This week’s post is brought to you by Stewart Lee’s Comedy Vehicle. Series 3 is on Netflix and I’ve been watching it again. If you can, and like that sort of thing or want to try it, I’d recommend episode 4 – “context”.
“The conflict of interest I would have would be if Nando’s were to invent some kind of jazz chicken, by which I mean a chicken that whilst still recognisably a chicken, used improvisation and chance procedure to operate at the very limits of what a chicken could be.”
I’ve been a fan of Stewart Lee for a long time. From Lionel Nimrod’s Inexplicable World through (perhaps especially) Fist of Fun, This Morning with Richard Not Judy and his stand-up over the years, there’s just something about what he does that I always really liked. The combination of intelligence and silliness, of well-developed and considered craft and improvisation, use of language and physical performance. It’s not always the easiest of comedy, it involves thought and participation.
I think it’s a form of magic in its purpose and layers and approach to the use the audience puts it too, and I’d draw a comparison here to the shaman, the musician, the facilitator. If you are any of these, there are things you can learn from watching about the craft and nature of owning physical and intellectual space to take an audience with you even through some uncomfortable concepts and places.
98rosjon, Twitter
98rosjon, Twitter
Tin Frog, Twitter
Tin Frog, Twitter
Frankie Boyle, Comedian
Frankie Boyle, Comedian
Joskins, Leeds Music Forum
Joskins, Leeds Music Forum
Microcuts 22, Twitter
Microcuts 22, Twitter
Deepbass, Guardian.co.uk
Deepbass, Guardian.co.uk
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Aiden Hearn, Twitter
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Mearecate, Youtube
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Pudabaya, beexcellenttoeachother.com
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Guest1001, Youtube
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Rubyshoes, Twitter
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Pudabaya, Twitter
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Jackmumf, Twitter
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Emilyistrendy, Youtube
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Secretdeveloper, Youtube
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Joe, Independent.co.uk
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Sidsings000, Youtube
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Jamespearse, Twitter
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Yukio Mishima, dontstartmeoff.com
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Genghis McKahn, Guardian.co.uk
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Anon, westhamonline.com
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Mini-x2, readytogo.net
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Visualiser1, Twitter
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Joycey, readytogo.net
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Rowing Rob, Guardian.co.uk
12dgdgdgdgdgdg, Youtube
12dgdgdgdgdgdg, Youtube
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Shane, Beverley, Dailymail.co.uk
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Anamatronix, Youtube
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Borathigh5, Youtube
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Spanner, dontstartmeoff.com
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James Dellingpole, Daily Telegraph
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Pnethor, pne-online.com
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Anon, dontstartmeoff.com
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Gmanthedemon, bbc.co.uk
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DVDhth's grandparents, Twitter
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Tweeter Kyriakou, Twitter
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Tweeterkiryakou, Twitter
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Leach Juice, Twitter
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Neva2busy, dontstartmeoff.com
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Meninblack, Twitter
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Maninabananasuit, Guardian.co.uk
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Robert Gavin, Twitter
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Carla, St Albans, Dailymail.co.uk
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Wharto15, Twitter
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Al Murray, Comedian
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Sam Rooney, Youtube
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Henry Howard Fun, Twitter
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Aaron, comedy.co.uk
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Richard Herring, Comedian
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Cojones2, Guardian.co.uk
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Dahoum, Guardian.co.uk
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Tokyofist, Youtube
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NevW47479, UKTV.co.uk
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Nicetime, Guardian.co.uk
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Dick Socrates, Twitter
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Shit Crit, Twitter
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Lenny Darksphere, Twitter
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Bobby Bhoy, Twitter
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Tres Ryan, Twitter
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Alwyn, Digiguide.tv
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Brighton Argus
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Karen Laidlaw, Edfringe. com.
General Lurko 36, Guardian.co.uk
General Lurko 36, Guardian.co.uk
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Dave Wilson, Chortle.com
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Rudeness, Youtube
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Alex Quarmby, Edfringe.com
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Z-factor, Twitter.
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Meanstreetelite, Peoplesrepublicofcork
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Pirate Crocodile, Twitter
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Danazawa, Youtube
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World Without End, Twitter
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A D Ward, Twitter
Birmingham Sunday Mercury
Birmingham Sunday Mercury
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Gabrielle, Chortle.com
Lee Mack, Mack The Life, 2012
Lee Mack, Mack The Life, 2012
Contrapuntal, Twitter
Contrapuntal, Twitter
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Gwaites, Digitalspy
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Slothy Matt, Twitter
Fairy Pingu, Twitter
Fairy Pingu, Twitter
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Dominic Cavendish, Telegraph
Peter Fears, Twitter
Peter Fears, Twitter
Carcrazychica, Youtube
Carcrazychica, Youtube
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Johnny Kitkat, dontstartmeoff.com
Mpf1947, Youtube
Mpf1947, Youtube
Dominic Cavendish, Daily Telegraph
Dominic Cavendish, Daily Telegraph
Chez, Chortle.com
Chez, Chortle.com
Anon, BBC Complaints Log
Anon, BBC Complaints Log
John Robins, Comedian
John Robins, Comedian
Esme Folley, Actress, cellist, Twitter
Esme Folley, Actress, cellist, Twitter
Len Firewood, Twitter
Len Firewood, Twitter
Lancethrustworthy, Youtube
Lancethrustworthy, Youtube
Cabluigi, Guardian.co.uk
Cabluigi, Guardian.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
Zombie Hamster, Twitter
Zombie Hamster, Twitter
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Ishamayura Byrd, Twitter
Peter Ould, Youtube
Peter Ould, Youtube
Fowkes81, Twitter
Fowkes81, Twitter
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Iain, eatenbymissionaries
Sweeping Curves, Twitter
Sweeping Curves, Twitter
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Liam Travitt, Twitter
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Kozzy06, Youtube
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Foxfoxton, Youtube
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Funday’schild, youtube.
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Anonymous, don'tstartmeoff.com
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Clampdown59, Twitter.
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Syhr, breakbeat.co.uk
GRTak, finalgear.com
GRTak, finalgear.com
Brendon, Vauxhallownersnetwork.co.uk
Brendon, Vauxhallownersnetwork.co.uk
Etienne, Chortle.com
Etienne, Chortle.com
Keilloh, Twitter
Keilloh, Twitter
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Lucinda Locketts, Twitter
Horatio Melvin, Twitter
Horatio Melvin, Twitter
Patrick Kavanagh, Guardian.co.uk
Patrick Kavanagh, Guardian.co.uk
Someoneyoudon'tknow, Chortle.com
Someoneyoudon'tknow, Chortle.com
Stokeylitfest, Twitter
Stokeylitfest, Twitter
FBC, finalgear.com
FBC, finalgear.com
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Whoiscuriousgeorge, Youtube
Anonymous, The Northfield Patriot
Anonymous, The Northfield Patriot
Idrie, Youtube
Idrie, Youtube
Lents, redandwhitekop.com
Lents, redandwhitekop.com
Guest, Dontstartmeoff.com
Guest, Dontstartmeoff.com
Peter Ould, Twitter
Peter Ould, Twitter
Stuart, Chortle
Stuart, Chortle
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Cyberbloke, Twitter
Hiewy, Youtube
Hiewy, Youtube
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Coxy, Dontstartmeoff.com
Mrdavisn01, Twitter
Mrdavisn01, Twitter
Neolab, Guardian.co.uk
Neolab, Guardian.co.uk
Bosco239, youtube
Bosco239, youtube