“You’ve worked me out… I’m just looking at an object and being sarcastic about it,” says Stewart Lee, breaking down his set to a finely tuned analytical degree, having just looked at and been sarcastic about both Franklyn Ajaye’s 1974 album I’m A Comedian, Seriously and Chris Moyles’ autobiography The Tough Second Book. “And I’ve made a decent twenty-year career out of doing that.”
Of course, Lee has done much more than take cheap shots at minor celebrities. Much more. This is the man who gave the world Jerry Springer: The Opera and incurred the wrath of the God-squad; the man whose set 90s Comedian is heralded as an all-time classic; and the man who can stretch a single joke out across an hour and keep a room full of people doubled over in laughter. In short, Stewart Lee is one of the finest comedians that Britain has ever produced.
This year’s set is another exemplary hour of wonderful stand-up-cum-social-commentary. Lee is an immaculate performer: self-aware, varied, intelligent and relevant. His material combines an analysis of the mundane while fitting it expertly into a wider social context. His apparently disparate set is finally tied together under the grander theme of railing against a society that is culturally and intellectually in rapid decline. And the reason that he is so important is that his target is a valid one – in our market-economy, where the consumer is king, Lee does not lazily blame politicians. He knows who is really at fault. Us.
Lee’s genius, though, is in never being preachy, condescending or even particularly overt. The stories he tells early on plant the seed of an idea and it’s not until the set’s climax that you understand the full picture that he is trying to show – that you see each set-piece in its relation to the whole. This is a stunningly affecting, memorable performance from one of the few comic greats in Edinburgh this year.
Lucinda Locketts, Twitter
Lucinda Locketts, Twitter
Gwaites, Digitalspy
Gwaites, Digitalspy
Liam Travitt, Twitter
Liam Travitt, Twitter
Pudabaya, beexcellenttoeachother.com
Pudabaya, beexcellenttoeachother.com
Wharto15, Twitter
Wharto15, Twitter
Pudabaya, Twitter
Pudabaya, Twitter
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Nicetime, Guardian.co.uk
Alex Quarmby, Edfringe.com
Alex Quarmby, Edfringe.com
Sweeping Curves, Twitter
Sweeping Curves, Twitter
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Henry Howard Fun, Twitter
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Shane, Beverley, Dailymail.co.uk
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Cyberbloke, Twitter
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Meninblack, Twitter
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Anon, westhamonline.com
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Peter Ould, Twitter
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Rudeness, Youtube
12dgdgdgdgdgdg, Youtube
12dgdgdgdgdgdg, Youtube
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DVDhth's grandparents, Twitter
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General Lurko 36, Guardian.co.uk
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98rosjon, Twitter
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Gmanthedemon, bbc.co.uk
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Alwyn, Digiguide.tv
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World Without End, Twitter
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Etienne, Chortle.com
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Deepbass, Guardian.co.uk
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Mini-x2, readytogo.net
Birmingham Sunday Mercury
Birmingham Sunday Mercury
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Mearecate, Youtube
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Pnethor, pne-online.com
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Patrick Kavanagh, Guardian.co.uk
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Coxy, Dontstartmeoff.com
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Gabrielle, Chortle.com
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Stuart, Chortle
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Johnny Kitkat, dontstartmeoff.com
Stokeylitfest, Twitter
Stokeylitfest, Twitter
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Maninabananasuit, Guardian.co.uk
Dominic Cavendish, Telegraph
Dominic Cavendish, Telegraph
BBC iPlayer edition of discussion of Stewart Lee on A Good Read
BBC iPlayer edition of discussion of Stewart Lee on A Good Read
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Richard Herring, Comedian
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Horatio Melvin, Twitter
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Clampdown59, Twitter.
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Lenny Darksphere, Twitter
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Carla, St Albans, Dailymail.co.uk
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Joycey, readytogo.net
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Lee Mack, Mack The Life, 2012
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Dick Socrates, Twitter
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Dave Wilson, Chortle.com
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Robert Gavin, Twitter
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Cojones2, Guardian.co.uk
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Pirate Crocodile, Twitter
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Someoneyoudon'tknow, Chortle.com
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Hiewy, Youtube
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Tres Ryan, Twitter
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Anonymous, The Northfield Patriot
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Jamespearse, Twitter
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Slothy Matt, Twitter
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Contrapuntal, Twitter
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Anon, dontstartmeoff.com
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Cabluigi, Guardian.co.uk
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Fairy Pingu, Twitter
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Secretdeveloper, Youtube
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Esme Folley, Actress, cellist, Twitter
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Aaron, comedy.co.uk
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Brendon, Vauxhallownersnetwork.co.uk
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Keilloh, Twitter
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Aiden Hearn, Twitter
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Bobby Bhoy, Twitter
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Frankie Boyle, Comedian
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NevW47479, UKTV.co.uk
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Danazawa, Youtube
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Meanstreetelite, Peoplesrepublicofcork
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Lancethrustworthy, Youtube
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Tokyofist, Youtube
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James Dellingpole, Daily Telegraph
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John Robins, Comedian
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Borathigh5, Youtube
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Funday’schild, youtube.
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Spanner, dontstartmeoff.com
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Sidsings000, Youtube
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Neolab, Guardian.co.uk
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Kozzy06, Youtube
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Neva2busy, dontstartmeoff.com
Zombie Hamster, Twitter
Zombie Hamster, Twitter
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Al Murray, Comedian
A D Ward, Twitter
A D Ward, Twitter
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Dahoum, Guardian.co.uk
GRTak, finalgear.com
GRTak, finalgear.com
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Rubyshoes, Twitter
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FBC, finalgear.com
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Jackmumf, Twitter
Microcuts 22, Twitter
Microcuts 22, Twitter
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Visualiser1, Twitter
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Tin Frog, Twitter
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Fowkes81, Twitter
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Len Firewood, Twitter
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Yukio Mishima, dontstartmeoff.com
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Chez, Chortle.com
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Carcrazychica, Youtube
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Iain, eatenbymissionaries
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Guest1001, Youtube
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Lents, redandwhitekop.com
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Karen Laidlaw, Edfringe. com.
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Peter Fears, Twitter
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Shit Crit, Twitter
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Anamatronix, Youtube
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Ishamayura Byrd, Twitter
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Z-factor, Twitter.
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Joskins, Leeds Music Forum
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Emilyistrendy, Youtube
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Sam Rooney, Youtube
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Rowing Rob, Guardian.co.uk
Anon, BBC Complaints Log
Anon, BBC Complaints Log
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Mpf1947, Youtube
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Leach Juice, Twitter
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Bosco239, youtube
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Foxfoxton, Youtube
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Mrdavisn01, Twitter
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Peter Ould, Youtube
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Anonymous, don'tstartmeoff.com
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Idrie, Youtube
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Syhr, breakbeat.co.uk
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Tweeterkiryakou, Twitter
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Dominic Cavendish, Daily Telegraph
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Tweeter Kyriakou, Twitter
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Whoiscuriousgeorge, Youtube
Brighton Argus
Brighton Argus
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Genghis McKahn, Guardian.co.uk
Joe, Independent.co.uk
Joe, Independent.co.uk
Guest, Dontstartmeoff.com
Guest, Dontstartmeoff.com