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: ★★★★
Yukio Mishima, dontstartmeoff.com
Yukio Mishima, dontstartmeoff.com
Jackmumf, Twitter
Jackmumf, Twitter
Stuart, Chortle
Stuart, Chortle
Shit Crit, Twitter
Shit Crit, Twitter
GRTak, finalgear.com
GRTak, finalgear.com
Gabrielle, Chortle.com
Gabrielle, Chortle.com
Visualiser1, Twitter
Visualiser1, Twitter
Mearecate, Youtube
Mearecate, Youtube
Keilloh, Twitter
Keilloh, Twitter
Tres Ryan, Twitter
Tres Ryan, Twitter
Guest, Dontstartmeoff.com
Guest, Dontstartmeoff.com
Cojones2, Guardian.co.uk
Cojones2, Guardian.co.uk
Funday’schild, youtube.
Funday’schild, youtube.
Frankie Boyle, Comedian
Frankie Boyle, Comedian
Lenny Darksphere, Twitter
Lenny Darksphere, Twitter
Maninabananasuit, Guardian.co.uk
Maninabananasuit, Guardian.co.uk
Len Firewood, Twitter
Len Firewood, Twitter
98rosjon, Twitter
98rosjon, Twitter
Henry Howard Fun, Twitter
Henry Howard Fun, Twitter
Gmanthedemon, bbc.co.uk
Gmanthedemon, bbc.co.uk
Mrdavisn01, Twitter
Mrdavisn01, Twitter
Rowing Rob, Guardian.co.uk
Rowing Rob, Guardian.co.uk
Slothy Matt, Twitter
Slothy Matt, Twitter
Brighton Argus
Brighton Argus
Rubyshoes, Twitter
Rubyshoes, Twitter
Lee Mack, Mack The Life, 2012
Lee Mack, Mack The Life, 2012
Dominic Cavendish, Telegraph
Dominic Cavendish, Telegraph
Whoiscuriousgeorge, Youtube
Whoiscuriousgeorge, Youtube
Lents, redandwhitekop.com
Lents, redandwhitekop.com
Fowkes81, Twitter
Fowkes81, Twitter
Alex Quarmby, Edfringe.com
Alex Quarmby, Edfringe.com
Neolab, Guardian.co.uk
Neolab, Guardian.co.uk
James Dellingpole, Daily Telegraph
James Dellingpole, Daily Telegraph
Bobby Bhoy, Twitter
Bobby Bhoy, Twitter
Foxfoxton, Youtube
Foxfoxton, Youtube
Mpf1947, Youtube
Mpf1947, Youtube
Liam Travitt, Twitter
Liam Travitt, Twitter
Stokeylitfest, Twitter
Stokeylitfest, Twitter
Tokyofist, Youtube
Tokyofist, Youtube
Peter Ould, Twitter
Peter Ould, Twitter
DVDhth's grandparents, Twitter
DVDhth's grandparents, Twitter
Aiden Hearn, Twitter
Aiden Hearn, Twitter
Iain, eatenbymissionaries
Iain, eatenbymissionaries
Birmingham Sunday Mercury
Birmingham Sunday Mercury
Zombie Hamster, Twitter
Zombie Hamster, Twitter
Lancethrustworthy, Youtube
Lancethrustworthy, Youtube
Shane, Beverley, Dailymail.co.uk
Shane, Beverley, Dailymail.co.uk
Carcrazychica, Youtube
Carcrazychica, Youtube
Richard Herring, Comedian
Richard Herring, Comedian
Spanner, dontstartmeoff.com
Spanner, dontstartmeoff.com
Carla, St Albans, Dailymail.co.uk
Carla, St Albans, Dailymail.co.uk
Jamespearse, Twitter
Jamespearse, Twitter
Fairy Pingu, Twitter
Fairy Pingu, Twitter
FBC, finalgear.com
FBC, finalgear.com
Etienne, Chortle.com
Etienne, Chortle.com
Pudabaya, beexcellenttoeachother.com
Pudabaya, beexcellenttoeachother.com
Leach Juice, Twitter
Leach Juice, Twitter
Anonymous, The Northfield Patriot
Anonymous, The Northfield Patriot
Anonymous, don'tstartmeoff.com
Anonymous, don'tstartmeoff.com
Tweeterkiryakou, Twitter
Tweeterkiryakou, Twitter
Joe, Independent.co.uk
Joe, Independent.co.uk
Sweeping Curves, Twitter
Sweeping Curves, Twitter
Z-factor, Twitter.
Z-factor, Twitter.
Robert Gavin, Twitter
Robert Gavin, Twitter
General Lurko 36, Guardian.co.uk
General Lurko 36, Guardian.co.uk
Anamatronix, Youtube
Anamatronix, Youtube
Alwyn, Digiguide.tv
Alwyn, Digiguide.tv
Cabluigi, Guardian.co.uk
Cabluigi, Guardian.co.uk
A D Ward, Twitter
A D Ward, Twitter
Danazawa, Youtube
Danazawa, Youtube
Secretdeveloper, Youtube
Secretdeveloper, Youtube
Guest1001, Youtube
Guest1001, Youtube
Tin Frog, Twitter
Tin Frog, Twitter
Chez, Chortle.com
Chez, Chortle.com
Deepbass, Guardian.co.uk
Deepbass, Guardian.co.uk
Hiewy, Youtube
Hiewy, Youtube
Esme Folley, Actress, cellist, Twitter
Esme Folley, Actress, cellist, Twitter
12dgdgdgdgdgdg, Youtube
12dgdgdgdgdgdg, Youtube
Joskins, Leeds Music Forum
Joskins, Leeds Music Forum
Brendon, Vauxhallownersnetwork.co.uk
Brendon, Vauxhallownersnetwork.co.uk
BBC iPlayer edition of discussion of Stewart Lee on A Good Read
BBC iPlayer edition of discussion of Stewart Lee on A Good Read
Ishamayura Byrd, Twitter
Ishamayura Byrd, Twitter
Anon, westhamonline.com
Anon, westhamonline.com
Kozzy06, Youtube
Kozzy06, Youtube
Lucinda Locketts, Twitter
Lucinda Locketts, Twitter
Dahoum, Guardian.co.uk
Dahoum, Guardian.co.uk
Coxy, Dontstartmeoff.com
Coxy, Dontstartmeoff.com
Bosco239, youtube
Bosco239, youtube
Pirate Crocodile, Twitter
Pirate Crocodile, Twitter
Karen Laidlaw, Edfringe. com.
Karen Laidlaw, Edfringe. com.
Idrie, Youtube
Idrie, Youtube
Mini-x2, readytogo.net
Mini-x2, readytogo.net
Tweeter Kyriakou, Twitter
Tweeter Kyriakou, Twitter
Aaron, comedy.co.uk
Aaron, comedy.co.uk
Peter Ould, Youtube
Peter Ould, Youtube
Syhr, breakbeat.co.uk
Syhr, breakbeat.co.uk
Dick Socrates, Twitter
Dick Socrates, Twitter
Borathigh5, Youtube
Borathigh5, Youtube
Neva2busy, dontstartmeoff.com
Neva2busy, dontstartmeoff.com
Nicetime, Guardian.co.uk
Nicetime, Guardian.co.uk
Horatio Melvin, Twitter
Horatio Melvin, Twitter
Genghis McKahn, Guardian.co.uk
Genghis McKahn, Guardian.co.uk
Gwaites, Digitalspy
Gwaites, Digitalspy
Clampdown59, Twitter.
Clampdown59, Twitter.
Pudabaya, Twitter
Pudabaya, Twitter
Johnny Kitkat, dontstartmeoff.com
Johnny Kitkat, dontstartmeoff.com
Patrick Kavanagh, Guardian.co.uk
Patrick Kavanagh, Guardian.co.uk
NevW47479, UKTV.co.uk
NevW47479, UKTV.co.uk
Rudeness, Youtube
Rudeness, Youtube
Meninblack, Twitter
Meninblack, Twitter
Dave Wilson, Chortle.com
Dave Wilson, Chortle.com
Cyberbloke, Twitter
Cyberbloke, Twitter
Al Murray, Comedian
Al Murray, Comedian
Peter Fears, Twitter
Peter Fears, Twitter
Anon, dontstartmeoff.com
Anon, dontstartmeoff.com
World Without End, Twitter
World Without End, Twitter
Emilyistrendy, Youtube
Emilyistrendy, Youtube
Microcuts 22, Twitter
Microcuts 22, Twitter
Pnethor, pne-online.com
Pnethor, pne-online.com
Dominic Cavendish, Daily Telegraph
Dominic Cavendish, Daily Telegraph
Contrapuntal, Twitter
Contrapuntal, Twitter
Sam Rooney, Youtube
Sam Rooney, Youtube
John Robins, Comedian
John Robins, Comedian
Someoneyoudon'tknow, Chortle.com
Someoneyoudon'tknow, Chortle.com
Wharto15, Twitter
Wharto15, Twitter
Joycey, readytogo.net
Joycey, readytogo.net
Meanstreetelite, Peoplesrepublicofcork
Meanstreetelite, Peoplesrepublicofcork
Sidsings000, Youtube
Sidsings000, Youtube
Anon, BBC Complaints Log
Anon, BBC Complaints Log