Stewart Lee’s decision to do two nights of the same tour at the Cambridge Corn Exchange (the previous was May 2015) was a mistake. A big mistake that he is quick to criticise and punish the audience for.
Within the opening few minutes he has threatened to strike our faces with his microphone stand before smashing our mobile phones and then defecating on their shattered remains. Newcomers to Lee’s work tittered nervously, but the more seasoned majority encouraged them to accept his aggressive tone of disappointment as his very raison d’être. Cambridge settled in to have it’s middle class guilt magnified, mocked and mollified.
The tour was intended to workshop and develop material for the not-quite-Bafta winning Comedy Vehicle (Graham Norton gets a faux-bashing for being the undeserving winner for his lesser shower, dismissed as simply ‘chatting’). The new series has since been recorded, so the audience are treated to the final polished version with the barbs at their very sharpest. When we applaud a well sign-posted throwback joke we are quickly knocked backed for our pathetic desire to applaud our own capacity for memory: the audience’s lust for Lee’s criticism feels borderline sadomasochistic, but the rewards are so very rich.
Frankie Boyle, Comedian
Frankie Boyle, Comedian
Visualiser1, Twitter
Visualiser1, Twitter
Hiewy, Youtube
Hiewy, Youtube
Maninabananasuit, Guardian.co.uk
Maninabananasuit, Guardian.co.uk
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Anamatronix, Youtube
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Stokeylitfest, Twitter
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Microcuts 22, Twitter
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Guest, Dontstartmeoff.com
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Rowing Rob, Guardian.co.uk
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DVDhth's grandparents, Twitter
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Aiden Hearn, Twitter
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World Without End, Twitter
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Dominic Cavendish, Telegraph
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Mearecate, Youtube
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FBC, finalgear.com
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Pirate Crocodile, Twitter
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Spanner, dontstartmeoff.com
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Slothy Matt, Twitter
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Richard Herring, Comedian
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Sidsings000, Youtube
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Pudabaya, beexcellenttoeachother.com
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Emilyistrendy, Youtube
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Tres Ryan, Twitter
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Tweeterkiryakou, Twitter
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Borathigh5, Youtube
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Karen Laidlaw, Edfringe. com.
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Cabluigi, Guardian.co.uk
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Keilloh, Twitter
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Len Firewood, Twitter
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General Lurko 36, Guardian.co.uk
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Alex Quarmby, Edfringe.com
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Sweeping Curves, Twitter
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Neva2busy, dontstartmeoff.com
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Liam Travitt, Twitter
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Dominic Cavendish, Daily Telegraph
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Joskins, Leeds Music Forum
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Rubyshoes, Twitter
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Wharto15, Twitter
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Danazawa, Youtube
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Meninblack, Twitter
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Rudeness, Youtube
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Guest1001, Youtube
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Anonymous, The Northfield Patriot
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Bosco239, youtube
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Anon, BBC Complaints Log
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NevW47479, UKTV.co.uk
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Clampdown59, Twitter.
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Chez, Chortle.com
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Iain, eatenbymissionaries
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Lents, redandwhitekop.com
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Joycey, readytogo.net
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Stuart, Chortle
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Idrie, Youtube
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Cojones2, Guardian.co.uk
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Anon, westhamonline.com
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Gabrielle, Chortle.com
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Lenny Darksphere, Twitter
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Fowkes81, Twitter
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Gmanthedemon, bbc.co.uk
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Birmingham Sunday Mercury
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Foxfoxton, Youtube
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James Dellingpole, Daily Telegraph
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Mini-x2, readytogo.net
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Lee Mack, Mack The Life, 2012
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12dgdgdgdgdgdg, Youtube
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Zombie Hamster, Twitter
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Carcrazychica, Youtube
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Leach Juice, Twitter
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Gwaites, Digitalspy
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Joe, Independent.co.uk
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Tin Frog, Twitter
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Lancethrustworthy, Youtube
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Brendon, Vauxhallownersnetwork.co.uk
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Alwyn, Digiguide.tv
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Mpf1947, Youtube
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98rosjon, Twitter
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Carla, St Albans, Dailymail.co.uk
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A D Ward, Twitter
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Ishamayura Byrd, Twitter
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Tweeter Kyriakou, Twitter
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Dahoum, Guardian.co.uk
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Johnny Kitkat, dontstartmeoff.com
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Genghis McKahn, Guardian.co.uk
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Aaron, comedy.co.uk
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Al Murray, Comedian
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Nicetime, Guardian.co.uk
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Z-factor, Twitter.
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Neolab, Guardian.co.uk
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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
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Etienne, Chortle.com
Coxy, Dontstartmeoff.com
Coxy, Dontstartmeoff.com
Meanstreetelite, Peoplesrepublicofcork
Meanstreetelite, Peoplesrepublicofcork
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Bobby Bhoy, Twitter
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Fairy Pingu, Twitter
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Shane, Beverley, Dailymail.co.uk
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Lucinda Locketts, Twitter
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Dick Socrates, Twitter
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Dave Wilson, Chortle.com
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Patrick Kavanagh, Guardian.co.uk
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Shit Crit, Twitter
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Deepbass, Guardian.co.uk
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Henry Howard Fun, Twitter
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Syhr, breakbeat.co.uk
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Jackmumf, Twitter
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Sam Rooney, Youtube
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Brighton Argus
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Someoneyoudon'tknow, Chortle.com
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Horatio Melvin, Twitter
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Anon, dontstartmeoff.com
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Mrdavisn01, Twitter
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GRTak, finalgear.com
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Pnethor, pne-online.com
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Anonymous, don'tstartmeoff.com
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Yukio Mishima, dontstartmeoff.com
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Esme Folley, Actress, cellist, Twitter
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Tokyofist, Youtube
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Peter Ould, Twitter
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Secretdeveloper, Youtube
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John Robins, Comedian
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Contrapuntal, Twitter
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Whoiscuriousgeorge, Youtube
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Peter Ould, Youtube
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Robert Gavin, Twitter
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Peter Fears, Twitter
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Cyberbloke, Twitter
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Pudabaya, Twitter