Stewart Lee’s comedy vehicle looks like a clown car.
His show appears to be a stand-up gig in a nightclub, with added sketches, and Stewart Lee himself looks like a middle-aged man in a suit that’s straining at the buttons. It’s not a comedy suit though, like Harry Hill’s trademark collars.
It’s more like the suit of a man who was surprised to find his old jacket didn’t fit any more but decided there was no point in buying a new one because he’s been the same size all of his life.
I mention the suit because Stewart Lee, who went from Fist Of Fun to penning Jerry Springer The Opera, is 40 now. A difficult age when, if he’s not careful, stand-up patter starts to sound like a one-man edition of Grumpy Old Men – or just plain envy.
Each week on his show Lee will be bitching about something. Tonight, it’s books – specifically celebrity hardbacks, the tragic lives genre, Dan Brown – whatever sells by the shed-load.
Reading between the lines, Lee might just be really peeved that his own debut novel didn’t match the dizzying sales figures enjoyed by the likes of Chris Moyles or Jeremy Clarkson. No wonder he can’t stick Harry Potter.
“I’ve read the complete works of the romantic poet and visionary William Blake!” he blurts out at one point. You half-expect him to grab the cameraman by the lapels and scream: “I went to Oxford!!”
Fortunately, most of the time, Lee is very funny. As funny as Moyles though?
Watch and decide for yourself.
Alex Quarmby, Edfringe.com
Alex Quarmby, Edfringe.com
Contrapuntal, Twitter
Contrapuntal, Twitter
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Ishamayura Byrd, Twitter
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Bosco239, youtube
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Zombie Hamster, Twitter
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Birmingham Sunday Mercury
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Lents, redandwhitekop.com
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Mini-x2, readytogo.net
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Rowing Rob, Guardian.co.uk
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Sweeping Curves, Twitter
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Dominic Cavendish, Daily Telegraph
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Sam Rooney, Youtube
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98rosjon, Twitter
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Aaron, comedy.co.uk
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Iain, eatenbymissionaries
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Yukio Mishima, dontstartmeoff.com
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Patrick Kavanagh, Guardian.co.uk
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Brighton Argus
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Shane, Beverley, Dailymail.co.uk
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James Dellingpole, Daily Telegraph
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Aiden Hearn, Twitter
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Tweeter Kyriakou, Twitter
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Lee Mack, Mack The Life, 2012
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Anamatronix, Youtube
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Joe, Independent.co.uk
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General Lurko 36, Guardian.co.uk
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Peter Fears, Twitter
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Spanner, dontstartmeoff.com
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Anon, westhamonline.com
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Len Firewood, Twitter
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Neva2busy, dontstartmeoff.com
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FBC, finalgear.com
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Liam Travitt, Twitter
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John Robins, Comedian
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A D Ward, Twitter
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Dominic Cavendish, Telegraph
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Cabluigi, Guardian.co.uk
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Nicetime, Guardian.co.uk
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Johnny Kitkat, dontstartmeoff.com
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Pudabaya, beexcellenttoeachother.com
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Wharto15, Twitter
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Robert Gavin, Twitter
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Meanstreetelite, Peoplesrepublicofcork
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Slothy Matt, Twitter
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Al Murray, Comedian
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Anon, BBC Complaints Log
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Peter Ould, Twitter
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Maninabananasuit, Guardian.co.uk
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Gmanthedemon, bbc.co.uk
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Lenny Darksphere, Twitter
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Keilloh, Twitter
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Someoneyoudon'tknow, Chortle.com
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Hiewy, Youtube
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Joskins, Leeds Music Forum
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Dave Wilson, Chortle.com
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GRTak, finalgear.com
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Genghis McKahn, Guardian.co.uk
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Peter Ould, Youtube
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Richard Herring, Comedian
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Lucinda Locketts, Twitter
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DVDhth's grandparents, Twitter
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Cyberbloke, Twitter
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Whoiscuriousgeorge, Youtube
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Anonymous, The Northfield Patriot
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Meninblack, Twitter
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Tin Frog, 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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Karen Laidlaw, Edfringe. com.
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Kozzy06, Youtube
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Z-factor, Twitter.
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Carcrazychica, Youtube
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Microcuts 22, Twitter