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