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’.
GRTak, finalgear.com
GRTak, finalgear.com
Peter Fears, Twitter
Peter Fears, Twitter
Mini-x2, readytogo.net
Mini-x2, readytogo.net
Richard Herring, Comedian
Richard Herring, Comedian
Jamespearse, Twitter
Jamespearse, Twitter
General Lurko 36, Guardian.co.uk
General Lurko 36, Guardian.co.uk
Emilyistrendy, Youtube
Emilyistrendy, Youtube
BBC iPlayer edition of discussion of Stewart Lee on A Good Read
BBC iPlayer edition of discussion of Stewart Lee on A Good Read
Cojones2, Guardian.co.uk
Cojones2, Guardian.co.uk
Tokyofist, Youtube
Tokyofist, Youtube
Gwaites, Digitalspy
Gwaites, Digitalspy
James Dellingpole, Daily Telegraph
James Dellingpole, Daily Telegraph
Brendon, Vauxhallownersnetwork.co.uk
Brendon, Vauxhallownersnetwork.co.uk
Tin Frog, Twitter
Tin Frog, Twitter
Frankie Boyle, Comedian
Frankie Boyle, Comedian
Syhr, breakbeat.co.uk
Syhr, breakbeat.co.uk
Tweeterkiryakou, Twitter
Tweeterkiryakou, Twitter
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Peter Ould, Twitter
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Contrapuntal, Twitter
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Spanner, dontstartmeoff.com
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Guest1001, Youtube
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Yukio Mishima, dontstartmeoff.com
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Guest, Dontstartmeoff.com
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Gmanthedemon, bbc.co.uk
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Pirate Crocodile, Twitter
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Fowkes81, Twitter
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Anon, BBC Complaints Log
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Dave Wilson, Chortle.com
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Peter Ould, Youtube
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Aaron, comedy.co.uk
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NevW47479, UKTV.co.uk
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Zombie Hamster, Twitter
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Hiewy, Youtube
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Rowing Rob, Guardian.co.uk
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Tres Ryan, Twitter
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Visualiser1, Twitter
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Jackmumf, Twitter
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Shit Crit, Twitter
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Carcrazychica, Youtube
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Dominic Cavendish, Telegraph
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Borathigh5, Youtube
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Iain, eatenbymissionaries
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World Without End, Twitter
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Anonymous, The Northfield Patriot
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Rudeness, Youtube
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Henry Howard Fun, Twitter
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12dgdgdgdgdgdg, Youtube
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Secretdeveloper, Youtube
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Joycey, readytogo.net
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Maninabananasuit, Guardian.co.uk
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A D Ward, Twitter
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Neva2busy, dontstartmeoff.com
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Mearecate, Youtube
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Leach Juice, Twitter
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John Robins, Comedian
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DVDhth's grandparents, Twitter
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Liam Travitt, Twitter
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Meanstreetelite, Peoplesrepublicofcork
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Keilloh, Twitter
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Sweeping Curves, Twitter
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FBC, finalgear.com
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Dick Socrates, Twitter
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Kozzy06, Youtube
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Al Murray, Comedian
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Pudabaya, Twitter
Brighton Argus
Brighton Argus
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Sam Rooney, Youtube
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Robert Gavin, Twitter
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Dahoum, Guardian.co.uk
Stuart, Chortle
Stuart, Chortle
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Esme Folley, Actress, cellist, Twitter
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Deepbass, Guardian.co.uk
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Joe, Independent.co.uk
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Bosco239, youtube
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Tweeter Kyriakou, Twitter
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Lents, redandwhitekop.com
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98rosjon, Twitter
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Chez, Chortle.com
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Alex Quarmby, Edfringe.com
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Sidsings000, Youtube
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Anamatronix, Youtube
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Slothy Matt, Twitter
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Carla, St Albans, Dailymail.co.uk
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Microcuts 22, Twitter
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Mpf1947, Youtube
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Anonymous, don'tstartmeoff.com
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Gabrielle, Chortle.com
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Lenny Darksphere, Twitter
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Stokeylitfest, Twitter
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Z-factor, Twitter.
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Etienne, Chortle.com
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Neolab, Guardian.co.uk
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Cyberbloke, Twitter
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Lee Mack, Mack The Life, 2012
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Wharto15, Twitter
Birmingham Sunday Mercury
Birmingham Sunday Mercury
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Pudabaya, beexcellenttoeachother.com
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Patrick Kavanagh, Guardian.co.uk
Nicetime, Guardian.co.uk
Nicetime, Guardian.co.uk
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Coxy, Dontstartmeoff.com
Shane, Beverley, Dailymail.co.uk
Shane, Beverley, Dailymail.co.uk
Johnny Kitkat, dontstartmeoff.com
Johnny Kitkat, dontstartmeoff.com
Someoneyoudon'tknow, Chortle.com
Someoneyoudon'tknow, Chortle.com
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Dominic Cavendish, Daily Telegraph
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Lucinda Locketts, Twitter
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Karen Laidlaw, Edfringe. com.
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Horatio Melvin, Twitter
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Mrdavisn01, Twitter
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Genghis McKahn, Guardian.co.uk
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Anon, dontstartmeoff.com
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Fairy Pingu, Twitter
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Clampdown59, Twitter.
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Joskins, Leeds Music Forum
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Foxfoxton, Youtube
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Danazawa, Youtube
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Pnethor, pne-online.com
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Len Firewood, Twitter
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Idrie, Youtube
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Meninblack, Twitter
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Ishamayura Byrd, Twitter
Lancethrustworthy, Youtube
Lancethrustworthy, Youtube
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Cabluigi, Guardian.co.uk
Bobby Bhoy, Twitter
Bobby Bhoy, Twitter
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Aiden Hearn, Twitter
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Anon, westhamonline.com
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Alwyn, Digiguide.tv
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Whoiscuriousgeorge, Youtube
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Rubyshoes, Twitter
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Funday’schild, youtube.