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