Only Stewart Lee could make a 30-minute riff on urine so funny that it only feels like a 20 minute bit on urine. He issues forth a strong and steady flow of piddle-based humour, beginning with his traumatic baptism of piss at school, and climaxing with a payoff involving a urinal in Malta, some flies and his slightly racist granddad. For any other comedian, such an epic stint would be quixotic. But let’s not forget that in the past, Lee has spun out monologues on crisps, rappers and Del Boy falling through the bar for seemingly lunatic amounts of time, yet always building up the laughs like a snowball.
It just so happens that the snow in this particular snowball is yellow.
Although tonight’s show is a work in progress (some of this material will end up in Lee’s London shows next year, some in the next series of his BBC show) he seems eager to please: the set opens with some well-worn dialogue on Islamophobia (start with the easy stuff, right?). Lee, he says, wants to placate detractors such as Jan Moir and Rod Liddle by demonstrating his comedy can be balanced, ergo he can poke fun at Muslims too.
To do this, he must edge his way towards an Islamophobic punchline, scattering “sitting ducks” such as Christians, Jehovah’s Witnesses, Sikhs and Jews along the way. Of course, this being Stewart Lee, he doesn’t actually end up being offensive to anyone, apart from those who have it coming to them (the ilk of Moir, Liddle and Roy Chubby Brown).
The “World’s 41st Best Comedian” finishes up with a rant at the audience for not laughing harder at his urinal/flies/slightly racist granddad pay-off. This is where we witness pure Lee — nebulus about whether or not he’s actually angry with us, stirring up some awkward moments where we fear he’s gone off the rails, then finding his groove and spouting some truly ingenious, off-the-cuff lines about sharing the stage with the ghosts of unappreciated vaudeville acts. “It wasn’t drugs or depression that killed Robin Williams,” Lee screams at us at one point, “It was people like you!” But it’s no good — the more he lays into his audience, the more they adore him.
It’s apt, considering the opening subject matter, that by the end of tonight, Stewart Lee’s audience is collectively wetting itself.
Hiewy, Youtube
Hiewy, Youtube
Z-factor, Twitter.
Z-factor, Twitter.
Ishamayura Byrd, Twitter
Ishamayura Byrd, Twitter
Kozzy06, Youtube
Kozzy06, Youtube
Liam Travitt, Twitter
Liam Travitt, Twitter
John Robins, Comedian
John Robins, Comedian
Lucinda Locketts, Twitter
Lucinda Locketts, Twitter
Mrdavisn01, Twitter
Mrdavisn01, Twitter
Genghis McKahn, Guardian.co.uk
Genghis McKahn, Guardian.co.uk
Meninblack, Twitter
Meninblack, Twitter
Sweeping Curves, Twitter
Sweeping Curves, Twitter
Esme Folley, Actress, cellist, Twitter
Esme Folley, Actress, cellist, Twitter
Pnethor, pne-online.com
Pnethor, pne-online.com
Idrie, Youtube
Idrie, Youtube
Whoiscuriousgeorge, Youtube
Whoiscuriousgeorge, Youtube
Brendon, Vauxhallownersnetwork.co.uk
Brendon, Vauxhallownersnetwork.co.uk
DVDhth's grandparents, Twitter
DVDhth's grandparents, Twitter
12dgdgdgdgdgdg, Youtube
12dgdgdgdgdgdg, Youtube
Meanstreetelite, Peoplesrepublicofcork
Meanstreetelite, Peoplesrepublicofcork
Fowkes81, Twitter
Fowkes81, Twitter
GRTak, finalgear.com
GRTak, finalgear.com
Peter Ould, Youtube
Peter Ould, Youtube
Alex Quarmby, Edfringe.com
Alex Quarmby, Edfringe.com
Deepbass, Guardian.co.uk
Deepbass, Guardian.co.uk
Carla, St Albans, Dailymail.co.uk
Carla, St Albans, Dailymail.co.uk
Birmingham Sunday Mercury
Birmingham Sunday Mercury
Bosco239, youtube
Bosco239, youtube
Dick Socrates, Twitter
Dick Socrates, Twitter
Horatio Melvin, Twitter
Horatio Melvin, Twitter
Secretdeveloper, Youtube
Secretdeveloper, Youtube
Neolab, Guardian.co.uk
Neolab, Guardian.co.uk
Mini-x2, readytogo.net
Mini-x2, readytogo.net
Tweeter Kyriakou, Twitter
Tweeter Kyriakou, Twitter
Wharto15, Twitter
Wharto15, Twitter
Mpf1947, Youtube
Mpf1947, Youtube
Lenny Darksphere, Twitter
Lenny Darksphere, Twitter
Lents, redandwhitekop.com
Lents, redandwhitekop.com
Anamatronix, Youtube
Anamatronix, Youtube
Brighton Argus
Brighton Argus
Chez, Chortle.com
Chez, Chortle.com
Maninabananasuit, Guardian.co.uk
Maninabananasuit, Guardian.co.uk
Jamespearse, Twitter
Jamespearse, Twitter
Pudabaya, Twitter
Pudabaya, Twitter
Anon, BBC Complaints Log
Anon, BBC Complaints Log
Frankie Boyle, Comedian
Frankie Boyle, Comedian
Peter Fears, Twitter
Peter Fears, Twitter
Danazawa, Youtube
Danazawa, Youtube
Aaron, comedy.co.uk
Aaron, comedy.co.uk
Iain, eatenbymissionaries
Iain, eatenbymissionaries
Gwaites, Digitalspy
Gwaites, Digitalspy
World Without End, Twitter
World Without End, Twitter
Leach Juice, Twitter
Leach Juice, Twitter
Slothy Matt, Twitter
Slothy Matt, Twitter
Cojones2, Guardian.co.uk
Cojones2, Guardian.co.uk
Dominic Cavendish, Telegraph
Dominic Cavendish, Telegraph
NevW47479, UKTV.co.uk
NevW47479, UKTV.co.uk
Tokyofist, Youtube
Tokyofist, Youtube
Anon, westhamonline.com
Anon, westhamonline.com
Pirate Crocodile, Twitter
Pirate Crocodile, Twitter
Al Murray, Comedian
Al Murray, Comedian
Stuart, Chortle
Stuart, Chortle
Len Firewood, Twitter
Len Firewood, Twitter
Lee Mack, Mack The Life, 2012
Lee Mack, Mack The Life, 2012
A D Ward, Twitter
A D Ward, Twitter
Rudeness, Youtube
Rudeness, Youtube
Tres Ryan, Twitter
Tres Ryan, Twitter
Dave Wilson, Chortle.com
Dave Wilson, Chortle.com
Coxy, Dontstartmeoff.com
Coxy, Dontstartmeoff.com
Tweeterkiryakou, Twitter
Tweeterkiryakou, Twitter
Foxfoxton, Youtube
Foxfoxton, Youtube
Keilloh, Twitter
Keilloh, Twitter
Visualiser1, Twitter
Visualiser1, Twitter
Henry Howard Fun, Twitter
Henry Howard Fun, Twitter
Zombie Hamster, Twitter
Zombie Hamster, Twitter
Fairy Pingu, Twitter
Fairy Pingu, Twitter
Gmanthedemon, bbc.co.uk
Gmanthedemon, bbc.co.uk
Johnny Kitkat, dontstartmeoff.com
Johnny Kitkat, dontstartmeoff.com
Nicetime, Guardian.co.uk
Nicetime, Guardian.co.uk
Anonymous, don'tstartmeoff.com
Anonymous, don'tstartmeoff.com
Shane, Beverley, Dailymail.co.uk
Shane, Beverley, Dailymail.co.uk
Rowing Rob, Guardian.co.uk
Rowing Rob, Guardian.co.uk
Funday’schild, youtube.
Funday’schild, youtube.
Shit Crit, Twitter
Shit Crit, Twitter
James Dellingpole, Daily Telegraph
James Dellingpole, Daily Telegraph
Richard Herring, Comedian
Richard Herring, Comedian
Dahoum, Guardian.co.uk
Dahoum, Guardian.co.uk
Patrick Kavanagh, Guardian.co.uk
Patrick Kavanagh, Guardian.co.uk
FBC, finalgear.com
FBC, finalgear.com
Neva2busy, dontstartmeoff.com
Neva2busy, dontstartmeoff.com
98rosjon, Twitter
98rosjon, Twitter
Rubyshoes, Twitter
Rubyshoes, Twitter
Joe, Independent.co.uk
Joe, Independent.co.uk
Borathigh5, Youtube
Borathigh5, Youtube
Yukio Mishima, dontstartmeoff.com
Yukio Mishima, dontstartmeoff.com
Carcrazychica, Youtube
Carcrazychica, Youtube
Jackmumf, Twitter
Jackmumf, Twitter
Cyberbloke, Twitter
Cyberbloke, Twitter
Cabluigi, Guardian.co.uk
Cabluigi, Guardian.co.uk
Spanner, dontstartmeoff.com
Spanner, dontstartmeoff.com
Alwyn, Digiguide.tv
Alwyn, Digiguide.tv
Emilyistrendy, Youtube
Emilyistrendy, Youtube
Dominic Cavendish, Daily Telegraph
Dominic Cavendish, Daily Telegraph
Etienne, Chortle.com
Etienne, Chortle.com
Pudabaya, beexcellenttoeachother.com
Pudabaya, beexcellenttoeachother.com
Syhr, breakbeat.co.uk
Syhr, breakbeat.co.uk
Guest1001, Youtube
Guest1001, Youtube
Robert Gavin, Twitter
Robert Gavin, Twitter
Mearecate, Youtube
Mearecate, Youtube
Sidsings000, Youtube
Sidsings000, Youtube
BBC iPlayer edition of discussion of Stewart Lee on A Good Read
BBC iPlayer edition of discussion of Stewart Lee on A Good Read
Bobby Bhoy, Twitter
Bobby Bhoy, Twitter
Tin Frog, Twitter
Tin Frog, Twitter
Joycey, readytogo.net
Joycey, readytogo.net
Aiden Hearn, Twitter
Aiden Hearn, Twitter
Contrapuntal, Twitter
Contrapuntal, Twitter
Karen Laidlaw, Edfringe. com.
Karen Laidlaw, Edfringe. com.
Sam Rooney, Youtube
Sam Rooney, Youtube
Stokeylitfest, Twitter
Stokeylitfest, Twitter
Someoneyoudon'tknow, Chortle.com
Someoneyoudon'tknow, Chortle.com
Microcuts 22, Twitter
Microcuts 22, Twitter
Anonymous, The Northfield Patriot
Anonymous, The Northfield Patriot
General Lurko 36, Guardian.co.uk
General Lurko 36, Guardian.co.uk
Anon, dontstartmeoff.com
Anon, dontstartmeoff.com
Peter Ould, Twitter
Peter Ould, Twitter
Gabrielle, Chortle.com
Gabrielle, Chortle.com
Clampdown59, Twitter.
Clampdown59, Twitter.
Guest, Dontstartmeoff.com
Guest, Dontstartmeoff.com
Lancethrustworthy, Youtube
Lancethrustworthy, Youtube
Joskins, Leeds Music Forum
Joskins, Leeds Music Forum