Don’t take children to see Stewart Lee, however. Not because he’s too rude or too satirical, although he is, but because when he kicks off with a line about how 9/11 is actually 9 November, they will quite reasonably turn to you and ask why someone as good as Lee still thinks this is a joke worth using three years after it did the rounds of every playground and office water cooler in the land. This quibble aside, Lee’s show is a masterclass in what the best stand-up can look like.
With a fine balance between current affairs and fart jokes, self-mockery and derision of celebrities (Graham Norton is ‘like a pink jackboot stamping on a human face for all eternity’), Lee, co-writer of Jerry Springer: The Opera, delivers so many good lines at such high density that the audience barely has time to keep up.
The greatest target of his wrath is Ben Elton; rebutting comparisons for the musical thing, he asserts that more people like Osama bin Laden than Ben Elton, because bin Laden ‘has at least lived his life to a consistent code of ethics’.
Robert Gavin, Twitter
Robert Gavin, Twitter
Bobby Bhoy, Twitter
Bobby Bhoy, Twitter
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Lancethrustworthy, Youtube
Fowkes81, Twitter
Fowkes81, Twitter
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Gmanthedemon, bbc.co.uk
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Brendon, Vauxhallownersnetwork.co.uk
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Kozzy06, Youtube
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Yukio Mishima, dontstartmeoff.com
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Cojones2, Guardian.co.uk
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Patrick Kavanagh, Guardian.co.uk
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Tweeter Kyriakou, Twitter
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Stokeylitfest, Twitter
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Johnny Kitkat, dontstartmeoff.com
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Shit Crit, Twitter
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Lee Mack, Mack The Life, 2012
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Pnethor, pne-online.com
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Anon, BBC Complaints Log
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Deepbass, Guardian.co.uk
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James Dellingpole, Daily Telegraph
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Zombie Hamster, Twitter
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FBC, finalgear.com
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Slothy Matt, Twitter
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Sam Rooney, Youtube
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Carla, St Albans, Dailymail.co.uk
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Al Murray, Comedian
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Someoneyoudon'tknow, Chortle.com
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Borathigh5, Youtube
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Peter Fears, Twitter
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12dgdgdgdgdgdg, Youtube
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NevW47479, UKTV.co.uk
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Keilloh, Twitter
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DVDhth's grandparents, Twitter
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Guest, Dontstartmeoff.com
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Cabluigi, Guardian.co.uk
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Iain, eatenbymissionaries
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Jackmumf, Twitter
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Z-factor, Twitter.
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Whoiscuriousgeorge, Youtube
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Coxy, 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
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Jamespearse, Twitter
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Lucinda Locketts, Twitter
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GRTak, finalgear.com
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Danazawa, Youtube
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Carcrazychica, Youtube
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Anon, westhamonline.com
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John Robins, Comedian
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Clampdown59, Twitter.
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Horatio Melvin, Twitter
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Funday’schild, youtube.
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Secretdeveloper, Youtube
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Frankie Boyle, Comedian
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Sidsings000, Youtube
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Hiewy, Youtube
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Sweeping Curves, Twitter
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Chez, Chortle.com
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General Lurko 36, Guardian.co.uk
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Idrie, Youtube
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Tokyofist, Youtube
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Maninabananasuit, Guardian.co.uk
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World Without End, Twitter
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Genghis McKahn, Guardian.co.uk
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Leach Juice, Twitter
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Liam Travitt, Twitter
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Anon, dontstartmeoff.com
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Foxfoxton, Youtube
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Cyberbloke, Twitter
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Meninblack, Twitter
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Tres Ryan, Twitter
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Meanstreetelite, Peoplesrepublicofcork
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Bosco239, youtube
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Shane, Beverley, Dailymail.co.uk
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Joskins, Leeds Music Forum
Wharto15, Twitter
Wharto15, Twitter
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Richard Herring, Comedian
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Tin Frog, Twitter
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Gwaites, Digitalspy
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Anonymous, The Northfield Patriot
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Microcuts 22, Twitter
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Dominic Cavendish, Daily Telegraph
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Gabrielle, Chortle.com
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Lents, redandwhitekop.com
Birmingham Sunday Mercury
Birmingham Sunday Mercury
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Guest1001, Youtube
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Dave Wilson, Chortle.com
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Pudabaya, beexcellenttoeachother.com
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Len Firewood, Twitter
Brighton Argus
Brighton Argus
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Ishamayura Byrd, Twitter
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Nicetime, Guardian.co.uk
Joycey, readytogo.net
Joycey, readytogo.net
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Joe, Independent.co.uk
Spanner, dontstartmeoff.com
Spanner, dontstartmeoff.com
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Etienne, Chortle.com
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Tweeterkiryakou, Twitter
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Karen Laidlaw, Edfringe. com.
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Visualiser1, Twitter
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Syhr, breakbeat.co.uk
Fairy Pingu, Twitter
Fairy Pingu, Twitter
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Alwyn, Digiguide.tv
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Lenny Darksphere, Twitter
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Dominic Cavendish, Telegraph
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Anamatronix, Youtube
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Neva2busy, dontstartmeoff.com
Mrdavisn01, Twitter
Mrdavisn01, Twitter
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Peter Ould, Youtube
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Dick Socrates, Twitter
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Contrapuntal, Twitter
Mearecate, Youtube
Mearecate, Youtube
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Pirate Crocodile, Twitter
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Neolab, Guardian.co.uk
A D Ward, Twitter
A D Ward, Twitter
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Peter Ould, Twitter
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98rosjon, Twitter
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Esme Folley, Actress, cellist, Twitter
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Dahoum, Guardian.co.uk
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Mpf1947, Youtube
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Anonymous, don'tstartmeoff.com
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Aiden Hearn, Twitter
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Alex Quarmby, Edfringe.com
Rowing Rob, Guardian.co.uk
Rowing Rob, Guardian.co.uk
Stuart, Chortle
Stuart, Chortle
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Emilyistrendy, Youtube
Rudeness, Youtube
Rudeness, Youtube
Rubyshoes, Twitter
Rubyshoes, Twitter
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Aaron, comedy.co.uk
Mini-x2, readytogo.net
Mini-x2, readytogo.net
Henry Howard Fun, Twitter
Henry Howard Fun, Twitter