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”.
I can write jokes. I just choose not to…
“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.
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NevW47479, UKTV.co.uk
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Slothy Matt, Twitter
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John Robins, Comedian
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Cabluigi, Guardian.co.uk
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Lenny Darksphere, Twitter
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Lee Mack, Mack The Life, 2012
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Sweeping Curves, Twitter
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General Lurko 36, Guardian.co.uk
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Anon, BBC Complaints Log
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Alex Quarmby, Edfringe.com
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Spanner, dontstartmeoff.com
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Nicetime, Guardian.co.uk
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Len Firewood, Twitter
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Tweeter Kyriakou, Twitter
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Peter Ould, Youtube
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Dominic Cavendish, Telegraph
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Rudeness, Youtube
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Peter Fears, 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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Ishamayura Byrd, Twitter
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Cyberbloke, Twitter
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Dave Wilson, Chortle.com
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Yukio Mishima, dontstartmeoff.com
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Gabrielle, Chortle.com
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Dominic Cavendish, Daily Telegraph
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Maninabananasuit, Guardian.co.uk
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Pirate Crocodile, Twitter
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Coxy, Dontstartmeoff.com
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Genghis McKahn, Guardian.co.uk
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Pudabaya, beexcellenttoeachother.com
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Rowing Rob, Guardian.co.uk
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Anon, westhamonline.com
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Guest1001, Youtube
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James Dellingpole, Daily Telegraph
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Al Murray, Comedian
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Aiden Hearn, Twitter
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Mrdavisn01, Twitter
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Horatio Melvin, Twitter
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Dick Socrates, Twitter
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Joycey, readytogo.net
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Neolab, Guardian.co.uk