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