Lucinda Locketts, Twitter
Frankie Boyle, Comedian
Frankie Boyle, Comedian
Fairy Pingu, Twitter
Fairy Pingu, Twitter
Bobby Bhoy, Twitter
Bobby Bhoy, Twitter
FBC, finalgear.com
FBC, finalgear.com
Danazawa, Youtube
Danazawa, Youtube
Brighton Argus
Brighton Argus
Henry Howard Fun, Twitter
Henry Howard Fun, Twitter
A D Ward, Twitter
A D Ward, Twitter
Whoiscuriousgeorge, Youtube
Whoiscuriousgeorge, Youtube
Karen Laidlaw, Edfringe. com.
Karen Laidlaw, Edfringe. com.
Sam Rooney, Youtube
Sam Rooney, Youtube
Joskins, Leeds Music Forum
Joskins, Leeds Music Forum
Lents, redandwhitekop.com
Lents, redandwhitekop.com
Emilyistrendy, Youtube
Emilyistrendy, Youtube
Contrapuntal, Twitter
Contrapuntal, Twitter
Patrick Kavanagh, Guardian.co.uk
Patrick Kavanagh, Guardian.co.uk
Genghis McKahn, Guardian.co.uk
Genghis McKahn, Guardian.co.uk
Funday’schild, youtube.
Funday’schild, youtube.