For a few minutes the other night, I became part of comedian Stewart Lee’s act.
Though we’ve never met, he felt obliged to inform the audience of just under 1,000 that there was a ‘Daily Mirror reporter’ in the audience to review his show.
It also gave him the opportunity to explain that his material would be coming from six half-hour sets he was preparing for a new TV show, which he’s going to be recording in December.
And he said, because there was a ‘Daily Mirror reporter’ in the audience, he had improved his material for this review, so he would appreciate me giving the show one star less than it merited – as the rest of the tour wouldn’t be as good. It got the required laugh.
According to Stewart, I should be telling readers that the best part of his show was when he – supposedly in the character of Animal Magic presenter Johnny Morris – acts out smashing a snake’s egg on stage….’definitely worth two stars of anyone’s money’.
The Johnny Morris piece – part of a longer wildlife one, including mentions for Ben Fogle and Michaela Strachan – worked well and, as Lee rightly pointed out, elicited a round of applause…’micromanaged’, as he put it, ‘but got still a round of applause’.
But, sorry, Stew, the funniest moment that had me in stitches was when you ripped UKIP to shreds.
Lee, 45, took the conceit of UKIP’s deputy leader Paul Nuttall warning about the influx of skilled Bulgarian workers later in the year, then ran and ran with it, imagining Nuttall telling previous immigrants, such as the Poles of the last 10 years and the West Indians and Pakistanis of the 1950s not to bother coming here.
Then, in characteristic form, he took it to surreal lengths, extending Nuttall’s remarks to the Huguenots of medieval France, the Anglo-Saxons, the Neolithics, the first fish to ever make it on to land and then nothingness itself. All addressed with the same degree of intolerant UKIP remarks.
By the time Lee reached the end of that piece, many of the audience had tears of laughter running down their cheeks.
His eviscerating comment on Nuttall and co came in a fast-moving second half, with a rapid-fire range of observational comedy.
His latest material is, without doubt, some of the sharpest he’s ever produced and an improvement even on his popular Carpet Remnant World tour of a year or so ago.
Fellow stand-ups came into his line of fire – Alan Davies, Michael McIntyre, Jimmy Carr, Roy ‘Chubby Brown’, Jim Davidson – and were witheringly and amusingly put down.
And there were unsurprising pops at Tories David Cameron and Margaret Thatcher, but Labour leader Ed Miliband didn’t escape either – ‘For Miliband to make a mess of Labour, after Blair, is like catching a baby that’s been dropped out of an aeroplane, then to trip over and drop it in the gutter’.
The wonderful thing about Lee – undoubtedly the best comedian in Britain – is that he doesn’t give a damn, yet eschews the kind of scatological humour so many older ‘funnymen’ employ or to the excessive foul language that many younger ones rely on.
Sure, there are a few swear words in his intelligent act, but they are used for maximum comedic effect, not for shock value nor as an obscene lingua franca.
Sorry again, Stew, but you do get the full five stars… just take one off if it makes you feel better!
Tin Frog, Twitter
Tin Frog, Twitter
Gmanthedemon, bbc.co.uk
Gmanthedemon, bbc.co.uk
Gwaites, Digitalspy
Gwaites, Digitalspy
Horatio Melvin, Twitter
Horatio Melvin, Twitter
Sweeping Curves, Twitter
Sweeping Curves, Twitter
Foxfoxton, Youtube
Foxfoxton, Youtube
Anon, westhamonline.com
Anon, westhamonline.com
Danazawa, Youtube
Danazawa, Youtube
Dahoum, Guardian.co.uk
Dahoum, Guardian.co.uk
Contrapuntal, Twitter
Contrapuntal, Twitter
Mpf1947, Youtube
Mpf1947, Youtube
Rudeness, Youtube
Rudeness, Youtube
Pirate Crocodile, Twitter
Pirate Crocodile, Twitter
Fowkes81, Twitter
Fowkes81, Twitter
Henry Howard Fun, Twitter
Henry Howard Fun, Twitter
Anon, BBC Complaints Log
Anon, BBC Complaints Log
Len Firewood, Twitter
Len Firewood, Twitter
Visualiser1, Twitter
Visualiser1, Twitter
Keilloh, Twitter
Keilloh, Twitter
Anamatronix, Youtube
Anamatronix, Youtube
Johnny Kitkat, dontstartmeoff.com
Johnny Kitkat, dontstartmeoff.com
DVDhth's grandparents, Twitter
DVDhth's grandparents, Twitter
Mini-x2, readytogo.net
Mini-x2, readytogo.net
Stuart, Chortle
Stuart, Chortle
Cabluigi, Guardian.co.uk
Cabluigi, Guardian.co.uk
Pudabaya, Twitter
Pudabaya, Twitter
Anonymous, The Northfield Patriot
Anonymous, The Northfield Patriot
Someoneyoudon'tknow, Chortle.com
Someoneyoudon'tknow, Chortle.com
Borathigh5, Youtube
Borathigh5, Youtube
12dgdgdgdgdgdg, Youtube
12dgdgdgdgdgdg, Youtube
Z-factor, Twitter.
Z-factor, Twitter.
Guest, Dontstartmeoff.com
Guest, Dontstartmeoff.com
Brendon, Vauxhallownersnetwork.co.uk
Brendon, Vauxhallownersnetwork.co.uk
Coxy, Dontstartmeoff.com
Coxy, Dontstartmeoff.com
Robert Gavin, Twitter
Robert Gavin, Twitter
Aaron, comedy.co.uk
Aaron, comedy.co.uk
Joe, Independent.co.uk
Joe, Independent.co.uk
Stokeylitfest, Twitter
Stokeylitfest, Twitter
Etienne, Chortle.com
Etienne, Chortle.com
Sam Rooney, Youtube
Sam Rooney, Youtube
Spanner, dontstartmeoff.com
Spanner, dontstartmeoff.com
Leach Juice, Twitter
Leach Juice, Twitter
Meninblack, Twitter
Meninblack, Twitter
Liam Travitt, Twitter
Liam Travitt, Twitter
Idrie, Youtube
Idrie, Youtube
Cojones2, Guardian.co.uk
Cojones2, Guardian.co.uk
Syhr, breakbeat.co.uk
Syhr, breakbeat.co.uk
Lents, redandwhitekop.com
Lents, redandwhitekop.com
Zombie Hamster, Twitter
Zombie Hamster, Twitter
James Dellingpole, Daily Telegraph
James Dellingpole, Daily Telegraph
Peter Ould, Twitter
Peter Ould, Twitter
Yukio Mishima, dontstartmeoff.com
Yukio Mishima, dontstartmeoff.com
Shit Crit, Twitter
Shit Crit, Twitter
Guest1001, Youtube
Guest1001, Youtube
Carcrazychica, Youtube
Carcrazychica, Youtube
Nicetime, Guardian.co.uk
Nicetime, Guardian.co.uk
Deepbass, Guardian.co.uk
Deepbass, Guardian.co.uk
Tres Ryan, Twitter
Tres Ryan, Twitter
Alwyn, Digiguide.tv
Alwyn, Digiguide.tv
Cyberbloke, Twitter
Cyberbloke, Twitter
Tokyofist, Youtube
Tokyofist, Youtube
John Robins, Comedian
John Robins, Comedian
FBC, finalgear.com
FBC, finalgear.com
Dominic Cavendish, Telegraph
Dominic Cavendish, Telegraph
A D Ward, Twitter
A D Ward, Twitter
Patrick Kavanagh, Guardian.co.uk
Patrick Kavanagh, Guardian.co.uk
Mrdavisn01, Twitter
Mrdavisn01, Twitter
Karen Laidlaw, Edfringe. com.
Karen Laidlaw, Edfringe. com.
Lucinda Locketts, Twitter
Lucinda Locketts, Twitter
Al Murray, Comedian
Al Murray, Comedian
Funday’schild, youtube.
Funday’schild, youtube.
Jamespearse, Twitter
Jamespearse, Twitter
Wharto15, Twitter
Wharto15, Twitter
Bosco239, youtube
Bosco239, youtube
Frankie Boyle, Comedian
Frankie Boyle, Comedian
Lee Mack, Mack The Life, 2012
Lee Mack, Mack The Life, 2012
BBC iPlayer edition of discussion of Stewart Lee on A Good Read
BBC iPlayer edition of discussion of Stewart Lee on A Good Read
Alex Quarmby, Edfringe.com
Alex Quarmby, Edfringe.com
Aiden Hearn, Twitter
Aiden Hearn, Twitter
Peter Fears, Twitter
Peter Fears, Twitter
Secretdeveloper, Youtube
Secretdeveloper, Youtube
Clampdown59, Twitter.
Clampdown59, Twitter.
Dick Socrates, Twitter
Dick Socrates, Twitter
Lancethrustworthy, Youtube
Lancethrustworthy, Youtube
Neva2busy, dontstartmeoff.com
Neva2busy, dontstartmeoff.com
Anon, dontstartmeoff.com
Anon, dontstartmeoff.com
Meanstreetelite, Peoplesrepublicofcork
Meanstreetelite, Peoplesrepublicofcork
Birmingham Sunday Mercury
Birmingham Sunday Mercury
Fairy Pingu, Twitter
Fairy Pingu, Twitter
98rosjon, Twitter
98rosjon, Twitter
Microcuts 22, Twitter
Microcuts 22, Twitter
Chez, Chortle.com
Chez, Chortle.com
Peter Ould, Youtube
Peter Ould, Youtube
Kozzy06, Youtube
Kozzy06, Youtube
Tweeter Kyriakou, Twitter
Tweeter Kyriakou, Twitter
Gabrielle, Chortle.com
Gabrielle, Chortle.com
Joskins, Leeds Music Forum
Joskins, Leeds Music Forum
Carla, St Albans, Dailymail.co.uk
Carla, St Albans, Dailymail.co.uk
Iain, eatenbymissionaries
Iain, eatenbymissionaries
Hiewy, Youtube
Hiewy, Youtube
Emilyistrendy, Youtube
Emilyistrendy, Youtube
GRTak, finalgear.com
GRTak, finalgear.com
Mearecate, Youtube
Mearecate, Youtube
Lenny Darksphere, Twitter
Lenny Darksphere, Twitter
Rowing Rob, Guardian.co.uk
Rowing Rob, Guardian.co.uk
General Lurko 36, Guardian.co.uk
General Lurko 36, Guardian.co.uk
Brighton Argus
Brighton Argus
Joycey, readytogo.net
Joycey, readytogo.net
Sidsings000, Youtube
Sidsings000, Youtube
Esme Folley, Actress, cellist, Twitter
Esme Folley, Actress, cellist, Twitter
Pudabaya, beexcellenttoeachother.com
Pudabaya, beexcellenttoeachother.com
Shane, Beverley, Dailymail.co.uk
Shane, Beverley, Dailymail.co.uk
Bobby Bhoy, Twitter
Bobby Bhoy, Twitter
Genghis McKahn, Guardian.co.uk
Genghis McKahn, Guardian.co.uk
Jackmumf, Twitter
Jackmumf, Twitter
Rubyshoes, Twitter
Rubyshoes, Twitter
Dave Wilson, Chortle.com
Dave Wilson, Chortle.com
Ishamayura Byrd, Twitter
Ishamayura Byrd, Twitter
Slothy Matt, Twitter
Slothy Matt, Twitter
NevW47479, UKTV.co.uk
NevW47479, UKTV.co.uk
Richard Herring, Comedian
Richard Herring, Comedian
Neolab, Guardian.co.uk
Neolab, Guardian.co.uk
Whoiscuriousgeorge, Youtube
Whoiscuriousgeorge, Youtube
Tweeterkiryakou, Twitter
Tweeterkiryakou, Twitter
Maninabananasuit, Guardian.co.uk
Maninabananasuit, Guardian.co.uk
Anonymous, don'tstartmeoff.com
Anonymous, don'tstartmeoff.com
Dominic Cavendish, Daily Telegraph
Dominic Cavendish, Daily Telegraph
Pnethor, pne-online.com
Pnethor, pne-online.com
World Without End, Twitter
World Without End, Twitter