Don’t expect an artfully constructed hour with a narrative arc and a coherent finale like the last show, Stewart Lee warns his audience at the opening of his Leicester Square theatre run. Like most of Lee’s commentary on his own act, this is somewhat disingenuous – Much A-Stew About Nothing is structured with as much care and hidden precision as all his work – but the format is indeed different. The show is billed as a work in progress, originating at this year’s Edinburgh fringe and being shaped, over the course of a brief tour and now this residency, into the material that will form his next BBC2 series.
He provides us with three sample shows, each kept to a tight half-hour, though as he points out for the benefit of the critics in the audience, it’s tricky to rehearse topical material for a television show that will be broadcast next April, so he’ll probably take out the best bits of these live gigs, meaning that the shows are getting exponentially worse as the run progresses.
Sadly, this may mean TV viewers lose his splendid, almost throwaway observation that Russell Brand’s recent interview with Paxman “was hardly Frost/Nixon – more like watching a monkey throwing its excrement at a foghorn”.
The themes and the comedic techniques he dissects here will be comfortably familiar to his fans. In the first half, he tackles party politics, analysing a list of celebrities who support the Tories, which leads him neatly into a deliberately reductive definition of satire, which in turn segues into a section on wildlife programmes of the past, wilfully extended to the point of absurdity.
Lee doesn’t invite audience participation in the traditional sense, but he plays with the appearance of it, giving him an opportunity to turn the spotlight around and critique us for our lack of imaginative input, reminding us of the peculiar two-way relationship between performer and audience in live comedy.
Though he probably would not like the term, Lee is the most Brechtian of comedians, exposing the mechanics of his art at every turn. He swoops from high erudition to the basest stag-party jokes in the course of one story, but the crass material always serves a larger purpose. He revels in pushing a thoughtless or ignorant statement to its most extreme logical conclusion – in one case, Ukip’s Paul Nuttall’s assertion that the brightest Bulgarians should stay in their own country and improve its economic prosperity rather than coming to Britain.
Lee uses this as a device for a tour of British immigration history, taking in the Huguenots, Saxons, Neolithic man and the earliest invertebrates, punctuating his history lesson with an increasingly whiny repetition of Nuttall’s idea.
The final act sees a return to the misanthropic, self-pitying persona he perfected in his last show, Carpet Remnant World. Here his observations hang on a series of fictitious conversations with cab drivers, always returning to the portrait of himself as “an impotent, vasectomised, 45-year-old functioning alcoholic father of two”, whose existence is so unremittingly bleak that he welcomes a visit to A&E because it gives him a chance to lie down uninterrupted.
The self-pity act requires a fine balance because it can teeter on the edge of depressing. The comedy comes from the air of baffled anger and resignation in the delivery, and the fact that even his oldest fans can never be quite sure how much of it is put on. Fortunately, Lee is a master of the form, never afraid to subvert it or test his audience’s patience, and he is also supremely funny, even at his darkest.
Catch this show while it’s still evolving, just in case he’s right about taking out the best bits.
Lancethrustworthy, Youtube
Lancethrustworthy, Youtube
Pudabaya, beexcellenttoeachother.com
Pudabaya, beexcellenttoeachother.com
Iain, eatenbymissionaries
Iain, eatenbymissionaries
Lents, redandwhitekop.com
Lents, redandwhitekop.com
Anonymous, The Northfield Patriot
Anonymous, The Northfield Patriot
Cabluigi, Guardian.co.uk
Cabluigi, Guardian.co.uk
Pnethor, pne-online.com
Pnethor, pne-online.com
John Robins, Comedian
John Robins, Comedian
98rosjon, Twitter
98rosjon, Twitter
Joe, Independent.co.uk
Joe, Independent.co.uk
Bobby Bhoy, Twitter
Bobby Bhoy, Twitter
Anonymous, don'tstartmeoff.com
Anonymous, don'tstartmeoff.com
Shane, Beverley, Dailymail.co.uk
Shane, Beverley, Dailymail.co.uk
Emilyistrendy, Youtube
Emilyistrendy, Youtube
Jamespearse, Twitter
Jamespearse, Twitter
Etienne, Chortle.com
Etienne, Chortle.com
Horatio Melvin, Twitter
Horatio Melvin, Twitter
Rudeness, Youtube
Rudeness, Youtube
Fowkes81, Twitter
Fowkes81, Twitter
Meninblack, Twitter
Meninblack, Twitter
Liam Travitt, Twitter
Liam Travitt, Twitter
Len Firewood, Twitter
Len Firewood, Twitter
Lee Mack, Mack The Life, 2012
Lee Mack, Mack The Life, 2012
Aiden Hearn, Twitter
Aiden Hearn, Twitter
Funday’schild, youtube.
Funday’schild, youtube.
Rowing Rob, Guardian.co.uk
Rowing Rob, Guardian.co.uk
Peter Fears, Twitter
Peter Fears, Twitter
Gmanthedemon, bbc.co.uk
Gmanthedemon, bbc.co.uk
Foxfoxton, Youtube
Foxfoxton, Youtube
Karen Laidlaw, Edfringe. com.
Karen Laidlaw, Edfringe. com.
Brendon, Vauxhallownersnetwork.co.uk
Brendon, Vauxhallownersnetwork.co.uk
Meanstreetelite, Peoplesrepublicofcork
Meanstreetelite, Peoplesrepublicofcork
Esme Folley, Actress, cellist, Twitter
Esme Folley, Actress, cellist, Twitter
12dgdgdgdgdgdg, Youtube
12dgdgdgdgdgdg, Youtube
Slothy Matt, Twitter
Slothy Matt, Twitter
Robert Gavin, Twitter
Robert Gavin, Twitter
Al Murray, Comedian
Al Murray, Comedian
Leach Juice, Twitter
Leach Juice, Twitter
World Without End, Twitter
World Without End, Twitter
Lucinda Locketts, Twitter
Lucinda Locketts, Twitter
A D Ward, Twitter
A D Ward, Twitter
Frankie Boyle, Comedian
Frankie Boyle, Comedian
Deepbass, Guardian.co.uk
Deepbass, Guardian.co.uk
Rubyshoes, Twitter
Rubyshoes, Twitter
Neva2busy, dontstartmeoff.com
Neva2busy, dontstartmeoff.com
Joycey, readytogo.net
Joycey, readytogo.net
Dominic Cavendish, Telegraph
Dominic Cavendish, Telegraph
BBC iPlayer edition of discussion of Stewart Lee on A Good Read
BBC iPlayer edition of discussion of Stewart Lee on A Good Read
Dick Socrates, Twitter
Dick Socrates, Twitter
Tin Frog, Twitter
Tin Frog, Twitter
Stuart, Chortle
Stuart, Chortle
Wharto15, Twitter
Wharto15, Twitter
GRTak, finalgear.com
GRTak, finalgear.com
Keilloh, Twitter
Keilloh, Twitter
Hiewy, Youtube
Hiewy, Youtube
Pudabaya, Twitter
Pudabaya, Twitter
Alex Quarmby, Edfringe.com
Alex Quarmby, Edfringe.com
Lenny Darksphere, Twitter
Lenny Darksphere, Twitter
Gwaites, Digitalspy
Gwaites, Digitalspy
Tres Ryan, Twitter
Tres Ryan, Twitter
Tweeter Kyriakou, Twitter
Tweeter Kyriakou, Twitter
Guest1001, Youtube
Guest1001, Youtube
Sweeping Curves, Twitter
Sweeping Curves, Twitter
General Lurko 36, Guardian.co.uk
General Lurko 36, Guardian.co.uk
Zombie Hamster, Twitter
Zombie Hamster, Twitter
Spanner, dontstartmeoff.com
Spanner, dontstartmeoff.com
Carcrazychica, Youtube
Carcrazychica, Youtube
Whoiscuriousgeorge, Youtube
Whoiscuriousgeorge, Youtube
Tweeterkiryakou, Twitter
Tweeterkiryakou, Twitter
Kozzy06, Youtube
Kozzy06, Youtube
Sam Rooney, Youtube
Sam Rooney, Youtube
Mpf1947, Youtube
Mpf1947, Youtube
Guest, Dontstartmeoff.com
Guest, Dontstartmeoff.com
Secretdeveloper, Youtube
Secretdeveloper, Youtube
Cojones2, Guardian.co.uk
Cojones2, Guardian.co.uk
Mearecate, Youtube
Mearecate, Youtube
Pirate Crocodile, Twitter
Pirate Crocodile, Twitter
Dominic Cavendish, Daily Telegraph
Dominic Cavendish, Daily Telegraph
Danazawa, Youtube
Danazawa, Youtube
Bosco239, youtube
Bosco239, youtube
Neolab, Guardian.co.uk
Neolab, Guardian.co.uk
Mini-x2, readytogo.net
Mini-x2, readytogo.net
Tokyofist, Youtube
Tokyofist, Youtube
Borathigh5, Youtube
Borathigh5, Youtube
NevW47479, UKTV.co.uk
NevW47479, UKTV.co.uk
Idrie, Youtube
Idrie, Youtube
Jackmumf, Twitter
Jackmumf, Twitter
Genghis McKahn, Guardian.co.uk
Genghis McKahn, Guardian.co.uk
James Dellingpole, Daily Telegraph
James Dellingpole, Daily Telegraph
Cyberbloke, Twitter
Cyberbloke, Twitter
Clampdown59, Twitter.
Clampdown59, Twitter.
Contrapuntal, Twitter
Contrapuntal, Twitter
Sidsings000, Youtube
Sidsings000, Youtube
Anon, westhamonline.com
Anon, westhamonline.com
Patrick Kavanagh, Guardian.co.uk
Patrick Kavanagh, Guardian.co.uk
Stokeylitfest, Twitter
Stokeylitfest, Twitter
FBC, finalgear.com
FBC, finalgear.com
Alwyn, Digiguide.tv
Alwyn, Digiguide.tv
Dave Wilson, Chortle.com
Dave Wilson, Chortle.com
Birmingham Sunday Mercury
Birmingham Sunday Mercury
Microcuts 22, Twitter
Microcuts 22, Twitter
Maninabananasuit, Guardian.co.uk
Maninabananasuit, Guardian.co.uk
Peter Ould, Twitter
Peter Ould, Twitter
Peter Ould, Youtube
Peter Ould, Youtube
Mrdavisn01, Twitter
Mrdavisn01, Twitter
Someoneyoudon'tknow, Chortle.com
Someoneyoudon'tknow, Chortle.com
DVDhth's grandparents, Twitter
DVDhth's grandparents, Twitter
Ishamayura Byrd, Twitter
Ishamayura Byrd, Twitter
Henry Howard Fun, Twitter
Henry Howard Fun, Twitter
Richard Herring, Comedian
Richard Herring, Comedian
Nicetime, Guardian.co.uk
Nicetime, Guardian.co.uk
Anon, BBC Complaints Log
Anon, BBC Complaints Log
Dahoum, Guardian.co.uk
Dahoum, Guardian.co.uk
Fairy Pingu, Twitter
Fairy Pingu, Twitter
Aaron, comedy.co.uk
Aaron, comedy.co.uk
Chez, Chortle.com
Chez, Chortle.com
Gabrielle, Chortle.com
Gabrielle, Chortle.com
Coxy, Dontstartmeoff.com
Coxy, Dontstartmeoff.com
Johnny Kitkat, dontstartmeoff.com
Johnny Kitkat, dontstartmeoff.com
Visualiser1, Twitter
Visualiser1, Twitter
Syhr, breakbeat.co.uk
Syhr, breakbeat.co.uk
Anamatronix, Youtube
Anamatronix, Youtube
Shit Crit, Twitter
Shit Crit, Twitter
Anon, dontstartmeoff.com
Anon, dontstartmeoff.com
Yukio Mishima, dontstartmeoff.com
Yukio Mishima, dontstartmeoff.com
Carla, St Albans, Dailymail.co.uk
Carla, St Albans, Dailymail.co.uk
Brighton Argus
Brighton Argus
Joskins, Leeds Music Forum
Joskins, Leeds Music Forum
Z-factor, Twitter.
Z-factor, Twitter.