STEWART Lee gigs remind me of visits to my cousins’ house when I was little.
My cousins were unkempt country boys, who had out of control hair and socks that were falling off their feet.
They were older and naughtier than me and my sister, and showed very little interest in us.
But they did just enough to keep us following them around, to witness their misdeeds.
Lee, I feel, appears to do the same. He presents an off-hand ‘I couldn’t care less if you’re here or not’ approach, while keeping the audience on board with the enticement of being let in on his marvellously disrespectful, spot-on, witty talk about everybody and everything.
And yet, underlying it all, he is actually a very warm and engaging host.
Lee tells us he knows that audiences like to come along and sit in the dark and judge whoever’s on stage.
But rather than letting us do this, he beats us to it, putting himself down before we get the chance.
“Who came to see me when I was here years back, up the road at Moles, when I was good?” he asks.
And, “You’ve all come to see me now, now that I’m irrelevant.”
He also judges us, horribly accurately, so we’re no longer the anonymous mass in the dark we thought we were.
The poor Friends of Bath Theatre Royal really get it in the neck.
He says he knows they’ve come along with the best of intentions, to support the theatre, but really they shouldn’t have bothered.
They don’t really ‘get it’ and as such they are acting as a barrier to the contagion of connection and laughter rippling round the auditorium.
He has taken the audience/performer dynamic and tinkered with it to such an extent that the walls between us and his comedy are gone.
We’re all floating in a mixture of suspended cynicism and arrested arrogance, which is nicely liberating.
I laugh so much I run out of places to wipe my tears.
He launches into an encore, and then abandons it, because it’s not working and we aren’t getting it.
I leave and start to drive home, only to discover that the road back to Stroud is closed.
It’s a freezing night and the heater in my car doesn’t work.
I’m cold and tired and this is annoying, but something about the evening I’ve just spent makes it ok.
Share article
I’m cushioned in a warm comedy fuzz and manage to find a different way home.
Mpf1947, Youtube
Mpf1947, Youtube
Neva2busy, dontstartmeoff.com
Neva2busy, dontstartmeoff.com
Aaron, comedy.co.uk
Aaron, comedy.co.uk
Meanstreetelite, Peoplesrepublicofcork
Meanstreetelite, Peoplesrepublicofcork
Danazawa, Youtube
Danazawa, Youtube
Rubyshoes, Twitter
Rubyshoes, Twitter
Tweeterkiryakou, Twitter
Tweeterkiryakou, Twitter
Alwyn, Digiguide.tv
Alwyn, Digiguide.tv
FBC, finalgear.com
FBC, finalgear.com
12dgdgdgdgdgdg, Youtube
12dgdgdgdgdgdg, Youtube
John Robins, Comedian
John Robins, Comedian
Fairy Pingu, Twitter
Fairy Pingu, Twitter
Spanner, dontstartmeoff.com
Spanner, dontstartmeoff.com
General Lurko 36, Guardian.co.uk
General Lurko 36, Guardian.co.uk
Gwaites, Digitalspy
Gwaites, Digitalspy
Cyberbloke, Twitter
Cyberbloke, Twitter
Microcuts 22, Twitter
Microcuts 22, Twitter
Birmingham Sunday Mercury
Birmingham Sunday Mercury
Pudabaya, beexcellenttoeachother.com
Pudabaya, beexcellenttoeachother.com
Keilloh, Twitter
Keilloh, Twitter
Bosco239, youtube
Bosco239, youtube
Fowkes81, Twitter
Fowkes81, Twitter
98rosjon, Twitter
98rosjon, Twitter
Joycey, readytogo.net
Joycey, readytogo.net
Sweeping Curves, Twitter
Sweeping Curves, Twitter
Stokeylitfest, Twitter
Stokeylitfest, Twitter
Lents, redandwhitekop.com
Lents, redandwhitekop.com
Esme Folley, Actress, cellist, Twitter
Esme Folley, Actress, cellist, Twitter
World Without End, Twitter
World Without End, Twitter
Peter Ould, Youtube
Peter Ould, Youtube
Maninabananasuit, Guardian.co.uk
Maninabananasuit, Guardian.co.uk
Bobby Bhoy, Twitter
Bobby Bhoy, Twitter
Frankie Boyle, Comedian
Frankie Boyle, Comedian
Genghis McKahn, Guardian.co.uk
Genghis McKahn, Guardian.co.uk
Horatio Melvin, Twitter
Horatio Melvin, Twitter
Dominic Cavendish, Telegraph
Dominic Cavendish, Telegraph
Aiden Hearn, Twitter
Aiden Hearn, Twitter
Tres Ryan, Twitter
Tres Ryan, Twitter
Mini-x2, readytogo.net
Mini-x2, readytogo.net
Idrie, Youtube
Idrie, Youtube
Coxy, Dontstartmeoff.com
Coxy, Dontstartmeoff.com
GRTak, finalgear.com
GRTak, finalgear.com
Z-factor, Twitter.
Z-factor, Twitter.
Cojones2, Guardian.co.uk
Cojones2, Guardian.co.uk
Ishamayura Byrd, Twitter
Ishamayura Byrd, Twitter
Anon, dontstartmeoff.com
Anon, dontstartmeoff.com
Meninblack, Twitter
Meninblack, Twitter
Wharto15, Twitter
Wharto15, Twitter
Slothy Matt, Twitter
Slothy Matt, Twitter
Hiewy, Youtube
Hiewy, Youtube
Stuart, Chortle
Stuart, Chortle
Sidsings000, Youtube
Sidsings000, Youtube
Anonymous, don'tstartmeoff.com
Anonymous, don'tstartmeoff.com
Guest1001, Youtube
Guest1001, Youtube
Johnny Kitkat, dontstartmeoff.com
Johnny Kitkat, dontstartmeoff.com
Dahoum, Guardian.co.uk
Dahoum, Guardian.co.uk
DVDhth's grandparents, Twitter
DVDhth's grandparents, Twitter
Anamatronix, Youtube
Anamatronix, Youtube
Mrdavisn01, Twitter
Mrdavisn01, Twitter
Someoneyoudon'tknow, Chortle.com
Someoneyoudon'tknow, Chortle.com
Al Murray, Comedian
Al Murray, Comedian
Neolab, Guardian.co.uk
Neolab, Guardian.co.uk
Carla, St Albans, Dailymail.co.uk
Carla, St Albans, Dailymail.co.uk
A D Ward, Twitter
A D Ward, Twitter
NevW47479, UKTV.co.uk
NevW47479, UKTV.co.uk
Sam Rooney, Youtube
Sam Rooney, Youtube
Rowing Rob, Guardian.co.uk
Rowing Rob, Guardian.co.uk
Jamespearse, Twitter
Jamespearse, 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
Lancethrustworthy, Youtube
Lancethrustworthy, Youtube
Shane, Beverley, Dailymail.co.uk
Shane, Beverley, Dailymail.co.uk
Peter Ould, Twitter
Peter Ould, Twitter
Kozzy06, Youtube
Kozzy06, Youtube
Rudeness, Youtube
Rudeness, Youtube
Borathigh5, Youtube
Borathigh5, Youtube
Yukio Mishima, dontstartmeoff.com
Yukio Mishima, dontstartmeoff.com
Visualiser1, Twitter
Visualiser1, Twitter
Chez, Chortle.com
Chez, Chortle.com
Tokyofist, Youtube
Tokyofist, Youtube
Lee Mack, Mack The Life, 2012
Lee Mack, Mack The Life, 2012
Anon, BBC Complaints Log
Anon, BBC Complaints Log
Leach Juice, Twitter
Leach Juice, Twitter
Joskins, Leeds Music Forum
Joskins, Leeds Music Forum
Emilyistrendy, Youtube
Emilyistrendy, Youtube
Carcrazychica, Youtube
Carcrazychica, Youtube
Karen Laidlaw, Edfringe. com.
Karen Laidlaw, Edfringe. com.
Syhr, breakbeat.co.uk
Syhr, breakbeat.co.uk
Brighton Argus
Brighton Argus
Contrapuntal, Twitter
Contrapuntal, Twitter
Mearecate, Youtube
Mearecate, Youtube
Zombie Hamster, Twitter
Zombie Hamster, Twitter
Anon, westhamonline.com
Anon, westhamonline.com
Deepbass, Guardian.co.uk
Deepbass, Guardian.co.uk
Patrick Kavanagh, Guardian.co.uk
Patrick Kavanagh, Guardian.co.uk
Clampdown59, Twitter.
Clampdown59, Twitter.
Len Firewood, Twitter
Len Firewood, Twitter
Gabrielle, Chortle.com
Gabrielle, Chortle.com
Dave Wilson, Chortle.com
Dave Wilson, Chortle.com
Foxfoxton, Youtube
Foxfoxton, Youtube
Peter Fears, Twitter
Peter Fears, Twitter
James Dellingpole, Daily Telegraph
James Dellingpole, Daily Telegraph
Secretdeveloper, Youtube
Secretdeveloper, Youtube
Dick Socrates, Twitter
Dick Socrates, Twitter
Joe, Independent.co.uk
Joe, Independent.co.uk
Dominic Cavendish, Daily Telegraph
Dominic Cavendish, Daily Telegraph
Brendon, Vauxhallownersnetwork.co.uk
Brendon, Vauxhallownersnetwork.co.uk
Whoiscuriousgeorge, Youtube
Whoiscuriousgeorge, Youtube
Liam Travitt, Twitter
Liam Travitt, Twitter
Funday’schild, youtube.
Funday’schild, youtube.
Lenny Darksphere, Twitter
Lenny Darksphere, Twitter
Jackmumf, Twitter
Jackmumf, Twitter
Alex Quarmby, Edfringe.com
Alex Quarmby, Edfringe.com
Richard Herring, Comedian
Richard Herring, Comedian
Nicetime, Guardian.co.uk
Nicetime, Guardian.co.uk
Guest, Dontstartmeoff.com
Guest, Dontstartmeoff.com
Pnethor, pne-online.com
Pnethor, pne-online.com
Anonymous, The Northfield Patriot
Anonymous, The Northfield Patriot
Lucinda Locketts, Twitter
Lucinda Locketts, Twitter
Etienne, Chortle.com
Etienne, Chortle.com
Henry Howard Fun, Twitter
Henry Howard Fun, Twitter
Tweeter Kyriakou, Twitter
Tweeter Kyriakou, Twitter
Pudabaya, Twitter
Pudabaya, Twitter
Shit Crit, Twitter
Shit Crit, Twitter
Tin Frog, Twitter
Tin Frog, Twitter
Gmanthedemon, bbc.co.uk
Gmanthedemon, bbc.co.uk
Robert Gavin, Twitter
Robert Gavin, Twitter
Pirate Crocodile, Twitter
Pirate Crocodile, Twitter
Cabluigi, Guardian.co.uk
Cabluigi, Guardian.co.uk
Iain, eatenbymissionaries
Iain, eatenbymissionaries