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