Having spent most of his career performing in low-key art centres around the country, Stewart Lee now has the misfortune of enjoying relative commercial success. As he acknowledges at the beginning of ‘A Room with a Stew’, Colston Hall is packed out with two very different audiences for his show.
There are the liberal middle classes in the front stalls who have been getting off on his sneering comic persona for years (‘the vegetarian restaurants of Bristol will be empty tonight’), but there is now also a new batch of fans to consider as well: the people who saw him for five minutes on television and decided to come with their friends, the kind of people who otherwise ‘go to see Lee Nelson live’.
what does an alternative comedian do once they have made it mainstream?
Of course, Lee vastly exaggerates this audience divide – some of the evening’s biggest laughs are drawn from these ‘new fans’ whenever he mockingly gestures to them in the dress circle – but the problem he poses seems real enough: what does an alternative comedian do once they have made it mainstream?
Drier than a Sainsbury’s Basics roast chicken, this identity crisis is placed at the very centre of ‘A Room with a Stew’ and explored with an ultra-self-consciousness bound to surprise even the most seasoned fans. ‘No one’s equipped to review me’, that is, no one except Stewart Lee himself. His routine is littered with introspection, self-parody, and analysis of jokes both before and after they have been made: ‘See, what these young comics don’t understand is that you’ve got to do the apology before the joke… not two weeks later on Newsnight in a turtleneck’.
No one can escape the cross-hair of his comedy
And causing offense is certainly an issue which occupies Lee as a ‘politically correct liberal’. The first half of the gig is geared around a very carefully constructed and deliberately longwinded joke meant to appease his Daily Mail critics who complain that there is ‘not enough Islamophobia in his act’. Lee knows he is tiptoeing along an ideological tightrope, but it is a gag diluted with so much irony that he manages to place both raging bigots and wincing progressives at its butt: ‘That’s what I want; a whole arena of uncomfortable fans saying “I’m not sure if that’s okay. It’s a very complicated issue”’.
Is there is a line which comedians have to remain cautious of not crossing? If there is, then Lee dances on it, crosses it out, and redraws it elsewhere before leaping right across. No one can escape the cross-hair of his comedy; not the fans; not other comics; and especially not ‘the Paul Nuttalls of UKIP’. Whilst the self-deprecating, existential crisis material never fails to solicit a response, Lee is much better as a social commentator with a sense of humour. Such material has built up his reputation as chief literati funnyman and, assuming he sticks with it, will guarantee that he never plays a half-empty regional art centre again.
Stars: ★★★★
Stokeylitfest, Twitter
Stokeylitfest, Twitter
Lee Mack, Mack The Life, 2012
Lee Mack, Mack The Life, 2012
Fairy Pingu, Twitter
Fairy Pingu, Twitter
Carla, St Albans, Dailymail.co.uk
Carla, St Albans, Dailymail.co.uk
Aiden Hearn, Twitter
Aiden Hearn, Twitter
Cojones2, Guardian.co.uk
Cojones2, Guardian.co.uk
Rudeness, Youtube
Rudeness, Youtube
Z-factor, Twitter.
Z-factor, Twitter.
Mpf1947, Youtube
Mpf1947, Youtube
Nicetime, Guardian.co.uk
Nicetime, Guardian.co.uk
Tres Ryan, Twitter
Tres Ryan, Twitter
Karen Laidlaw, Edfringe. com.
Karen Laidlaw, Edfringe. com.
Yukio Mishima, dontstartmeoff.com
Yukio Mishima, dontstartmeoff.com
Spanner, dontstartmeoff.com
Spanner, dontstartmeoff.com
Lucinda Locketts, Twitter
Lucinda Locketts, Twitter
Cyberbloke, Twitter
Cyberbloke, Twitter
Lents, redandwhitekop.com
Lents, redandwhitekop.com
Joycey, readytogo.net
Joycey, readytogo.net
Tin Frog, Twitter
Tin Frog, Twitter
Emilyistrendy, Youtube
Emilyistrendy, Youtube
Carcrazychica, Youtube
Carcrazychica, Youtube
Someoneyoudon'tknow, Chortle.com
Someoneyoudon'tknow, Chortle.com
Peter Ould, Youtube
Peter Ould, Youtube
Chez, Chortle.com
Chez, Chortle.com
Anonymous, The Northfield Patriot
Anonymous, The Northfield Patriot
Brendon, Vauxhallownersnetwork.co.uk
Brendon, Vauxhallownersnetwork.co.uk
Etienne, Chortle.com
Etienne, Chortle.com
Anonymous, don'tstartmeoff.com
Anonymous, don'tstartmeoff.com
Gwaites, Digitalspy
Gwaites, Digitalspy
Cabluigi, Guardian.co.uk
Cabluigi, Guardian.co.uk
Danazawa, Youtube
Danazawa, Youtube
Shane, Beverley, Dailymail.co.uk
Shane, Beverley, Dailymail.co.uk
Gmanthedemon, bbc.co.uk
Gmanthedemon, bbc.co.uk
Dominic Cavendish, Telegraph
Dominic Cavendish, Telegraph
John Robins, Comedian
John Robins, Comedian
Patrick Kavanagh, Guardian.co.uk
Patrick Kavanagh, Guardian.co.uk
Meninblack, Twitter
Meninblack, Twitter
Johnny Kitkat, dontstartmeoff.com
Johnny Kitkat, dontstartmeoff.com
Whoiscuriousgeorge, Youtube
Whoiscuriousgeorge, Youtube
Mrdavisn01, Twitter
Mrdavisn01, Twitter
Maninabananasuit, Guardian.co.uk
Maninabananasuit, Guardian.co.uk
Henry Howard Fun, Twitter
Henry Howard Fun, Twitter
Len Firewood, Twitter
Len Firewood, Twitter
Sweeping Curves, Twitter
Sweeping Curves, Twitter
Meanstreetelite, Peoplesrepublicofcork
Meanstreetelite, Peoplesrepublicofcork
Anamatronix, Youtube
Anamatronix, Youtube
Lenny Darksphere, Twitter
Lenny Darksphere, Twitter
GRTak, finalgear.com
GRTak, finalgear.com
Jackmumf, Twitter
Jackmumf, Twitter
98rosjon, Twitter
98rosjon, Twitter
Bosco239, youtube
Bosco239, youtube
Pudabaya, beexcellenttoeachother.com
Pudabaya, beexcellenttoeachother.com
Coxy, Dontstartmeoff.com
Coxy, Dontstartmeoff.com
Shit Crit, Twitter
Shit Crit, Twitter
NevW47479, UKTV.co.uk
NevW47479, UKTV.co.uk
Tweeter Kyriakou, Twitter
Tweeter Kyriakou, Twitter
Foxfoxton, Youtube
Foxfoxton, Youtube
Sam Rooney, Youtube
Sam Rooney, Youtube
Anon, BBC Complaints Log
Anon, BBC Complaints Log
Neolab, Guardian.co.uk
Neolab, Guardian.co.uk
Brighton Argus
Brighton Argus
Robert Gavin, Twitter
Robert Gavin, Twitter
Esme Folley, Actress, cellist, Twitter
Esme Folley, Actress, cellist, Twitter
Dave Wilson, Chortle.com
Dave Wilson, Chortle.com
Leach Juice, Twitter
Leach Juice, Twitter
Guest, Dontstartmeoff.com
Guest, Dontstartmeoff.com
Joe, Independent.co.uk
Joe, Independent.co.uk
FBC, finalgear.com
FBC, finalgear.com
Birmingham Sunday Mercury
Birmingham Sunday Mercury
Peter Fears, Twitter
Peter Fears, Twitter
Borathigh5, Youtube
Borathigh5, Youtube
Anon, dontstartmeoff.com
Anon, dontstartmeoff.com
Keilloh, Twitter
Keilloh, Twitter
Richard Herring, Comedian
Richard Herring, Comedian
Hiewy, Youtube
Hiewy, Youtube
Contrapuntal, Twitter
Contrapuntal, Twitter
Tweeterkiryakou, Twitter
Tweeterkiryakou, Twitter
Gabrielle, Chortle.com
Gabrielle, Chortle.com
Fowkes81, Twitter
Fowkes81, Twitter
Stuart, Chortle
Stuart, Chortle
Microcuts 22, Twitter
Microcuts 22, Twitter
Bobby Bhoy, Twitter
Bobby Bhoy, Twitter
Deepbass, Guardian.co.uk
Deepbass, Guardian.co.uk
Kozzy06, Youtube
Kozzy06, Youtube
A D Ward, Twitter
A D Ward, Twitter
Liam Travitt, Twitter
Liam Travitt, Twitter
Clampdown59, Twitter.
Clampdown59, Twitter.
Pirate Crocodile, Twitter
Pirate Crocodile, Twitter
Aaron, comedy.co.uk
Aaron, comedy.co.uk
Horatio Melvin, Twitter
Horatio Melvin, Twitter
Slothy Matt, Twitter
Slothy Matt, Twitter
Guest1001, Youtube
Guest1001, Youtube
Pnethor, pne-online.com
Pnethor, pne-online.com
Iain, eatenbymissionaries
Iain, eatenbymissionaries
BBC iPlayer edition of discussion of Stewart Lee on A Good Read
BBC iPlayer edition of discussion of Stewart Lee on A Good Read
Lancethrustworthy, Youtube
Lancethrustworthy, Youtube
Funday’schild, youtube.
Funday’schild, youtube.
Syhr, breakbeat.co.uk
Syhr, breakbeat.co.uk
Visualiser1, Twitter
Visualiser1, Twitter
Wharto15, Twitter
Wharto15, Twitter
World Without End, Twitter
World Without End, Twitter
Dahoum, Guardian.co.uk
Dahoum, Guardian.co.uk
Mearecate, Youtube
Mearecate, Youtube
Alwyn, Digiguide.tv
Alwyn, Digiguide.tv
Anon, westhamonline.com
Anon, westhamonline.com
Rowing Rob, Guardian.co.uk
Rowing Rob, Guardian.co.uk
James Dellingpole, Daily Telegraph
James Dellingpole, Daily Telegraph
Ishamayura Byrd, Twitter
Ishamayura Byrd, Twitter
Rubyshoes, Twitter
Rubyshoes, Twitter
Idrie, Youtube
Idrie, Youtube
Mini-x2, readytogo.net
Mini-x2, readytogo.net
Neva2busy, dontstartmeoff.com
Neva2busy, dontstartmeoff.com
General Lurko 36, Guardian.co.uk
General Lurko 36, Guardian.co.uk
Tokyofist, Youtube
Tokyofist, Youtube
Jamespearse, Twitter
Jamespearse, Twitter
Frankie Boyle, Comedian
Frankie Boyle, Comedian
Alex Quarmby, Edfringe.com
Alex Quarmby, Edfringe.com
Dick Socrates, Twitter
Dick Socrates, Twitter
Pudabaya, Twitter
Pudabaya, Twitter
Zombie Hamster, Twitter
Zombie Hamster, Twitter
Secretdeveloper, Youtube
Secretdeveloper, Youtube
DVDhth's grandparents, Twitter
DVDhth's grandparents, Twitter
Peter Ould, Twitter
Peter Ould, Twitter
Joskins, Leeds Music Forum
Joskins, Leeds Music Forum
Dominic Cavendish, Daily Telegraph
Dominic Cavendish, Daily Telegraph
Al Murray, Comedian
Al Murray, Comedian
Sidsings000, Youtube
Sidsings000, Youtube
12dgdgdgdgdgdg, Youtube
12dgdgdgdgdgdg, Youtube
Genghis McKahn, Guardian.co.uk
Genghis McKahn, Guardian.co.uk