I WISH I could be as brazen as Stewart Lee — not his humour, which is richly funny, but the chutzpah which saw him stride into the Oxford audience less than two minutes into his set and wrench a phone from an audience member.
“No phones, mate,” he said as he marched back to the stage and stashed the device inside the back of his jeans.
In your face, at your throat, uncompromising, truly remarkable timing, self-referential, laden with irony and straight-up funny.
I realised my own phone was still turned on but didn’t dare get it out to neuter it for fear of similar treatment.
Genuinely funny people don’t need gags written for them, they can exploit a situation, improvise on it and wring it dry. So it is with Lee who’s been a stand-up for more than 30 years.
He delivers two routines, the first an extended riff on a reference to a Netflix video of his, the second his take on being a snowflake — both are hilarious. What makes him work is his dual performance: one is the direct source material, the other is a kind of notated commentary on what he’s doing, a sideways look at himself.
He announces with simultaneous pride and irony his position in The Times hierarchy of comedians — at the top, of course. It’s that apparent contradiction, but not quite doublethink, which makes him tick.
It’s unquestionably original and often challenging. But he’s not unlike Shakespeare in that the high intellect is often countered by low humour which had the audience reduced to helplessness.
He’s political, identifies immediately and proudly as a liberal centre-leftie, and sends out poison-tipped jokes to pick off his targets — Boris Johnson is a favourite.
And watch out for a piece on cesspits which shouldn’t be funny at all, but in the hands of a comic master it is.
Borathigh5, Youtube
Borathigh5, Youtube
John Robins, Comedian
John Robins, Comedian
Peter Ould, Youtube
Peter Ould, Youtube
Richard Herring, Comedian
Richard Herring, Comedian
Anon, dontstartmeoff.com
Anon, dontstartmeoff.com
BBC iPlayer edition of discussion of Stewart Lee on A Good Read
BBC iPlayer edition of discussion of Stewart Lee on A Good Read
Shane, Beverley, Dailymail.co.uk
Shane, Beverley, Dailymail.co.uk
Rowing Rob, Guardian.co.uk
Rowing Rob, Guardian.co.uk
Tweeterkiryakou, Twitter
Tweeterkiryakou, Twitter
12dgdgdgdgdgdg, Youtube
12dgdgdgdgdgdg, Youtube
Dominic Cavendish, Daily Telegraph
Dominic Cavendish, Daily Telegraph
Neolab, Guardian.co.uk
Neolab, Guardian.co.uk
Joycey, readytogo.net
Joycey, readytogo.net
Shit Crit, Twitter
Shit Crit, Twitter
Sweeping Curves, Twitter
Sweeping Curves, Twitter
Henry Howard Fun, Twitter
Henry Howard Fun, Twitter
Cabluigi, Guardian.co.uk
Cabluigi, Guardian.co.uk
Neva2busy, dontstartmeoff.com
Neva2busy, dontstartmeoff.com
Alex Quarmby, Edfringe.com
Alex Quarmby, Edfringe.com
GRTak, finalgear.com
GRTak, finalgear.com
Gmanthedemon, bbc.co.uk
Gmanthedemon, bbc.co.uk
Sidsings000, Youtube
Sidsings000, Youtube
Patrick Kavanagh, Guardian.co.uk
Patrick Kavanagh, Guardian.co.uk
Brighton Argus
Brighton Argus
Brendon, Vauxhallownersnetwork.co.uk
Brendon, Vauxhallownersnetwork.co.uk
Foxfoxton, Youtube
Foxfoxton, Youtube
Mrdavisn01, Twitter
Mrdavisn01, Twitter
Liam Travitt, Twitter
Liam Travitt, Twitter
Genghis McKahn, Guardian.co.uk
Genghis McKahn, Guardian.co.uk
Kozzy06, Youtube
Kozzy06, Youtube
Frankie Boyle, Comedian
Frankie Boyle, Comedian
Guest, Dontstartmeoff.com
Guest, Dontstartmeoff.com
Microcuts 22, Twitter
Microcuts 22, Twitter
Lee Mack, Mack The Life, 2012
Lee Mack, Mack The Life, 2012
Meninblack, Twitter
Meninblack, Twitter
Joskins, Leeds Music Forum
Joskins, Leeds Music Forum
Fairy Pingu, Twitter
Fairy Pingu, Twitter
Mpf1947, Youtube
Mpf1947, Youtube
Etienne, Chortle.com
Etienne, Chortle.com
Contrapuntal, Twitter
Contrapuntal, Twitter
Gabrielle, Chortle.com
Gabrielle, Chortle.com
Mini-x2, readytogo.net
Mini-x2, readytogo.net
Robert Gavin, Twitter
Robert Gavin, Twitter
Peter Ould, Twitter
Peter Ould, Twitter
Yukio Mishima, dontstartmeoff.com
Yukio Mishima, dontstartmeoff.com
Slothy Matt, Twitter
Slothy Matt, Twitter
Cyberbloke, Twitter
Cyberbloke, Twitter
Jamespearse, Twitter
Jamespearse, Twitter
Len Firewood, Twitter
Len Firewood, Twitter
Jackmumf, Twitter
Jackmumf, Twitter
Tin Frog, Twitter
Tin Frog, Twitter
Anamatronix, Youtube
Anamatronix, Youtube
Chez, Chortle.com
Chez, Chortle.com
Aaron, comedy.co.uk
Aaron, comedy.co.uk
NevW47479, UKTV.co.uk
NevW47479, UKTV.co.uk
Dick Socrates, Twitter
Dick Socrates, Twitter
Sam Rooney, Youtube
Sam Rooney, Youtube
Al Murray, Comedian
Al Murray, Comedian
Dave Wilson, Chortle.com
Dave Wilson, Chortle.com
Tweeter Kyriakou, Twitter
Tweeter Kyriakou, Twitter
Pnethor, pne-online.com
Pnethor, pne-online.com
Lancethrustworthy, Youtube
Lancethrustworthy, Youtube
Joe, Independent.co.uk
Joe, Independent.co.uk
Leach Juice, Twitter
Leach Juice, Twitter
Pudabaya, beexcellenttoeachother.com
Pudabaya, beexcellenttoeachother.com
Mearecate, Youtube
Mearecate, Youtube
Bosco239, youtube
Bosco239, youtube
Guest1001, Youtube
Guest1001, Youtube
World Without End, Twitter
World Without End, Twitter
Wharto15, Twitter
Wharto15, Twitter
General Lurko 36, Guardian.co.uk
General Lurko 36, Guardian.co.uk
Carcrazychica, Youtube
Carcrazychica, Youtube
Stuart, Chortle
Stuart, Chortle
Rudeness, Youtube
Rudeness, Youtube
Tokyofist, Youtube
Tokyofist, Youtube
Johnny Kitkat, dontstartmeoff.com
Johnny Kitkat, dontstartmeoff.com
Dominic Cavendish, Telegraph
Dominic Cavendish, Telegraph
Secretdeveloper, Youtube
Secretdeveloper, Youtube
Deepbass, Guardian.co.uk
Deepbass, Guardian.co.uk
Meanstreetelite, Peoplesrepublicofcork
Meanstreetelite, Peoplesrepublicofcork
Anonymous, The Northfield Patriot
Anonymous, The Northfield Patriot
Cojones2, Guardian.co.uk
Cojones2, Guardian.co.uk
Anon, BBC Complaints Log
Anon, BBC Complaints Log
Karen Laidlaw, Edfringe. com.
Karen Laidlaw, Edfringe. com.
Pirate Crocodile, Twitter
Pirate Crocodile, Twitter
Gwaites, Digitalspy
Gwaites, Digitalspy
Lents, redandwhitekop.com
Lents, redandwhitekop.com
Esme Folley, Actress, cellist, Twitter
Esme Folley, Actress, cellist, Twitter
Fowkes81, Twitter
Fowkes81, Twitter
Clampdown59, Twitter.
Clampdown59, Twitter.
Emilyistrendy, Youtube
Emilyistrendy, Youtube
Keilloh, Twitter
Keilloh, Twitter
Lenny Darksphere, Twitter
Lenny Darksphere, Twitter
James Dellingpole, Daily Telegraph
James Dellingpole, Daily Telegraph
Alwyn, Digiguide.tv
Alwyn, Digiguide.tv
Hiewy, Youtube
Hiewy, Youtube
DVDhth's grandparents, Twitter
DVDhth's grandparents, Twitter
Lucinda Locketts, Twitter
Lucinda Locketts, Twitter
Zombie Hamster, Twitter
Zombie Hamster, Twitter
Peter Fears, Twitter
Peter Fears, Twitter
Ishamayura Byrd, Twitter
Ishamayura Byrd, Twitter
Visualiser1, Twitter
Visualiser1, Twitter
Stokeylitfest, Twitter
Stokeylitfest, Twitter
Z-factor, Twitter.
Z-factor, Twitter.
Tres Ryan, Twitter
Tres Ryan, Twitter
Danazawa, Youtube
Danazawa, Youtube
Iain, eatenbymissionaries
Iain, eatenbymissionaries
Carla, St Albans, Dailymail.co.uk
Carla, St Albans, Dailymail.co.uk
Anonymous, don'tstartmeoff.com
Anonymous, don'tstartmeoff.com
Maninabananasuit, Guardian.co.uk
Maninabananasuit, Guardian.co.uk
Aiden Hearn, Twitter
Aiden Hearn, Twitter
Nicetime, Guardian.co.uk
Nicetime, Guardian.co.uk
Bobby Bhoy, Twitter
Bobby Bhoy, Twitter
Whoiscuriousgeorge, Youtube
Whoiscuriousgeorge, Youtube
Coxy, Dontstartmeoff.com
Coxy, Dontstartmeoff.com
Syhr, breakbeat.co.uk
Syhr, breakbeat.co.uk
98rosjon, Twitter
98rosjon, Twitter
Horatio Melvin, Twitter
Horatio Melvin, Twitter
Spanner, dontstartmeoff.com
Spanner, dontstartmeoff.com
Funday’schild, youtube.
Funday’schild, youtube.
Rubyshoes, Twitter
Rubyshoes, Twitter
Pudabaya, Twitter
Pudabaya, Twitter
Idrie, Youtube
Idrie, Youtube
A D Ward, Twitter
A D Ward, Twitter
Birmingham Sunday Mercury
Birmingham Sunday Mercury
Someoneyoudon'tknow, Chortle.com
Someoneyoudon'tknow, Chortle.com
FBC, finalgear.com
FBC, finalgear.com
Dahoum, Guardian.co.uk
Dahoum, Guardian.co.uk
Anon, westhamonline.com
Anon, westhamonline.com