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