Our hero stumbles onto the stage with a pint, bundle of A4 with unkept hair and grey beard (Julian Assange has let himself go…..Father Abraham from The Smurfs has let himself go…..) for this hastily scheduled Work In Progress show for his Work In Progress show at the weekend. He later reveals that a visit to the doctors earlier that day produced an offer of ‘seated activities for the over 50s’ and the enquiry “have you got someone to look after you at home?”
In the autumn thru spring Stew will have his regular several month residency at the Leicester Square Theatre with ‘Snowflake-Tornado’ and some of the material from this first gig might well appear. So I’m not going to spoil it. An obscure reference garners a response which he hopes will also work in audiences of more than the 60 people crammed into this hot room at 6pm on a Friday in May.
His first sketches of a hour long comedy set are better than some stand ups entire career. Will be fascinating to see how it is honed and perfected between now and October but it went down a storm tonight with Stew wondering “what if this is the best this material ever goes in front of an audience?”
He ends with an ancient piece of material although being Stewart Lee he can’t help but bring his surreal edge to revisiting a comic idea. The whole set obviously has a nervous energy and spontaneity (both planned and genuine) with less of the pausing and chiding of the audience that we’re used to but that only adds to the intensity of the gag rate. Its a genuine treat to see an unpolished but still sparkling diamond this close up
BTW I am sufficiently knowledgeable about the art of comedy to review Stewart Lee but I know funny when I see it
The audience:
Hardcore fans who happened to read an email quick enough to get tickets
It made me think..
Haven’t laughed til it hurt like that in ages. Those moments where you have to remember to breathe and just find yourself involuntarily physically convulsing from a comic idea – that’s magic
Spanner, dontstartmeoff.com
Spanner, dontstartmeoff.com
Anon, westhamonline.com
Anon, westhamonline.com
Henry Howard Fun, Twitter
Henry Howard Fun, Twitter
Dominic Cavendish, Daily Telegraph
Dominic Cavendish, Daily Telegraph
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Syhr, breakbeat.co.uk
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Etienne, Chortle.com
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Karen Laidlaw, Edfringe. com.
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Guest1001, Youtube
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Coxy, Dontstartmeoff.com
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Emilyistrendy, Youtube
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Maninabananasuit, Guardian.co.uk
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Johnny Kitkat, dontstartmeoff.com
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General Lurko 36, Guardian.co.uk
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Sam Rooney, Youtube
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Pudabaya, beexcellenttoeachother.com
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Anonymous, The Northfield Patriot
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Zombie Hamster, Twitter
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Deepbass, Guardian.co.uk
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Anamatronix, Youtube
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Dick Socrates, Twitter
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Danazawa, Youtube
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Gabrielle, Chortle.com
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Pirate Crocodile, Twitter
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Liam Travitt, Twitter
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DVDhth's grandparents, Twitter
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Lee Mack, Mack The Life, 2012
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12dgdgdgdgdgdg, Youtube
Shane, Beverley, Dailymail.co.uk
Shane, Beverley, Dailymail.co.uk
Microcuts 22, Twitter
Microcuts 22, Twitter
Gwaites, Digitalspy
Gwaites, Digitalspy
NevW47479, UKTV.co.uk
NevW47479, UKTV.co.uk
FBC, finalgear.com
FBC, finalgear.com
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Cyberbloke, Twitter
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Joycey, readytogo.net
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Brendon, Vauxhallownersnetwork.co.uk
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Peter Fears, Twitter
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Rudeness, Youtube
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Secretdeveloper, Youtube
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GRTak, finalgear.com
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Gmanthedemon, bbc.co.uk
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Hiewy, Youtube
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Jamespearse, Twitter
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Fairy Pingu, Twitter
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Brighton Argus
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Tin Frog, Twitter
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Aiden Hearn, Twitter
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Kozzy06, Youtube
Tweeter Kyriakou, Twitter
Tweeter Kyriakou, Twitter
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Rubyshoes, Twitter
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Lents, redandwhitekop.com
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Len Firewood, Twitter
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Mearecate, Youtube
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Mini-x2, readytogo.net
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Pnethor, pne-online.com
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Robert Gavin, Twitter
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Ishamayura Byrd, Twitter
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Birmingham Sunday Mercury
Stuart, Chortle
Stuart, Chortle
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Guest, Dontstartmeoff.com
Rowing Rob, Guardian.co.uk
Rowing Rob, Guardian.co.uk
Someoneyoudon'tknow, Chortle.com
Someoneyoudon'tknow, Chortle.com
Richard Herring, Comedian
Richard Herring, Comedian
Iain, eatenbymissionaries
Iain, eatenbymissionaries
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Stokeylitfest, Twitter
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Cojones2, Guardian.co.uk
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Bosco239, youtube
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Whoiscuriousgeorge, Youtube
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James Dellingpole, Daily Telegraph
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Neolab, Guardian.co.uk
Carcrazychica, Youtube
Carcrazychica, Youtube
Mrdavisn01, Twitter
Mrdavisn01, Twitter
Cabluigi, Guardian.co.uk
Cabluigi, Guardian.co.uk
Aaron, comedy.co.uk
Aaron, comedy.co.uk
Lucinda Locketts, Twitter
Lucinda Locketts, Twitter
Shit Crit, Twitter
Shit Crit, Twitter
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Foxfoxton, Youtube
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Contrapuntal, Twitter
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Pudabaya, Twitter
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Tres Ryan, Twitter
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Anon, BBC Complaints Log
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Borathigh5, Youtube
Bobby Bhoy, Twitter
Bobby Bhoy, Twitter
Z-factor, Twitter.
Z-factor, Twitter.
Peter Ould, Youtube
Peter Ould, Youtube
Idrie, Youtube
Idrie, Youtube
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Anon, dontstartmeoff.com
Neva2busy, dontstartmeoff.com
Neva2busy, dontstartmeoff.com
Tokyofist, Youtube
Tokyofist, Youtube
Lenny Darksphere, Twitter
Lenny Darksphere, Twitter
Alwyn, Digiguide.tv
Alwyn, Digiguide.tv
Funday’schild, youtube.
Funday’schild, youtube.
Horatio Melvin, Twitter
Horatio Melvin, Twitter
Al Murray, Comedian
Al Murray, Comedian
Sidsings000, Youtube
Sidsings000, Youtube
Tweeterkiryakou, Twitter
Tweeterkiryakou, Twitter
Carla, St Albans, Dailymail.co.uk
Carla, St Albans, Dailymail.co.uk
Frankie Boyle, Comedian
Frankie Boyle, Comedian
John Robins, Comedian
John Robins, Comedian
Joe, Independent.co.uk
Joe, Independent.co.uk
A D Ward, Twitter
A D Ward, Twitter
Leach Juice, Twitter
Leach Juice, Twitter
Sweeping Curves, Twitter
Sweeping Curves, Twitter
Yukio Mishima, dontstartmeoff.com
Yukio Mishima, dontstartmeoff.com
Keilloh, Twitter
Keilloh, Twitter
Jackmumf, Twitter
Jackmumf, 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
98rosjon, Twitter
98rosjon, Twitter
Meninblack, Twitter
Meninblack, Twitter
Lancethrustworthy, Youtube
Lancethrustworthy, Youtube
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Patrick Kavanagh, Guardian.co.uk
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Clampdown59, Twitter.
Dave Wilson, Chortle.com
Dave Wilson, Chortle.com
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Meanstreetelite, Peoplesrepublicofcork
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Mpf1947, Youtube
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World Without End, Twitter
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Anonymous, don'tstartmeoff.com
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Fowkes81, Twitter
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Visualiser1, Twitter
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Wharto15, Twitter
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Dahoum, Guardian.co.uk
Nicetime, Guardian.co.uk
Nicetime, Guardian.co.uk
Alex Quarmby, Edfringe.com
Alex Quarmby, Edfringe.com
Genghis McKahn, Guardian.co.uk
Genghis McKahn, Guardian.co.uk
Joskins, Leeds Music Forum
Joskins, Leeds Music Forum
Dominic Cavendish, Telegraph
Dominic Cavendish, Telegraph
Chez, Chortle.com
Chez, Chortle.com
Esme Folley, Actress, cellist, Twitter
Esme Folley, Actress, cellist, Twitter
Slothy Matt, Twitter
Slothy Matt, Twitter
Peter Ould, Twitter
Peter Ould, Twitter