It’s a set list you could hardly predict. First, there’ll be a section of Islamophobic comedy. Then, says Stewart Lee, “I’m going to talk exhaustively about urine for half an hour”. Of course.
A Room with a Stew is labelled as work in progress, each block of material building towards an episode for the next series of Stewart Lee’s Comedy Vehicle. What Lee has got is already very progressed, however. There’s hardly a spare word as he does his usual knowing dance.
He’s part craftsman and part torturer as he reels his audience in, and out, and in again, like alternative comedy’s grumpy burlesque act, a precision tease before the punchline is delivered.
The core components of Lee’s act are well known: the knowing sneer, the wilful repetition, the stretching of the boundaries both of ideas and the conventions of comedy. What is exhilarating is how many surprises he still throws in and how deft his jumps are from one tone to another.
His first section is essentially a riff on a Daily Mail article in which Jan Moir called for comedians to joke more often about Muslims. As Lee delivers his 30-minute riposte, the impact is fiercely biting, yet he’s unafraid to also be gloriously childish, using one of his extended rants to belittle the journalist Rod Liddle as a man “with all gravy down him”, among other things.
The section about urine takes several U-turns: from a story of Lee being bullied at school to a playful deconstruction of the phrase “water off a duck’s back”. Then, just when you think Lee’s lost control, he reaches a climax in which he tackles the suicide of comedians including Robin Williams and directs his anger against the audience themselves.
Mocking observational comics, Lee concludes: “It’s not enough is it? You’ve got to have something to say.” Lee still has plenty to say and it’s invigorating to watch him say it.
Mearecate, Youtube
Mearecate, Youtube
Aiden Hearn, Twitter
Aiden Hearn, Twitter
Funday’schild, youtube.
Funday’schild, youtube.
Clampdown59, Twitter.
Clampdown59, Twitter.
Rubyshoes, Twitter
Rubyshoes, Twitter
Fowkes81, Twitter
Fowkes81, Twitter
Joe, Independent.co.uk
Joe, Independent.co.uk
Peter Ould, Twitter
Peter Ould, Twitter
Visualiser1, Twitter
Visualiser1, Twitter
Brighton Argus
Brighton Argus
Syhr, breakbeat.co.uk
Syhr, breakbeat.co.uk
Kozzy06, Youtube
Kozzy06, Youtube
NevW47479, UKTV.co.uk
NevW47479, UKTV.co.uk
Dahoum, Guardian.co.uk
Dahoum, Guardian.co.uk
Shane, Beverley, Dailymail.co.uk
Shane, Beverley, Dailymail.co.uk
World Without End, Twitter
World Without End, Twitter
Jackmumf, Twitter
Jackmumf, Twitter
Emilyistrendy, Youtube
Emilyistrendy, Youtube
Sam Rooney, Youtube
Sam Rooney, Youtube
Iain, eatenbymissionaries
Iain, eatenbymissionaries
Lenny Darksphere, Twitter
Lenny Darksphere, Twitter
Mpf1947, Youtube
Mpf1947, Youtube
Dick Socrates, Twitter
Dick Socrates, Twitter
Nicetime, Guardian.co.uk
Nicetime, Guardian.co.uk
Frankie Boyle, Comedian
Frankie Boyle, Comedian
Dominic Cavendish, Telegraph
Dominic Cavendish, Telegraph
Rowing Rob, Guardian.co.uk
Rowing Rob, Guardian.co.uk
FBC, finalgear.com
FBC, finalgear.com
98rosjon, Twitter
98rosjon, Twitter
Bobby Bhoy, Twitter
Bobby Bhoy, Twitter
Stuart, Chortle
Stuart, Chortle
Tin Frog, Twitter
Tin Frog, Twitter
Cyberbloke, Twitter
Cyberbloke, Twitter
Anamatronix, Youtube
Anamatronix, Youtube
Anon, BBC Complaints Log
Anon, BBC Complaints Log
John Robins, Comedian
John Robins, Comedian
Zombie Hamster, Twitter
Zombie Hamster, Twitter
Anon, dontstartmeoff.com
Anon, dontstartmeoff.com
Wharto15, Twitter
Wharto15, Twitter
Maninabananasuit, Guardian.co.uk
Maninabananasuit, Guardian.co.uk
Peter Fears, Twitter
Peter Fears, Twitter
Tweeter Kyriakou, Twitter
Tweeter Kyriakou, Twitter
Guest, Dontstartmeoff.com
Guest, Dontstartmeoff.com
Pnethor, pne-online.com
Pnethor, pne-online.com
Slothy Matt, Twitter
Slothy Matt, Twitter
Tres Ryan, Twitter
Tres Ryan, Twitter
Meanstreetelite, Peoplesrepublicofcork
Meanstreetelite, Peoplesrepublicofcork
Coxy, Dontstartmeoff.com
Coxy, Dontstartmeoff.com
Borathigh5, Youtube
Borathigh5, Youtube
Tokyofist, Youtube
Tokyofist, Youtube
Idrie, Youtube
Idrie, Youtube
Aaron, comedy.co.uk
Aaron, comedy.co.uk
Shit Crit, Twitter
Shit Crit, Twitter
Robert Gavin, Twitter
Robert Gavin, Twitter
Deepbass, Guardian.co.uk
Deepbass, Guardian.co.uk
Microcuts 22, Twitter
Microcuts 22, Twitter
Lents, redandwhitekop.com
Lents, redandwhitekop.com
Birmingham Sunday Mercury
Birmingham Sunday Mercury
Dominic Cavendish, Daily Telegraph
Dominic Cavendish, Daily Telegraph
Foxfoxton, Youtube
Foxfoxton, Youtube
Cabluigi, Guardian.co.uk
Cabluigi, Guardian.co.uk
Neva2busy, dontstartmeoff.com
Neva2busy, dontstartmeoff.com
Whoiscuriousgeorge, Youtube
Whoiscuriousgeorge, Youtube
James Dellingpole, Daily Telegraph
James Dellingpole, Daily Telegraph
Al Murray, Comedian
Al Murray, Comedian
Leach Juice, Twitter
Leach Juice, Twitter
Neolab, Guardian.co.uk
Neolab, Guardian.co.uk
Chez, Chortle.com
Chez, Chortle.com
Sidsings000, Youtube
Sidsings000, Youtube
Rudeness, Youtube
Rudeness, Youtube
Lucinda Locketts, Twitter
Lucinda Locketts, Twitter
Lee Mack, Mack The Life, 2012
Lee Mack, Mack The Life, 2012
Dave Wilson, Chortle.com
Dave Wilson, Chortle.com
Pudabaya, Twitter
Pudabaya, Twitter
DVDhth's grandparents, Twitter
DVDhth's grandparents, Twitter
Hiewy, Youtube
Hiewy, Youtube
Alwyn, Digiguide.tv
Alwyn, Digiguide.tv
Peter Ould, Youtube
Peter Ould, Youtube
Joskins, Leeds Music Forum
Joskins, Leeds Music Forum
Mrdavisn01, Twitter
Mrdavisn01, Twitter
Joycey, readytogo.net
Joycey, readytogo.net
Johnny Kitkat, dontstartmeoff.com
Johnny Kitkat, dontstartmeoff.com
Anon, westhamonline.com
Anon, westhamonline.com
Jamespearse, Twitter
Jamespearse, Twitter
Pudabaya, beexcellenttoeachother.com
Pudabaya, beexcellenttoeachother.com
Mini-x2, readytogo.net
Mini-x2, readytogo.net
Brendon, Vauxhallownersnetwork.co.uk
Brendon, Vauxhallownersnetwork.co.uk
Sweeping Curves, Twitter
Sweeping Curves, Twitter
GRTak, finalgear.com
GRTak, finalgear.com
Genghis McKahn, Guardian.co.uk
Genghis McKahn, Guardian.co.uk
Yukio Mishima, dontstartmeoff.com
Yukio Mishima, dontstartmeoff.com
Stokeylitfest, Twitter
Stokeylitfest, Twitter
Etienne, Chortle.com
Etienne, Chortle.com
Karen Laidlaw, Edfringe. com.
Karen Laidlaw, Edfringe. com.
Secretdeveloper, Youtube
Secretdeveloper, Youtube
Guest1001, Youtube
Guest1001, Youtube
Bosco239, youtube
Bosco239, youtube
Henry Howard Fun, Twitter
Henry Howard Fun, Twitter
Patrick Kavanagh, Guardian.co.uk
Patrick Kavanagh, Guardian.co.uk
Tweeterkiryakou, Twitter
Tweeterkiryakou, Twitter
Gwaites, Digitalspy
Gwaites, Digitalspy
Z-factor, Twitter.
Z-factor, Twitter.
Carla, St Albans, Dailymail.co.uk
Carla, St Albans, Dailymail.co.uk
Horatio Melvin, Twitter
Horatio Melvin, Twitter
Pirate Crocodile, Twitter
Pirate Crocodile, Twitter
Len Firewood, Twitter
Len Firewood, Twitter
Contrapuntal, Twitter
Contrapuntal, Twitter
A D Ward, Twitter
A D Ward, Twitter
General Lurko 36, Guardian.co.uk
General Lurko 36, Guardian.co.uk
12dgdgdgdgdgdg, Youtube
12dgdgdgdgdgdg, Youtube
Gmanthedemon, bbc.co.uk
Gmanthedemon, bbc.co.uk
Ishamayura Byrd, Twitter
Ishamayura Byrd, Twitter
Lancethrustworthy, Youtube
Lancethrustworthy, Youtube
Meninblack, Twitter
Meninblack, Twitter
Esme Folley, Actress, cellist, Twitter
Esme Folley, Actress, cellist, Twitter
Liam Travitt, Twitter
Liam Travitt, Twitter
Gabrielle, Chortle.com
Gabrielle, Chortle.com
Alex Quarmby, Edfringe.com
Alex Quarmby, Edfringe.com
Anonymous, don'tstartmeoff.com
Anonymous, don'tstartmeoff.com
BBC iPlayer edition of discussion of Stewart Lee on A Good Read
BBC iPlayer edition of discussion of Stewart Lee on A Good Read
Anonymous, The Northfield Patriot
Anonymous, The Northfield Patriot
Spanner, dontstartmeoff.com
Spanner, dontstartmeoff.com
Someoneyoudon'tknow, Chortle.com
Someoneyoudon'tknow, Chortle.com
Cojones2, Guardian.co.uk
Cojones2, Guardian.co.uk
Danazawa, Youtube
Danazawa, Youtube
Carcrazychica, Youtube
Carcrazychica, Youtube
Keilloh, Twitter
Keilloh, Twitter
Richard Herring, Comedian
Richard Herring, Comedian
Fairy Pingu, Twitter
Fairy Pingu, Twitter