His performances unfurl like a stroll on a summer’s day: scenery and good companionship take precedence over destination
When praising a comedian it is generally a good idea to quote one of his or her jokes. The trouble with Stewart Lee is that he doesn’t really do gags – at least not in the traditional sense of set-up, fire, reload. His performances unfurl like a long stroll on a summer’s day: scenery and good companionship take precedence over destination, and any laughter seems almost serendipitous. For all of his self-deprecation and apparent hesitancy, Lee is evidently a practised charmer.
So too with the apparent shambling of his act: it is just that, a put-on. In a recent episode of his latest BBC series, Stewart Lee’s Comedy Vehicle, Lee discusses the evolution of modern comedy (something he is an expert on, as revealed in last year’s memoirs How I Escaped My Certain Fate): “What the comedy is now – it’s not like the 80s – what it is now, it’s a load of people and they all hate their electrical appliances.” This jibe about modern comedy’s turn from shouty politics to smug consumerism slowly turns into a riff about how Mr Morphy Richards strives to make toasters that work, then advice on how to return broken toasters.
Yet Lee can also do precise structure, as demonstrated by his sharply observed music journalism and his comedy musical Jerry Springer: The Opera. But let us return to the original question: what is a typical Lee gag? In desperation, this paper turned to the comedian’s publicist.
She could think of only one conventional one-liner ever made by Lee – and he’d bought it from another comedian for a quid. Typical.
Genghis McKahn, Guardian.co.uk
Genghis McKahn, Guardian.co.uk
Carcrazychica, Youtube
Carcrazychica, Youtube
World Without End, Twitter
World Without End, Twitter
Pirate Crocodile, Twitter
Pirate Crocodile, Twitter
Anamatronix, Youtube
Anamatronix, Youtube
A D Ward, Twitter
A D Ward, Twitter
Sweeping Curves, Twitter
Sweeping Curves, Twitter
Karen Laidlaw, Edfringe. com.
Karen Laidlaw, Edfringe. com.
Clampdown59, Twitter.
Clampdown59, Twitter.
Esme Folley, Actress, cellist, Twitter
Esme Folley, Actress, cellist, Twitter
Tweeter Kyriakou, Twitter
Tweeter Kyriakou, Twitter
Danazawa, Youtube
Danazawa, Youtube
Funday’schild, youtube.
Funday’schild, youtube.
Bosco239, youtube
Bosco239, youtube
Yukio Mishima, dontstartmeoff.com
Yukio Mishima, dontstartmeoff.com
Brendon, Vauxhallownersnetwork.co.uk
Brendon, Vauxhallownersnetwork.co.uk
Z-factor, Twitter.
Z-factor, Twitter.
Pudabaya, beexcellenttoeachother.com
Pudabaya, beexcellenttoeachother.com
Dominic Cavendish, Daily Telegraph
Dominic Cavendish, Daily Telegraph
Jamespearse, Twitter
Jamespearse, Twitter
Neva2busy, dontstartmeoff.com
Neva2busy, dontstartmeoff.com
Stokeylitfest, Twitter
Stokeylitfest, Twitter
Jackmumf, Twitter
Jackmumf, Twitter
Tin Frog, Twitter
Tin Frog, Twitter
Anonymous, The Northfield Patriot
Anonymous, The Northfield Patriot
Tres Ryan, Twitter
Tres Ryan, Twitter
Carla, St Albans, Dailymail.co.uk
Carla, St Albans, Dailymail.co.uk
Pudabaya, Twitter
Pudabaya, Twitter
Leach Juice, Twitter
Leach Juice, Twitter
Alex Quarmby, Edfringe.com
Alex Quarmby, Edfringe.com
Deepbass, Guardian.co.uk
Deepbass, Guardian.co.uk
Guest1001, Youtube
Guest1001, Youtube
Guest, Dontstartmeoff.com
Guest, Dontstartmeoff.com
Birmingham Sunday Mercury
Birmingham Sunday Mercury
Dave Wilson, Chortle.com
Dave Wilson, Chortle.com
Secretdeveloper, Youtube
Secretdeveloper, Youtube
Lancethrustworthy, Youtube
Lancethrustworthy, Youtube
Aaron, comedy.co.uk
Aaron, comedy.co.uk
Len Firewood, Twitter
Len Firewood, Twitter
Mrdavisn01, Twitter
Mrdavisn01, Twitter
Shane, Beverley, Dailymail.co.uk
Shane, Beverley, Dailymail.co.uk
Foxfoxton, Youtube
Foxfoxton, Youtube
98rosjon, Twitter
98rosjon, Twitter
Joe, Independent.co.uk
Joe, Independent.co.uk
Coxy, Dontstartmeoff.com
Coxy, Dontstartmeoff.com
Gmanthedemon, bbc.co.uk
Gmanthedemon, bbc.co.uk
Ishamayura Byrd, Twitter
Ishamayura Byrd, Twitter
Alwyn, Digiguide.tv
Alwyn, Digiguide.tv
Anon, BBC Complaints Log
Anon, BBC Complaints Log
Gwaites, Digitalspy
Gwaites, Digitalspy
Tweeterkiryakou, Twitter
Tweeterkiryakou, Twitter
Liam Travitt, Twitter
Liam Travitt, Twitter
Stuart, Chortle
Stuart, Chortle
Robert Gavin, Twitter
Robert Gavin, Twitter
Rowing Rob, Guardian.co.uk
Rowing Rob, Guardian.co.uk
Lee Mack, Mack The Life, 2012
Lee Mack, Mack The Life, 2012
Keilloh, Twitter
Keilloh, Twitter
Maninabananasuit, Guardian.co.uk
Maninabananasuit, Guardian.co.uk
Lucinda Locketts, Twitter
Lucinda Locketts, Twitter
Horatio Melvin, Twitter
Horatio Melvin, Twitter
Meanstreetelite, Peoplesrepublicofcork
Meanstreetelite, Peoplesrepublicofcork
Rubyshoes, Twitter
Rubyshoes, Twitter
Nicetime, Guardian.co.uk
Nicetime, Guardian.co.uk
Idrie, Youtube
Idrie, Youtube
Kozzy06, Youtube
Kozzy06, Youtube
Lenny Darksphere, Twitter
Lenny Darksphere, Twitter
Patrick Kavanagh, Guardian.co.uk
Patrick Kavanagh, Guardian.co.uk
Visualiser1, Twitter
Visualiser1, Twitter
Frankie Boyle, Comedian
Frankie Boyle, Comedian
Meninblack, Twitter
Meninblack, Twitter
12dgdgdgdgdgdg, Youtube
12dgdgdgdgdgdg, Youtube
Aiden Hearn, Twitter
Aiden Hearn, Twitter
Shit Crit, Twitter
Shit Crit, Twitter
Peter Fears, Twitter
Peter Fears, Twitter
Borathigh5, Youtube
Borathigh5, Youtube
Joycey, readytogo.net
Joycey, readytogo.net
Lents, redandwhitekop.com
Lents, redandwhitekop.com
Mpf1947, Youtube
Mpf1947, Youtube
Whoiscuriousgeorge, Youtube
Whoiscuriousgeorge, Youtube
Peter Ould, Youtube
Peter Ould, Youtube
Bobby Bhoy, Twitter
Bobby Bhoy, Twitter
Zombie Hamster, Twitter
Zombie Hamster, Twitter
Cojones2, Guardian.co.uk
Cojones2, Guardian.co.uk
Fowkes81, Twitter
Fowkes81, Twitter
Someoneyoudon'tknow, Chortle.com
Someoneyoudon'tknow, Chortle.com
Brighton Argus
Brighton Argus
Richard Herring, Comedian
Richard Herring, Comedian
Anonymous, don'tstartmeoff.com
Anonymous, don'tstartmeoff.com
Dick Socrates, Twitter
Dick Socrates, Twitter
Neolab, Guardian.co.uk
Neolab, Guardian.co.uk
Spanner, dontstartmeoff.com
Spanner, dontstartmeoff.com
Pnethor, pne-online.com
Pnethor, pne-online.com
Microcuts 22, Twitter
Microcuts 22, Twitter
Etienne, Chortle.com
Etienne, Chortle.com
GRTak, finalgear.com
GRTak, finalgear.com
Sam Rooney, Youtube
Sam Rooney, Youtube
Al Murray, Comedian
Al Murray, Comedian
Peter Ould, Twitter
Peter Ould, Twitter
Mini-x2, readytogo.net
Mini-x2, readytogo.net
Mearecate, Youtube
Mearecate, Youtube
Chez, Chortle.com
Chez, Chortle.com
Emilyistrendy, Youtube
Emilyistrendy, Youtube
DVDhth's grandparents, Twitter
DVDhth's grandparents, Twitter
Cabluigi, Guardian.co.uk
Cabluigi, Guardian.co.uk
Iain, eatenbymissionaries
Iain, eatenbymissionaries
Joskins, Leeds Music Forum
Joskins, Leeds Music Forum
Tokyofist, Youtube
Tokyofist, Youtube
Contrapuntal, Twitter
Contrapuntal, Twitter
Dominic Cavendish, Telegraph
Dominic Cavendish, Telegraph
NevW47479, UKTV.co.uk
NevW47479, UKTV.co.uk
Hiewy, Youtube
Hiewy, Youtube
Henry Howard Fun, Twitter
Henry Howard Fun, Twitter
Rudeness, Youtube
Rudeness, Youtube
Wharto15, Twitter
Wharto15, Twitter
John Robins, Comedian
John Robins, Comedian
Anon, dontstartmeoff.com
Anon, dontstartmeoff.com
James Dellingpole, Daily Telegraph
James Dellingpole, Daily Telegraph
Slothy Matt, Twitter
Slothy Matt, Twitter
Cyberbloke, Twitter
Cyberbloke, Twitter
Fairy Pingu, Twitter
Fairy Pingu, Twitter
Syhr, breakbeat.co.uk
Syhr, breakbeat.co.uk
BBC iPlayer edition of discussion of Stewart Lee on A Good Read
BBC iPlayer edition of discussion of Stewart Lee on A Good Read
Dahoum, Guardian.co.uk
Dahoum, Guardian.co.uk
Anon, westhamonline.com
Anon, westhamonline.com
Johnny Kitkat, dontstartmeoff.com
Johnny Kitkat, dontstartmeoff.com
FBC, finalgear.com
FBC, finalgear.com
General Lurko 36, Guardian.co.uk
General Lurko 36, Guardian.co.uk
Gabrielle, Chortle.com
Gabrielle, Chortle.com
Sidsings000, Youtube
Sidsings000, Youtube