“This is my first mid-30s, pretentious one-man show,” says Stewart Lee in an apologetic intro to Pea Green Boat. This isn’t stand-up, he warns, so prepare not to laugh. The preamble promises some daring dramatic experiment. In fact, this solo delve into Edward Lear’s most famous poem is sweet and very funny – but doesn’t deviate greatly from the stand-up with which Lee made his name.
It is structured as the story of a short time in Lee’s life. His career was hitting the skids when he was commissioned to write a film of Edward Lear’s life. At the same time, his toilet was broken and he couldn’t go to the loo. He interweaves these unlikely story strands into an examination of The Owl and the Pussycat – a boat trip, he points out, undertaken by a bird and its natural predator. Many of the show’s laughs derive from Lee’s droll determination to take the ditty literally: how can an owl play a small guitar? How can a turkey conduct a wedding ceremony? He recites extracts from the owl’s travelogue, to the moody strains of an accompanying cello. Guest star Simon Munnery appears as Lear, and as the would-be biopic star Ray Winstone, “from Scum, and Sexy Beast”.
The storytelling structure sets up expectations of dramatic fulfilment on which Pea Green Boat doesn’t yet deliver. This is still, essentially, stand-up, even if its subject matter is unusually esoteric and biographical. Lee is a comedy master by now, and his own pleasure and nonplussed sense of absurdity constantly amuses. He makes his material seem like a veritable mine of comic potential, so that on Day 47 of the owl’s journal, when the boat trip ends, Lee finds the bird complaining: “But I’ve nearly learnt to play Mull of Kintyre”.
Dahoum, Guardian.co.uk
Dahoum, Guardian.co.uk
Tin Frog, Twitter
Tin Frog, Twitter
Dominic Cavendish, Telegraph
Dominic Cavendish, Telegraph
John Robins, Comedian
John Robins, Comedian
Sweeping Curves, Twitter
Sweeping Curves, Twitter
Shane, Beverley, Dailymail.co.uk
Shane, Beverley, Dailymail.co.uk
Aaron, comedy.co.uk
Aaron, comedy.co.uk
Rubyshoes, Twitter
Rubyshoes, Twitter
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Lucinda Locketts, Twitter
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Genghis McKahn, Guardian.co.uk
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Leach Juice, Twitter
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Rudeness, Youtube
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Cabluigi, Guardian.co.uk
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Mrdavisn01, Twitter
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Johnny Kitkat, dontstartmeoff.com
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Funday’schild, youtube.
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Contrapuntal, Twitter
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Peter Ould, Youtube
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Anamatronix, Youtube
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Joskins, Leeds Music Forum
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Z-factor, Twitter.
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Iain, eatenbymissionaries
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Neolab, Guardian.co.uk
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Danazawa, Youtube
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Richard Herring, Comedian
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Someoneyoudon'tknow, Chortle.com
FBC, finalgear.com
FBC, finalgear.com
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Stokeylitfest, Twitter
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Yukio Mishima, dontstartmeoff.com
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Bobby Bhoy, Twitter
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Clampdown59, Twitter.
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Etienne, Chortle.com
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Aiden Hearn, Twitter
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Spanner, dontstartmeoff.com
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Microcuts 22, Twitter
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Pnethor, pne-online.com
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Chez, Chortle.com
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Bosco239, youtube
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Henry Howard Fun, Twitter
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Fairy Pingu, Twitter
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Mearecate, Youtube
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GRTak, finalgear.com
Meninblack, Twitter
Meninblack, Twitter
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Carla, St Albans, Dailymail.co.uk
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Esme Folley, Actress, cellist, Twitter
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Karen Laidlaw, Edfringe. com.
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Len Firewood, Twitter
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Al Murray, Comedian
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Tweeter Kyriakou, Twitter
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Lenny Darksphere, Twitter
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Anon, BBC Complaints Log
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Peter Ould, Twitter
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Brighton Argus
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Sam Rooney, Youtube
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Lancethrustworthy, Youtube
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Coxy, Dontstartmeoff.com
Shit Crit, Twitter
Shit Crit, Twitter
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Joe, Independent.co.uk
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A D Ward, Twitter
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Anon, westhamonline.com
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Nicetime, Guardian.co.uk
Pudabaya, beexcellenttoeachother.com
Pudabaya, beexcellenttoeachother.com
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Foxfoxton, Youtube
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Emilyistrendy, Youtube
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Syhr, breakbeat.co.uk
Kozzy06, Youtube
Kozzy06, Youtube
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Stuart, Chortle
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Tokyofist, Youtube
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Whoiscuriousgeorge, Youtube
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Tweeterkiryakou, Twitter
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Ishamayura Byrd, Twitter
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Horatio Melvin, Twitter
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Dick Socrates, Twitter
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World Without End, Twitter
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Jamespearse, Twitter
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Alex Quarmby, Edfringe.com
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Liam Travitt, 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
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Slothy Matt, Twitter
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Pirate Crocodile, Twitter
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Gabrielle, Chortle.com
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Meanstreetelite, Peoplesrepublicofcork
Lee Mack, Mack The Life, 2012
Lee Mack, Mack The Life, 2012
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Idrie, Youtube
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Peter Fears, Twitter
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Hiewy, Youtube
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DVDhth's grandparents, Twitter
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Frankie Boyle, Comedian
Anonymous, don'tstartmeoff.com
Anonymous, don'tstartmeoff.com
Birmingham Sunday Mercury
Birmingham Sunday Mercury
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Jackmumf, Twitter
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Patrick Kavanagh, Guardian.co.uk
Dominic Cavendish, Daily Telegraph
Dominic Cavendish, Daily Telegraph
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Neva2busy, dontstartmeoff.com
Cyberbloke, Twitter
Cyberbloke, Twitter
Fowkes81, Twitter
Fowkes81, Twitter
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James Dellingpole, Daily Telegraph
Robert Gavin, Twitter
Robert Gavin, Twitter
Lents, redandwhitekop.com
Lents, redandwhitekop.com
General Lurko 36, Guardian.co.uk
General Lurko 36, Guardian.co.uk
Cojones2, Guardian.co.uk
Cojones2, Guardian.co.uk
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Borathigh5, Youtube
Keilloh, Twitter
Keilloh, Twitter
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Mini-x2, readytogo.net
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Visualiser1, Twitter
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Guest1001, Youtube
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Gwaites, Digitalspy
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Brendon, Vauxhallownersnetwork.co.uk
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Deepbass, Guardian.co.uk
Guest, Dontstartmeoff.com
Guest, Dontstartmeoff.com
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Alwyn, Digiguide.tv
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Zombie Hamster, Twitter
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Sidsings000, Youtube
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Rowing Rob, Guardian.co.uk
Anonymous, The Northfield Patriot
Anonymous, The Northfield Patriot
Anon, dontstartmeoff.com
Anon, dontstartmeoff.com
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Tres Ryan, Twitter
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Mpf1947, Youtube
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Wharto15, Twitter
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Dave Wilson, Chortle.com
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98rosjon, Twitter
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Secretdeveloper, Youtube
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Maninabananasuit, Guardian.co.uk
NevW47479, UKTV.co.uk
NevW47479, UKTV.co.uk
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Pudabaya, Twitter
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Gmanthedemon, bbc.co.uk
Carcrazychica, Youtube
Carcrazychica, Youtube
12dgdgdgdgdgdg, Youtube
12dgdgdgdgdgdg, Youtube
Joycey, readytogo.net
Joycey, readytogo.net