He is well known enough not to need a 6ft tall phallus and a velvet white whale to draw in the punters, but Stewart Lee seems to like strange props.
The audience is advised to familiarise itself with the story of Moby Dick from a copy it has been handed before the show, and some soothsaying ‘fortune sandwiches’ are passed around at the end. It is a good set. Lee explains how he hit on the idea of showing a fight between porn king King Dong and Moby Dick.
He says that he wanted to get two references to the male member in his show title. There is also a great scene of Lee trying out his idea in front of an unreceptive student audience. It is a mixture of a stand-up show and a bizarre lecture on two dicks and it is funny.
Lee’s timing is smooth and his material irreverent and imaginative.
It is a busy, convoluted story which rolls a lot of different types of humour into an hour and keeps you wanting more. Incidentally, my fortune sandwich said: “As flies to shit, so are you to disappointments.”
This show proved an exception to the rule.
Lee Mack, Mack The Life, 2012
Lee Mack, Mack The Life, 2012
Ishamayura Byrd, Twitter
Ishamayura Byrd, Twitter
NevW47479, UKTV.co.uk
NevW47479, UKTV.co.uk
Deepbass, Guardian.co.uk
Deepbass, Guardian.co.uk
Mrdavisn01, Twitter
Mrdavisn01, Twitter
Microcuts 22, Twitter
Microcuts 22, Twitter
Genghis McKahn, Guardian.co.uk
Genghis McKahn, Guardian.co.uk
Stokeylitfest, Twitter
Stokeylitfest, Twitter
Hiewy, Youtube
Hiewy, Youtube
Iain, eatenbymissionaries
Iain, eatenbymissionaries
Carcrazychica, Youtube
Carcrazychica, Youtube
Pnethor, pne-online.com
Pnethor, pne-online.com
Bobby Bhoy, Twitter
Bobby Bhoy, Twitter
General Lurko 36, Guardian.co.uk
General Lurko 36, Guardian.co.uk
Z-factor, Twitter.
Z-factor, Twitter.
Zombie Hamster, Twitter
Zombie Hamster, Twitter
Gwaites, Digitalspy
Gwaites, Digitalspy
Visualiser1, Twitter
Visualiser1, Twitter
Clampdown59, Twitter.
Clampdown59, Twitter.
Funday’schild, youtube.
Funday’schild, youtube.
Aiden Hearn, Twitter
Aiden Hearn, Twitter
Frankie Boyle, Comedian
Frankie Boyle, Comedian
Cyberbloke, Twitter
Cyberbloke, Twitter
GRTak, finalgear.com
GRTak, finalgear.com
Gmanthedemon, bbc.co.uk
Gmanthedemon, bbc.co.uk
Chez, Chortle.com
Chez, Chortle.com
Sidsings000, Youtube
Sidsings000, Youtube
Borathigh5, Youtube
Borathigh5, Youtube
Lucinda Locketts, Twitter
Lucinda Locketts, Twitter
Esme Folley, Actress, cellist, Twitter
Esme Folley, Actress, cellist, Twitter
Meninblack, Twitter
Meninblack, Twitter
Spanner, dontstartmeoff.com
Spanner, dontstartmeoff.com
Dominic Cavendish, Telegraph
Dominic Cavendish, Telegraph
Anamatronix, Youtube
Anamatronix, Youtube
Sam Rooney, Youtube
Sam Rooney, Youtube
Tweeter Kyriakou, Twitter
Tweeter Kyriakou, Twitter
Robert Gavin, Twitter
Robert Gavin, Twitter
Meanstreetelite, Peoplesrepublicofcork
Meanstreetelite, Peoplesrepublicofcork
Tweeterkiryakou, Twitter
Tweeterkiryakou, Twitter
Dominic Cavendish, Daily Telegraph
Dominic Cavendish, Daily Telegraph
Peter Ould, Youtube
Peter Ould, Youtube
Fairy Pingu, Twitter
Fairy Pingu, Twitter
Horatio Melvin, Twitter
Horatio Melvin, Twitter
Liam Travitt, Twitter
Liam Travitt, Twitter
Patrick Kavanagh, Guardian.co.uk
Patrick Kavanagh, Guardian.co.uk
Whoiscuriousgeorge, Youtube
Whoiscuriousgeorge, Youtube
Neolab, Guardian.co.uk
Neolab, Guardian.co.uk
Anonymous, don'tstartmeoff.com
Anonymous, don'tstartmeoff.com
Lancethrustworthy, Youtube
Lancethrustworthy, Youtube
Idrie, Youtube
Idrie, Youtube
Lents, redandwhitekop.com
Lents, redandwhitekop.com
Joycey, readytogo.net
Joycey, readytogo.net
Leach Juice, Twitter
Leach Juice, Twitter
Mini-x2, readytogo.net
Mini-x2, readytogo.net
Richard Herring, Comedian
Richard Herring, Comedian
Birmingham Sunday Mercury
Birmingham Sunday Mercury
Anonymous, The Northfield Patriot
Anonymous, The Northfield Patriot
Danazawa, Youtube
Danazawa, Youtube
12dgdgdgdgdgdg, Youtube
12dgdgdgdgdgdg, Youtube
Brendon, Vauxhallownersnetwork.co.uk
Brendon, Vauxhallownersnetwork.co.uk
Tokyofist, Youtube
Tokyofist, Youtube
Johnny Kitkat, dontstartmeoff.com
Johnny Kitkat, dontstartmeoff.com
Peter Fears, Twitter
Peter Fears, Twitter
Alex Quarmby, Edfringe.com
Alex Quarmby, Edfringe.com
Rowing Rob, Guardian.co.uk
Rowing Rob, Guardian.co.uk
Keilloh, Twitter
Keilloh, Twitter
Kozzy06, Youtube
Kozzy06, Youtube
Jackmumf, Twitter
Jackmumf, Twitter
Dick Socrates, Twitter
Dick Socrates, Twitter
Mpf1947, Youtube
Mpf1947, Youtube
Shane, Beverley, Dailymail.co.uk
Shane, Beverley, Dailymail.co.uk
DVDhth's grandparents, Twitter
DVDhth's grandparents, Twitter
Karen Laidlaw, Edfringe. com.
Karen Laidlaw, Edfringe. com.
Syhr, breakbeat.co.uk
Syhr, breakbeat.co.uk
Pudabaya, beexcellenttoeachother.com
Pudabaya, beexcellenttoeachother.com
Aaron, comedy.co.uk
Aaron, comedy.co.uk
A D Ward, Twitter
A D Ward, Twitter
Alwyn, Digiguide.tv
Alwyn, Digiguide.tv
Tin Frog, Twitter
Tin Frog, Twitter
Tres Ryan, Twitter
Tres Ryan, Twitter
Joskins, Leeds Music Forum
Joskins, Leeds Music Forum
Coxy, Dontstartmeoff.com
Coxy, Dontstartmeoff.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
FBC, finalgear.com
FBC, finalgear.com
Neva2busy, dontstartmeoff.com
Neva2busy, dontstartmeoff.com
Maninabananasuit, Guardian.co.uk
Maninabananasuit, Guardian.co.uk
Gabrielle, Chortle.com
Gabrielle, Chortle.com
Rudeness, Youtube
Rudeness, Youtube
Carla, St Albans, Dailymail.co.uk
Carla, St Albans, Dailymail.co.uk
Nicetime, Guardian.co.uk
Nicetime, Guardian.co.uk
Rubyshoes, Twitter
Rubyshoes, Twitter
98rosjon, Twitter
98rosjon, Twitter
Mearecate, Youtube
Mearecate, Youtube
Jamespearse, Twitter
Jamespearse, Twitter
Someoneyoudon'tknow, Chortle.com
Someoneyoudon'tknow, Chortle.com
Henry Howard Fun, Twitter
Henry Howard Fun, Twitter
Anon, westhamonline.com
Anon, westhamonline.com
Contrapuntal, Twitter
Contrapuntal, Twitter
Anon, BBC Complaints Log
Anon, BBC Complaints Log
Pudabaya, Twitter
Pudabaya, Twitter
Al Murray, Comedian
Al Murray, Comedian
Guest, Dontstartmeoff.com
Guest, Dontstartmeoff.com
Dahoum, Guardian.co.uk
Dahoum, Guardian.co.uk
James Dellingpole, Daily Telegraph
James Dellingpole, Daily Telegraph
Peter Ould, Twitter
Peter Ould, Twitter
Bosco239, youtube
Bosco239, youtube
Emilyistrendy, Youtube
Emilyistrendy, Youtube
Pirate Crocodile, Twitter
Pirate Crocodile, Twitter
Wharto15, Twitter
Wharto15, Twitter
Guest1001, Youtube
Guest1001, Youtube
Dave Wilson, Chortle.com
Dave Wilson, Chortle.com
Secretdeveloper, Youtube
Secretdeveloper, Youtube
Slothy Matt, Twitter
Slothy Matt, Twitter
Brighton Argus
Brighton Argus
Shit Crit, Twitter
Shit Crit, Twitter
Sweeping Curves, Twitter
Sweeping Curves, Twitter
John Robins, Comedian
John Robins, Comedian
Fowkes81, Twitter
Fowkes81, Twitter
Joe, Independent.co.uk
Joe, Independent.co.uk
Stuart, Chortle
Stuart, Chortle
Cojones2, Guardian.co.uk
Cojones2, Guardian.co.uk
Etienne, Chortle.com
Etienne, Chortle.com
Anon, dontstartmeoff.com
Anon, dontstartmeoff.com
Lenny Darksphere, Twitter
Lenny Darksphere, Twitter
Cabluigi, Guardian.co.uk
Cabluigi, Guardian.co.uk
Len Firewood, Twitter
Len Firewood, Twitter
Yukio Mishima, dontstartmeoff.com
Yukio Mishima, dontstartmeoff.com
World Without End, Twitter
World Without End, Twitter
Foxfoxton, Youtube
Foxfoxton, Youtube