Stewart Lee was at the Curve to present Vegetable Stew; material intended for his forthcoming Comedy Vehicle TV show.
In his book, How I Escaped My Certain Fate, Lee admitted he enjoys losing an audience and attempting to win it back, which made it difficult to tell if Sunday’s performance was deliberately evasive.
Lee’s understanding of the art of stand-up was evident all through, with numerous asides for meta-observations about the nature of the routine.
On occasion, he would stop the flow to comment on some seemingly unplanned thing he’d said or done.
It then became apparent how carefully planned Lee’s comedy was.
He relied on the audience being sufficiently familiar with stand-up to understand when its conventions were being subverted, and for the most part, they were with him.
The middle of the show elicited less audience approval, concerning satirical observations about Adrian Chiles and Gary Lineker.
By the time he was making accusations that comedian Russell Howard was responsible for deaths in the developing world, the crowd weren’t so sure the targets deserved it.
He pulled everyone back for a confessional tale about his involvement with the elitist Bullingdon Club at Oxford University, before defiantly derailing it at the close.
Lee deserved his plaudits for daring to challenge his audience and they in turn recognised a masterclass when they got it.
Joskins, Leeds Music Forum
Joskins, Leeds Music Forum
Alex Quarmby, Edfringe.com
Alex Quarmby, Edfringe.com
Iain, eatenbymissionaries
Iain, eatenbymissionaries
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Mini-x2, readytogo.net
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Tin Frog, Twitter
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Stuart, Chortle
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Mpf1947, Youtube
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Patrick Kavanagh, Guardian.co.uk
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Carla, St Albans, Dailymail.co.uk
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A D Ward, Twitter
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Neva2busy, dontstartmeoff.com
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Zoot Cadillac, Twitter
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Liam Travitt, Twitter
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Anon, dontstartmeoff.com
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Anon, BBC Complaints Log
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Pirate Crocodile, Twitter
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Brendon, Vauxhallownersnetwork.co.uk
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Tres Ryan, Twitter
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General Lurko 36, Guardian.co.uk
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Peter Ould, Youtube
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Guest1001, Youtube
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Henry Howard Fun, Twitter
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Mearecate, Youtube
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Carcrazychica, Youtube
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Birmingham Sunday Mercury
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Lents, redandwhitekop.com
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Chez, Chortle.com
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Tweeterkiryakou, Twitter
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Tokyofist, Youtube
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Alwyn, Digiguide.tv
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Stokeylitfest, Twitter
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Anon, westhamonline.com
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Shane, Beverley, Dailymail.co.uk
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Lenny Darksphere, Twitter
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Rowing Rob, Guardian.co.uk
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Spanner, dontstartmeoff.com
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John Robins, Comedian
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Dan McCaid, Twitter
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Esme Folley, Actress, cellist, Twitter
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Gwaites, Digitalspy
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Idrie, Youtube
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Pudabaya, beexcellenttoeachother.com
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Pudabaya, Twitter
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Len Firewood, Twitter
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Hiewy, Youtube
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Leach Juice, Twitter
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Lucinda Locketts, Twitter
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Brighton Argus
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Robert Gavin, Twitter
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Anamatronix, Youtube
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Cojones2, Guardian.co.uk
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Zombie Hamster, Twitter
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Spursguy, Youtube
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Borathigh5, Youtube
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Peter Ould, Twitter
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Joe, Independent.co.uk
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Someoneyoudon'tknow, Chortle.com
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Rudeness, Youtube
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Lee Mack, Mack The Life, 2012
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Joycey, readytogo.net
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Guest, Dontstartmeoff.com
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Anonymous, don'tstartmeoff.com
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12dgdgdgdgdgdg, 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
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Deepbass, Guardian.co.uk
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Richard Herring, Comedian
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98rosjon, Twitter
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Gmanthedemon, bbc.co.uk
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Aiden Hearn, Twitter
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Al Murray, Comedian
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Danazawa, Youtube
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Dominic Cavendish, Telegraph
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Slothy Matt, Twitter
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Visualiser1, Twitter
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Cabluigi, Guardian.co.uk
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James Dellingpole, Daily Telegraph
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NevW47479, UKTV.co.uk
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Nicetime, Guardian.co.uk
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World Without End, Twitter
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Rubyshoes, Twitter
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Maninabananasuit, Guardian.co.uk
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Horatio Melvin, Twitter
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Herald Scotland.
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Wharto15, Twitter
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Dominic Cavendish, Daily Telegraph
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Peter Fears, Twitter
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Syhr, breakbeat.co.uk
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Frankie Boyle, Comedian
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Sam Rooney, Youtube
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Dominic Cavendish, Daily Telegraph
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Meanstreetelite, Peoplesrepublicofcork
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Funday’schild, youtube.
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Neolab, Guardian.co.uk
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Sweeping Curves, Twitter
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Anonymous, The Northfield Patriot
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Karen Laidlaw, Edfringe. com.
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Aaron, comedy.co.uk
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GRTak, finalgear.com
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Clampdown59, Twitter.
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FBC, finalgear.com
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Cyberbloke, Twitter
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Tweeter Kyriakou, Twitter
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Pnethor, pne-online.com
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Genghis McKahn, Guardian.co.uk
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Whoiscuriousgeorge, Youtube
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Fairy Pingu, Twitter
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Z-factor, Twitter.
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Ishamayura Byrd, Twitter
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XPIJONpsY, Twitter
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Dahoum, Guardian.co.uk
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Johnny Kitkat, dontstartmeoff.com
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Bosco239, youtube
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Etienne, Chortle.com
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Dave Wilson, Chortle.com
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Yukio Mishima, dontstartmeoff.com
Microcuts 22, Twitter
Microcuts 22, Twitter