I’m sure most stand-up regulars know that situation where you have to force laughter out, even with a comedian you really like. Their set might be good, but you might be doing it to keep the energy up, or just out of courtesy. However, whenever I watch Lee, live or not, the laughter is honest and never forced.
The reason lies in the fact that most of Lee’s comedy doesn’t come from the set-up and punchline formula, even though it is there; it comes from everything around the joke. Lee’s characteristic deconstructive style emphasises the absurdist nature of all stand-up comedy, it makes you realise the bizarre situation of one person standing in front of hundreds of strangers, trying to make them laugh.
Everything you could expect from a Stewart Lee set is there; meticulously planned moments of audience contempt, frantic repetition, and unrelenting self-deprecation. It’s stand-up pedigree, go see him.
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Peter Ould, Twitter
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Sidsings000, Youtube
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Pirate Crocodile, Twitter
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Dahoum, Guardian.co.uk
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James Dellingpole, Daily Telegraph
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Anon, BBC Complaints Log
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Aaron, comedy.co.uk
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Yukio Mishima, dontstartmeoff.com
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Peter Ould, Youtube
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Rowing Rob, Guardian.co.uk
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Mrdavisn01, Twitter
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Neva2busy, dontstartmeoff.com
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Anon, dontstartmeoff.com
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Joycey, readytogo.net
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Bobby Bhoy, Twitter
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Rudeness, Youtube
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Lenny Darksphere, Twitter