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