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