“YOU’VE got to up your game”, comedian Stewart Lee mockingly berated the High Wycombe audience of his show at the Swan last night, after claiming yet another of his jokes didn’t get the response it deserved.
He claimed his exasperation at the crowd was not part of his regular routine, joking that a fair portion of Wycombe’s audience simply seemed too slack-witted to keep up.
I didn’t believe that for a second – Lee’s carefully polished, precision-calibrated act has no doubt been scolding audiences up and down the country in the name of laughs on his latest tour, Much A-Stew About Nothing.
Lee is frequently regarded as one of the finest stand-ups working today, and last night’s performance did nothing to make me disagree. He delivered almost two hours of consistently excellent material and I would happily have stayed for two more.
His latest tour changes depending on what night you see it. He performs three of six half-hour long routines that will form the basis for his next BBC TV series of Stewart Lee’s Comedy Vehicle.
Last night the subjects up for discussion were, as ever, lofty ones – pornography and the death of the human imagination, racism and depression – well, that of a 45-year-old father of two who has undergone a vasectomy and is a “functioning alcoholic”, anyway.
There was no support act – Lee effectively warmed up the audience himself up with ten minutes of material centring on his hatred of dogs, while finding time to take pot shots at drug dealers’ poor attitudes to canine fouling, Cameron’s Big Society, the plight of the overseas factory worker and, again, the audience for being half-asleep on a Sunday evening.
Those familiar with Lee’s work will find no shocks in the type of material here. Sharp, brilliantly sarcastic, slightly aggressive and always hilarious, he panders to his image as a middle class lefty, using his act to comment on himself, his material, and the audience and their reactions throughout.
Then there is his habit of repetition (“I hate dogs”, he barks for the umpteenth time, still generating laughs) and patience stretching pauses and silences. One sequence sees Lee deploy one of his favourite tricks, a one-sided imaginary telephone conversation that is so convincingly done, and goes on for so long, that I think I might have forgotten there was no one on the other end of the line at one point.
The beauty of Lee is the way his material moves one extreme to the other – what seems to start off as a fairly obvious gag about a UKIP statement on immigration, for instance, eventually becomes a conceptual trip to the birth of the universe and beyond as he embarks on a wild flight of – not so much fancy, but logical reductionism, veering off in all directions as he does so.
Another gag in the same segment takes us on a very funny fantasy of Lee’s imaginary wives and how good they are at putting reactionary cab drivers in their place. He has a great ability to marry knowing (and occasionally morose) whimsy with harder edged material that earns laughs in unexpected ways.
Lee isn’t for everyone – the area of the audience I was in lapped up his show, so whether there were blanker sections of the crowd (as he sardonically claimed) was hard to judge. But certainly one or two may have found his habit of stretching his jokes to breaking point frustrating.
Personally I think his confidence and boldness to push his audiences in this way is what makes him stand out from the stand-up crowd. I thought his act last night was hilarious and brilliantly delivered.
I enjoyed every moment and was several times reduced to tears by the strength of flavours in this superbly judged comedic stew of ideas.
Tweeter Kyriakou, Twitter
Tweeter Kyriakou, Twitter
Dominic Cavendish, Daily Telegraph
Dominic Cavendish, Daily Telegraph
Frankie Boyle, Comedian
Frankie Boyle, Comedian
Sweeping Curves, Twitter
Sweeping Curves, Twitter
Sidsings000, Youtube
Sidsings000, Youtube
Anamatronix, Youtube
Anamatronix, Youtube
Clampdown59, Twitter.
Clampdown59, Twitter.
Lee Mack, Mack The Life, 2012
Lee Mack, Mack The Life, 2012
Jamespearse, Twitter
Jamespearse, Twitter
Microcuts 22, Twitter
Microcuts 22, Twitter
Syhr, breakbeat.co.uk
Syhr, breakbeat.co.uk
Alwyn, Digiguide.tv
Alwyn, Digiguide.tv
Cyberbloke, Twitter
Cyberbloke, Twitter
Neva2busy, dontstartmeoff.com
Neva2busy, dontstartmeoff.com
Hiewy, Youtube
Hiewy, Youtube
Gwaites, Digitalspy
Gwaites, Digitalspy
Gabrielle, Chortle.com
Gabrielle, Chortle.com
Funday’schild, youtube.
Funday’schild, youtube.
98rosjon, Twitter
98rosjon, Twitter
Rubyshoes, Twitter
Rubyshoes, Twitter
Maninabananasuit, Guardian.co.uk
Maninabananasuit, Guardian.co.uk
Meanstreetelite, Peoplesrepublicofcork
Meanstreetelite, Peoplesrepublicofcork
Keilloh, Twitter
Keilloh, Twitter
Kozzy06, Youtube
Kozzy06, Youtube
Johnny Kitkat, dontstartmeoff.com
Johnny Kitkat, dontstartmeoff.com
Sam Rooney, Youtube
Sam Rooney, Youtube
Contrapuntal, Twitter
Contrapuntal, Twitter
Aiden Hearn, Twitter
Aiden Hearn, Twitter
Wharto15, Twitter
Wharto15, Twitter
Cojones2, Guardian.co.uk
Cojones2, Guardian.co.uk
Birmingham Sunday Mercury
Birmingham Sunday Mercury
General Lurko 36, Guardian.co.uk
General Lurko 36, Guardian.co.uk
Tin Frog, Twitter
Tin Frog, Twitter
Bobby Bhoy, Twitter
Bobby Bhoy, Twitter
Shane, Beverley, Dailymail.co.uk
Shane, Beverley, Dailymail.co.uk
Aaron, comedy.co.uk
Aaron, comedy.co.uk
Z-factor, Twitter.
Z-factor, Twitter.
Carla, St Albans, Dailymail.co.uk
Carla, St Albans, Dailymail.co.uk
Brighton Argus
Brighton Argus
Etienne, Chortle.com
Etienne, Chortle.com
Guest, Dontstartmeoff.com
Guest, Dontstartmeoff.com
Secretdeveloper, Youtube
Secretdeveloper, Youtube
Anon, westhamonline.com
Anon, westhamonline.com
Pnethor, pne-online.com
Pnethor, pne-online.com
Lents, redandwhitekop.com
Lents, redandwhitekop.com
Meninblack, Twitter
Meninblack, Twitter
Karen Laidlaw, Edfringe. com.
Karen Laidlaw, Edfringe. com.
Foxfoxton, Youtube
Foxfoxton, Youtube
Liam Travitt, Twitter
Liam Travitt, Twitter
GRTak, finalgear.com
GRTak, finalgear.com
Iain, eatenbymissionaries
Iain, eatenbymissionaries
Fairy Pingu, Twitter
Fairy Pingu, Twitter
12dgdgdgdgdgdg, Youtube
12dgdgdgdgdgdg, Youtube
Danazawa, Youtube
Danazawa, Youtube
Mrdavisn01, Twitter
Mrdavisn01, Twitter
Nicetime, Guardian.co.uk
Nicetime, Guardian.co.uk
Zombie Hamster, Twitter
Zombie Hamster, Twitter
Neolab, Guardian.co.uk
Neolab, Guardian.co.uk
Visualiser1, Twitter
Visualiser1, Twitter
Peter Ould, Twitter
Peter Ould, Twitter
Patrick Kavanagh, Guardian.co.uk
Patrick Kavanagh, Guardian.co.uk
Someoneyoudon'tknow, Chortle.com
Someoneyoudon'tknow, Chortle.com
Ishamayura Byrd, Twitter
Ishamayura Byrd, Twitter
Richard Herring, Comedian
Richard Herring, Comedian
Guest1001, Youtube
Guest1001, Youtube
Carcrazychica, Youtube
Carcrazychica, Youtube
Dave Wilson, Chortle.com
Dave Wilson, Chortle.com
Len Firewood, Twitter
Len Firewood, Twitter
Anonymous, The Northfield Patriot
Anonymous, The Northfield Patriot
Pirate Crocodile, Twitter
Pirate Crocodile, Twitter
Cabluigi, Guardian.co.uk
Cabluigi, Guardian.co.uk
Peter Ould, Youtube
Peter Ould, Youtube
Tweeterkiryakou, Twitter
Tweeterkiryakou, Twitter
Dick Socrates, Twitter
Dick Socrates, Twitter
Rowing Rob, Guardian.co.uk
Rowing Rob, Guardian.co.uk
Stuart, Chortle
Stuart, Chortle
Coxy, Dontstartmeoff.com
Coxy, Dontstartmeoff.com
Mearecate, Youtube
Mearecate, Youtube
Tres Ryan, Twitter
Tres Ryan, Twitter
Yukio Mishima, dontstartmeoff.com
Yukio Mishima, dontstartmeoff.com
Brendon, Vauxhallownersnetwork.co.uk
Brendon, Vauxhallownersnetwork.co.uk
Stokeylitfest, Twitter
Stokeylitfest, Twitter
Mini-x2, readytogo.net
Mini-x2, readytogo.net
Shit Crit, Twitter
Shit Crit, Twitter
Whoiscuriousgeorge, Youtube
Whoiscuriousgeorge, Youtube
Rudeness, Youtube
Rudeness, Youtube
A D Ward, Twitter
A D Ward, Twitter
Dominic Cavendish, Telegraph
Dominic Cavendish, Telegraph
Joycey, readytogo.net
Joycey, readytogo.net
John Robins, Comedian
John Robins, Comedian
NevW47479, UKTV.co.uk
NevW47479, UKTV.co.uk
Gmanthedemon, bbc.co.uk
Gmanthedemon, bbc.co.uk
Jackmumf, Twitter
Jackmumf, Twitter
Pudabaya, Twitter
Pudabaya, 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
Henry Howard Fun, Twitter
Henry Howard Fun, Twitter
DVDhth's grandparents, Twitter
DVDhth's grandparents, Twitter
FBC, finalgear.com
FBC, finalgear.com
Lancethrustworthy, Youtube
Lancethrustworthy, Youtube
Bosco239, youtube
Bosco239, youtube
Pudabaya, beexcellenttoeachother.com
Pudabaya, beexcellenttoeachother.com
Tokyofist, Youtube
Tokyofist, Youtube
Alex Quarmby, Edfringe.com
Alex Quarmby, Edfringe.com
Lenny Darksphere, Twitter
Lenny Darksphere, Twitter
Idrie, Youtube
Idrie, Youtube
Dahoum, Guardian.co.uk
Dahoum, Guardian.co.uk
Anonymous, don'tstartmeoff.com
Anonymous, don'tstartmeoff.com
Deepbass, Guardian.co.uk
Deepbass, Guardian.co.uk
Fowkes81, Twitter
Fowkes81, Twitter
Emilyistrendy, Youtube
Emilyistrendy, Youtube
Peter Fears, Twitter
Peter Fears, Twitter
Mpf1947, Youtube
Mpf1947, Youtube
Horatio Melvin, Twitter
Horatio Melvin, Twitter
Lucinda Locketts, Twitter
Lucinda Locketts, Twitter
Chez, Chortle.com
Chez, Chortle.com
Borathigh5, Youtube
Borathigh5, Youtube
James Dellingpole, Daily Telegraph
James Dellingpole, Daily Telegraph
Spanner, dontstartmeoff.com
Spanner, dontstartmeoff.com
Anon, dontstartmeoff.com
Anon, dontstartmeoff.com
Joe, Independent.co.uk
Joe, Independent.co.uk
Anon, BBC Complaints Log
Anon, BBC Complaints Log
Esme Folley, Actress, cellist, Twitter
Esme Folley, Actress, cellist, Twitter
Al Murray, Comedian
Al Murray, Comedian
Robert Gavin, Twitter
Robert Gavin, Twitter
Slothy Matt, Twitter
Slothy Matt, Twitter
World Without End, Twitter
World Without End, Twitter
Joskins, Leeds Music Forum
Joskins, Leeds Music Forum
Leach Juice, Twitter
Leach Juice, Twitter
Genghis McKahn, Guardian.co.uk
Genghis McKahn, Guardian.co.uk