It would be fair to say that comedian Stewart Lee divides opinion.
Loved by many – including the residents of Nottingham where he was performing his third show in a matter of months – he’s also despised by critics and some fellow stand-ups alike, as he reminded us during the opening sequence of his new show A Room With A Stew.
In 2012 when Lee brought his Carpet Remnant World show to Nottingham, I noted that his constant disappointment with sections of the Playhouse crowd who weren’t his ‘fans’ was a theme throughout. Well, in four years, little has changed.
Lee still holds his audience, other stand-ups and, frankly, everyone in contempt, but it is the deconstruction and multi-layered nature of his work that remains so engaging.
He continues to pull no punches – James Corden’s admiration for Lee described as ‘like a dog listening to classical music‘ – but these moments are always used as a means to an end, rather than simply being vitriolic in themselves.
If you’d never seen Lee before turning up at one of his shows you could be forgiven for feeling somewhat bewildered.
A long sequence about Sunday Times columnist Rod Liddle being covered in food made no sense even to die-hard fans, while his laconic style always makes him look like a middle-aged man ranting at a bus stop.
And, unlike previous shows where the 47-year-old ties the loose threads of his story together in a cleverly developed finale, this show features shorter ‘sets’, partly because much of the comic’s time has been taken up writing the next series of his BAFTA-nominated – but unsuccessful, as he pointed out at length – TV series Comedy Vehicle.
“No-one is equipped to review me” he declared early on, and maybe he is right.
Watching Lee’s constant use of irony and self-awareness is akin to peeling back the layers of an onion – you’re never quite sure what you’re going to get next although it will often make you cry.
In a good way, of course.
Z-factor, Twitter.
Z-factor, Twitter.
Guest, Dontstartmeoff.com
Guest, Dontstartmeoff.com
Nicetime, Guardian.co.uk
Nicetime, Guardian.co.uk
Carcrazychica, Youtube
Carcrazychica, Youtube
Iain, eatenbymissionaries
Iain, eatenbymissionaries
Gmanthedemon, bbc.co.uk
Gmanthedemon, bbc.co.uk
Frankie Boyle, Comedian
Frankie Boyle, Comedian
Jackmumf, Twitter
Jackmumf, Twitter
Tres Ryan, Twitter
Tres Ryan, Twitter
Cabluigi, Guardian.co.uk
Cabluigi, Guardian.co.uk
Alwyn, Digiguide.tv
Alwyn, Digiguide.tv
Joycey, readytogo.net
Joycey, readytogo.net
Shane, Beverley, Dailymail.co.uk
Shane, Beverley, Dailymail.co.uk
Lents, redandwhitekop.com
Lents, redandwhitekop.com
Robert Gavin, Twitter
Robert Gavin, Twitter
Leach Juice, Twitter
Leach Juice, Twitter
Fowkes81, Twitter
Fowkes81, 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
Mpf1947, Youtube
Mpf1947, Youtube
Richard Herring, Comedian
Richard Herring, Comedian
Dick Socrates, Twitter
Dick Socrates, Twitter
Horatio Melvin, Twitter
Horatio Melvin, Twitter
FBC, finalgear.com
FBC, finalgear.com
Jamespearse, Twitter
Jamespearse, Twitter
Sam Rooney, Youtube
Sam Rooney, Youtube
Pudabaya, beexcellenttoeachother.com
Pudabaya, beexcellenttoeachother.com
Sidsings000, Youtube
Sidsings000, Youtube
Lenny Darksphere, Twitter
Lenny Darksphere, Twitter
Spanner, dontstartmeoff.com
Spanner, dontstartmeoff.com
Brendon, Vauxhallownersnetwork.co.uk
Brendon, Vauxhallownersnetwork.co.uk
Wharto15, Twitter
Wharto15, Twitter
Funday’schild, youtube.
Funday’schild, youtube.
Dominic Cavendish, Daily Telegraph
Dominic Cavendish, Daily Telegraph
Sweeping Curves, Twitter
Sweeping Curves, Twitter
Mearecate, Youtube
Mearecate, Youtube
Johnny Kitkat, dontstartmeoff.com
Johnny Kitkat, dontstartmeoff.com
Dominic Cavendish, Telegraph
Dominic Cavendish, Telegraph
Genghis McKahn, Guardian.co.uk
Genghis McKahn, Guardian.co.uk
Neolab, Guardian.co.uk
Neolab, Guardian.co.uk
Foxfoxton, Youtube
Foxfoxton, Youtube
Anon, BBC Complaints Log
Anon, BBC Complaints Log
Pirate Crocodile, Twitter
Pirate Crocodile, Twitter
World Without End, Twitter
World Without End, Twitter
John Robins, Comedian
John Robins, Comedian
Rubyshoes, Twitter
Rubyshoes, Twitter
General Lurko 36, Guardian.co.uk
General Lurko 36, Guardian.co.uk
Alex Quarmby, Edfringe.com
Alex Quarmby, Edfringe.com
Esme Folley, Actress, cellist, Twitter
Esme Folley, Actress, cellist, Twitter
12dgdgdgdgdgdg, Youtube
12dgdgdgdgdgdg, Youtube
Joskins, Leeds Music Forum
Joskins, Leeds Music Forum
Shit Crit, Twitter
Shit Crit, Twitter
Hiewy, Youtube
Hiewy, Youtube
Kozzy06, Youtube
Kozzy06, Youtube
Pnethor, pne-online.com
Pnethor, pne-online.com
Danazawa, Youtube
Danazawa, Youtube
Mini-x2, readytogo.net
Mini-x2, readytogo.net
Borathigh5, Youtube
Borathigh5, Youtube
Tweeterkiryakou, Twitter
Tweeterkiryakou, Twitter
Idrie, Youtube
Idrie, Youtube
Gwaites, Digitalspy
Gwaites, Digitalspy
Syhr, breakbeat.co.uk
Syhr, breakbeat.co.uk
Brighton Argus
Brighton Argus
Rowing Rob, Guardian.co.uk
Rowing Rob, Guardian.co.uk
Yukio Mishima, dontstartmeoff.com
Yukio Mishima, dontstartmeoff.com
Anonymous, The Northfield Patriot
Anonymous, The Northfield Patriot
Clampdown59, Twitter.
Clampdown59, Twitter.
Lancethrustworthy, Youtube
Lancethrustworthy, Youtube
Len Firewood, Twitter
Len Firewood, Twitter
Tin Frog, Twitter
Tin Frog, Twitter
GRTak, finalgear.com
GRTak, finalgear.com
Dave Wilson, Chortle.com
Dave Wilson, Chortle.com
Coxy, Dontstartmeoff.com
Coxy, Dontstartmeoff.com
DVDhth's grandparents, Twitter
DVDhth's grandparents, Twitter
Dahoum, Guardian.co.uk
Dahoum, Guardian.co.uk
Meninblack, Twitter
Meninblack, Twitter
Someoneyoudon'tknow, Chortle.com
Someoneyoudon'tknow, Chortle.com
Emilyistrendy, Youtube
Emilyistrendy, Youtube
98rosjon, Twitter
98rosjon, Twitter
Anon, dontstartmeoff.com
Anon, dontstartmeoff.com
Secretdeveloper, Youtube
Secretdeveloper, Youtube
Cyberbloke, Twitter
Cyberbloke, Twitter
Birmingham Sunday Mercury
Birmingham Sunday Mercury
Ishamayura Byrd, Twitter
Ishamayura Byrd, Twitter
Microcuts 22, Twitter
Microcuts 22, Twitter
Aiden Hearn, Twitter
Aiden Hearn, Twitter
Guest1001, Youtube
Guest1001, Youtube
Peter Fears, Twitter
Peter Fears, Twitter
Maninabananasuit, Guardian.co.uk
Maninabananasuit, Guardian.co.uk
Bobby Bhoy, Twitter
Bobby Bhoy, Twitter
Rudeness, Youtube
Rudeness, Youtube
Peter Ould, Youtube
Peter Ould, Youtube
Bosco239, youtube
Bosco239, youtube
Anamatronix, Youtube
Anamatronix, Youtube
Visualiser1, Twitter
Visualiser1, Twitter
Patrick Kavanagh, Guardian.co.uk
Patrick Kavanagh, Guardian.co.uk
Chez, Chortle.com
Chez, Chortle.com
Stuart, Chortle
Stuart, Chortle
Stokeylitfest, Twitter
Stokeylitfest, Twitter
Carla, St Albans, Dailymail.co.uk
Carla, St Albans, Dailymail.co.uk
Meanstreetelite, Peoplesrepublicofcork
Meanstreetelite, Peoplesrepublicofcork
Contrapuntal, Twitter
Contrapuntal, Twitter
Henry Howard Fun, Twitter
Henry Howard Fun, Twitter
Anonymous, don'tstartmeoff.com
Anonymous, don'tstartmeoff.com
Peter Ould, Twitter
Peter Ould, Twitter
Neva2busy, dontstartmeoff.com
Neva2busy, dontstartmeoff.com
NevW47479, UKTV.co.uk
NevW47479, UKTV.co.uk
A D Ward, Twitter
A D Ward, Twitter
Lucinda Locketts, Twitter
Lucinda Locketts, Twitter
Al Murray, Comedian
Al Murray, Comedian
Pudabaya, Twitter
Pudabaya, Twitter
Etienne, Chortle.com
Etienne, Chortle.com
Whoiscuriousgeorge, Youtube
Whoiscuriousgeorge, Youtube
Lee Mack, Mack The Life, 2012
Lee Mack, Mack The Life, 2012
Cojones2, Guardian.co.uk
Cojones2, Guardian.co.uk
Tweeter Kyriakou, Twitter
Tweeter Kyriakou, Twitter
Aaron, comedy.co.uk
Aaron, comedy.co.uk
Deepbass, Guardian.co.uk
Deepbass, Guardian.co.uk
Keilloh, Twitter
Keilloh, Twitter
Karen Laidlaw, Edfringe. com.
Karen Laidlaw, Edfringe. com.
Joe, Independent.co.uk
Joe, Independent.co.uk
James Dellingpole, Daily Telegraph
James Dellingpole, Daily Telegraph
Gabrielle, Chortle.com
Gabrielle, Chortle.com
Tokyofist, Youtube
Tokyofist, Youtube
Anon, westhamonline.com
Anon, westhamonline.com
Zombie Hamster, Twitter
Zombie Hamster, Twitter
Liam Travitt, Twitter
Liam Travitt, Twitter
Fairy Pingu, Twitter
Fairy Pingu, Twitter
Mrdavisn01, Twitter
Mrdavisn01, Twitter
Slothy Matt, Twitter
Slothy Matt, Twitter