A Room With a Stew certainly isn’t a show for anyone who thinks that they themselves couldn’t spend an hour Googling “commonly mistaken song lyrics” and still come up with a better live show than Peter Kay has managed in the last two decades. You have to concentrate to keep up with Stewart Lee, and it’s quite hard work, but worth the effort because it just about represents the perfection of laughter if you do.
Having seen Stewart Lee many times before, and indeed even a work-in-progress part of this very show at the Leicester Square Theatre a few months back, it’s fascinating to see the extent to which the detail of the performance is crafted with the rest of the show in mind. Like watching Shutter Island or The Sixth Sense for a second time, little, apparently insignificant moments can become the whole point of a 20 minute tirade. He plants seeds, builds on some of them, weaves them with others, tells you what he’s going to do while he’s doing it, then shows you how he did it and why you shouldn’t have laughed at that bit because the other bit was of more artistic merit.
Stewart Lee is sharp, abundantly experienced and knows his comedy through and through. He knows every trick in the book, a fair few of which he’s invented himself. He hates jokes (“Oooh look, I’ve said one thing then revealed another thing, concealing the first thing with language“) and whenever his material momentarily dips into anything resembling a traditional joke (which is always, nevertheless, very funny) it’s done as a parody of a lesser form of comedy. Lee’s character is offended by our laughter, and immediately rips into his audience as if the only reason he’d told us such a basic joke was to trap us into revealing our forbidden love for Michael McIntyre.
Of course, this is all just an act. A deranged, unhinged, hilarious character but one that wouldn’t work unless played to perfection. And wouldn’t work unless the point was a fair one. There’s enough justifiable and real contempt for his subject matter that it is believable at first. The point at which the character becomes so absurd that the penny finally drops is different for everyone, leading to a form of staggered laughter that is entirely peculiar to a Stewart Lee audience.
He’s prepared to take this uncomfortable atmosphere to extraordinary lengths in order to fit his purposes; deliberately sabotaging his own show by stamping on what purposefully little flow and rapport he’s created, merely for the purposes of setting up an angry change in pace and some silent tension to build to an even more twistedly hilarious nervous breakdown act just before the interval.
It’s going to be on telly soon so I won’t ruin it. It looks almost accidental. It isn’t. Its genius, and you can’t help but admire the confidence of a performance artist who is prepared to serially self-sabotage his show in the present for a punch-line some 15 minutes later. This is confrontational, uncomfortable, angry comedy of the very highest order and there’s no one else doing anything like it on the planet.
The second part of the show is much more gentle and friendly, but I couldn’t help but wonder whether that was because he was nursing the intracranial haemorrhage he must have sustained before the interval.
Stewart Lee will go down in history, defiantly not for selling out two live shows a year at the O2 (which he could easily do if his vast audience were prepared to watch him rip them off from 300 metres away), but for grafting away for years, crafting something that pushes boundaries like comedy is supposed to. And quite frankly, if that’s your job, why on earth would you do anything else? Please do go and catch him at his prime. I can’t recommend this show enough.
Pirate Crocodile, Twitter
Pirate Crocodile, Twitter
Tin Frog, Twitter
Tin Frog, Twitter
Liam Travitt, Twitter
Liam Travitt, Twitter
Stuart, Chortle
Stuart, Chortle
Cyberbloke, Twitter
Cyberbloke, Twitter
Neolab, Guardian.co.uk
Neolab, Guardian.co.uk
Richard Herring, Comedian
Richard Herring, Comedian
Alwyn, Digiguide.tv
Alwyn, Digiguide.tv
Dahoum, Guardian.co.uk
Dahoum, Guardian.co.uk
Etienne, Chortle.com
Etienne, Chortle.com
Peter Fears, Twitter
Peter Fears, Twitter
Len Firewood, Twitter
Len Firewood, Twitter
Kozzy06, Youtube
Kozzy06, Youtube
Mini-x2, readytogo.net
Mini-x2, readytogo.net
A D Ward, Twitter
A D Ward, Twitter
Foxfoxton, Youtube
Foxfoxton, Youtube
Anonymous, don'tstartmeoff.com
Anonymous, don'tstartmeoff.com
Frankie Boyle, Comedian
Frankie Boyle, Comedian
Gwaites, Digitalspy
Gwaites, Digitalspy
Deepbass, Guardian.co.uk
Deepbass, Guardian.co.uk
Lenny Darksphere, Twitter
Lenny Darksphere, Twitter
FBC, finalgear.com
FBC, finalgear.com
Peter Ould, Youtube
Peter Ould, Youtube
Idrie, Youtube
Idrie, Youtube
Sam Rooney, Youtube
Sam Rooney, Youtube
Brighton Argus
Brighton Argus
Borathigh5, Youtube
Borathigh5, Youtube
Emilyistrendy, Youtube
Emilyistrendy, Youtube
Shane, Beverley, Dailymail.co.uk
Shane, Beverley, Dailymail.co.uk
Jackmumf, Twitter
Jackmumf, Twitter
Danazawa, Youtube
Danazawa, Youtube
Yukio Mishima, dontstartmeoff.com
Yukio Mishima, dontstartmeoff.com
Coxy, Dontstartmeoff.com
Coxy, Dontstartmeoff.com
NevW47479, UKTV.co.uk
NevW47479, UKTV.co.uk
Rowing Rob, Guardian.co.uk
Rowing Rob, Guardian.co.uk
Peter Ould, Twitter
Peter Ould, Twitter
Tweeter Kyriakou, Twitter
Tweeter Kyriakou, Twitter
Meanstreetelite, Peoplesrepublicofcork
Meanstreetelite, Peoplesrepublicofcork
Someoneyoudon'tknow, Chortle.com
Someoneyoudon'tknow, Chortle.com
Carcrazychica, Youtube
Carcrazychica, Youtube
Joycey, readytogo.net
Joycey, readytogo.net
Fowkes81, Twitter
Fowkes81, Twitter
Lucinda Locketts, Twitter
Lucinda Locketts, Twitter
Maninabananasuit, Guardian.co.uk
Maninabananasuit, Guardian.co.uk
Pnethor, pne-online.com
Pnethor, pne-online.com
Spanner, dontstartmeoff.com
Spanner, dontstartmeoff.com
Whoiscuriousgeorge, Youtube
Whoiscuriousgeorge, Youtube
Anon, dontstartmeoff.com
Anon, dontstartmeoff.com
Dick Socrates, Twitter
Dick Socrates, Twitter
Esme Folley, Actress, cellist, Twitter
Esme Folley, Actress, cellist, Twitter
Alex Quarmby, Edfringe.com
Alex Quarmby, Edfringe.com
Jamespearse, Twitter
Jamespearse, Twitter
Contrapuntal, Twitter
Contrapuntal, Twitter
Cojones2, Guardian.co.uk
Cojones2, Guardian.co.uk
Visualiser1, Twitter
Visualiser1, Twitter
World Without End, Twitter
World Without End, Twitter
Chez, Chortle.com
Chez, Chortle.com
Leach Juice, Twitter
Leach Juice, Twitter
Sidsings000, Youtube
Sidsings000, Youtube
Johnny Kitkat, dontstartmeoff.com
Johnny Kitkat, dontstartmeoff.com
Horatio Melvin, Twitter
Horatio Melvin, Twitter
Rubyshoes, Twitter
Rubyshoes, Twitter
Guest, Dontstartmeoff.com
Guest, Dontstartmeoff.com
Brendon, Vauxhallownersnetwork.co.uk
Brendon, Vauxhallownersnetwork.co.uk
Al Murray, Comedian
Al Murray, Comedian
Henry Howard Fun, Twitter
Henry Howard Fun, Twitter
Patrick Kavanagh, Guardian.co.uk
Patrick Kavanagh, Guardian.co.uk
BBC iPlayer edition of discussion of Stewart Lee on A Good Read
BBC iPlayer edition of discussion of Stewart Lee on A Good Read
Neva2busy, dontstartmeoff.com
Neva2busy, dontstartmeoff.com
Pudabaya, Twitter
Pudabaya, Twitter
Lents, redandwhitekop.com
Lents, redandwhitekop.com
Guest1001, Youtube
Guest1001, Youtube
Ishamayura Byrd, Twitter
Ishamayura Byrd, Twitter
Mpf1947, Youtube
Mpf1947, Youtube
Aaron, comedy.co.uk
Aaron, comedy.co.uk
Lee Mack, Mack The Life, 2012
Lee Mack, Mack The Life, 2012
Joskins, Leeds Music Forum
Joskins, Leeds Music Forum
Pudabaya, beexcellenttoeachother.com
Pudabaya, beexcellenttoeachother.com
Dominic Cavendish, Daily Telegraph
Dominic Cavendish, Daily Telegraph
Shit Crit, Twitter
Shit Crit, Twitter
Zombie Hamster, Twitter
Zombie Hamster, Twitter
Mearecate, Youtube
Mearecate, Youtube
Syhr, breakbeat.co.uk
Syhr, breakbeat.co.uk
GRTak, finalgear.com
GRTak, finalgear.com
Tweeterkiryakou, Twitter
Tweeterkiryakou, Twitter
Funday’schild, youtube.
Funday’schild, youtube.
John Robins, Comedian
John Robins, Comedian
Bobby Bhoy, Twitter
Bobby Bhoy, Twitter
General Lurko 36, Guardian.co.uk
General Lurko 36, Guardian.co.uk
Gmanthedemon, bbc.co.uk
Gmanthedemon, bbc.co.uk
Iain, eatenbymissionaries
Iain, eatenbymissionaries
DVDhth's grandparents, Twitter
DVDhth's grandparents, Twitter
Clampdown59, Twitter.
Clampdown59, Twitter.
Slothy Matt, Twitter
Slothy Matt, Twitter
Bosco239, youtube
Bosco239, youtube
Sweeping Curves, Twitter
Sweeping Curves, Twitter
Anonymous, The Northfield Patriot
Anonymous, The Northfield Patriot
Anon, westhamonline.com
Anon, westhamonline.com
Genghis McKahn, Guardian.co.uk
Genghis McKahn, Guardian.co.uk
Keilloh, Twitter
Keilloh, Twitter
Microcuts 22, Twitter
Microcuts 22, Twitter
Nicetime, Guardian.co.uk
Nicetime, Guardian.co.uk
Aiden Hearn, Twitter
Aiden Hearn, Twitter
Dave Wilson, Chortle.com
Dave Wilson, Chortle.com
James Dellingpole, Daily Telegraph
James Dellingpole, Daily Telegraph
12dgdgdgdgdgdg, Youtube
12dgdgdgdgdgdg, Youtube
Lancethrustworthy, Youtube
Lancethrustworthy, Youtube
Z-factor, Twitter.
Z-factor, Twitter.
Cabluigi, Guardian.co.uk
Cabluigi, Guardian.co.uk
98rosjon, Twitter
98rosjon, Twitter
Robert Gavin, Twitter
Robert Gavin, Twitter
Carla, St Albans, Dailymail.co.uk
Carla, St Albans, Dailymail.co.uk
Anamatronix, Youtube
Anamatronix, Youtube
Mrdavisn01, Twitter
Mrdavisn01, Twitter
Meninblack, Twitter
Meninblack, Twitter
Tres Ryan, Twitter
Tres Ryan, Twitter
Rudeness, Youtube
Rudeness, Youtube
Hiewy, Youtube
Hiewy, Youtube
Birmingham Sunday Mercury
Birmingham Sunday Mercury
Fairy Pingu, Twitter
Fairy Pingu, Twitter
Dominic Cavendish, Telegraph
Dominic Cavendish, Telegraph
Wharto15, Twitter
Wharto15, Twitter
Karen Laidlaw, Edfringe. com.
Karen Laidlaw, Edfringe. com.
Anon, BBC Complaints Log
Anon, BBC Complaints Log
Secretdeveloper, Youtube
Secretdeveloper, Youtube
Joe, Independent.co.uk
Joe, Independent.co.uk
Gabrielle, Chortle.com
Gabrielle, Chortle.com
Tokyofist, Youtube
Tokyofist, Youtube
Stokeylitfest, Twitter
Stokeylitfest, Twitter