Stewart Lee is a very clever but very disappointed man.
He rails bitterly against the world, against the reviewers that have gone from describing him as a “crumpled Morrissey” to a “squashed Albert Finney”, “against the parents who “think it’s a big joke” that he’s a comedian, against the invisible forces that make his life into a series of heroic failures.
It’s a humour where the observational breeds the surreal, a comedy of layers, weaving various central threads in and out of each other and revisiting them time and again.
There’s the strange half-plaudit of being named 41st Best Stand Up Comedian Ever in a Channel 4 poll, the fact that the funniest thing his mother has ever seen is cheeky Scouse Crosswits host Tom O’Connor telling a bad joke about sardines on a cruise ship and his hapless appearance at the entymologists conference “Pestival” doing stand up dressed as an insect.
He’s always pushed the boundaries of accepted comedy, experimenting with wordplay and mental imagery, questioning the essence of what we find funny and getting laughs with it.
Here he plays ever more recklessly with the rules, forcing your comfort zone by dropping the mike and roaming into the audience, ranting as if in the grip of a nervous breakdown, turning his back to stare out of the window and finally balancing a woollen giraffe on his head and staring mutely as they titter increasingly awkwardly.
It’s a portrait of a man and his disappointed hopes, a cerebral, but angry form of humour – and it’s in the hands of an expert.
Peter Ould, Youtube
Peter Ould, Youtube
Genghis McKahn, Guardian.co.uk
Genghis McKahn, Guardian.co.uk
World Without End, Twitter
World Without End, Twitter
Mearecate, Youtube
Mearecate, Youtube
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Joycey, readytogo.net
Syhr, breakbeat.co.uk
Syhr, breakbeat.co.uk
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Anamatronix, Youtube
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Slothy Matt, Twitter
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FBC, finalgear.com
Mpf1947, Youtube
Mpf1947, Youtube
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Foxfoxton, Youtube
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Fowkes81, Twitter
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Henry Howard Fun, Twitter
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Aiden Hearn, Twitter
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Keilloh, Twitter
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Cabluigi, Guardian.co.uk
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Coxy, Dontstartmeoff.com
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Secretdeveloper, Youtube
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Richard Herring, Comedian
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Dick Socrates, Twitter
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Peter Ould, Twitter
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Borathigh5, Youtube
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Nicetime, Guardian.co.uk
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Johnny Kitkat, dontstartmeoff.com
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Aaron, comedy.co.uk
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Len Firewood, Twitter
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Leach Juice, Twitter
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Lancethrustworthy, Youtube
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Rubyshoes, Twitter
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Pnethor, pne-online.com
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Rudeness, Youtube
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Ishamayura Byrd, Twitter
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Chez, Chortle.com
Neva2busy, dontstartmeoff.com
Neva2busy, dontstartmeoff.com
12dgdgdgdgdgdg, Youtube
12dgdgdgdgdgdg, Youtube
Meanstreetelite, Peoplesrepublicofcork
Meanstreetelite, Peoplesrepublicofcork
Pudabaya, Twitter
Pudabaya, Twitter
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Tres Ryan, Twitter
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Gmanthedemon, bbc.co.uk
Mini-x2, readytogo.net
Mini-x2, readytogo.net
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Sam Rooney, Youtube
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Bobby Bhoy, Twitter
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Joe, Independent.co.uk
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Peter Fears, Twitter
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Tokyofist, Youtube
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Shane, Beverley, Dailymail.co.uk
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Gabrielle, Chortle.com
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Guest1001, Youtube
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Anon, BBC Complaints Log
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Z-factor, Twitter.
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Funday’schild, youtube.
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Zombie Hamster, Twitter
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DVDhth's grandparents, Twitter
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NevW47479, UKTV.co.uk
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Danazawa, Youtube
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Dave Wilson, Chortle.com
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Dominic Cavendish, Telegraph
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Dominic Cavendish, Daily Telegraph
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Contrapuntal, Twitter
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A D Ward, Twitter
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Jackmumf, Twitter
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Tweeter Kyriakou, Twitter
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Cyberbloke, Twitter
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Pirate Crocodile, Twitter
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Tweeterkiryakou, Twitter
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Carla, St Albans, Dailymail.co.uk
Brighton Argus
Brighton Argus
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Yukio Mishima, dontstartmeoff.com
Sidsings000, Youtube
Sidsings000, Youtube
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Iain, eatenbymissionaries
Spanner, dontstartmeoff.com
Spanner, dontstartmeoff.com
Robert Gavin, Twitter
Robert Gavin, Twitter
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Etienne, Chortle.com
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Al Murray, Comedian
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Idrie, Youtube
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Kozzy06, Youtube
Tin Frog, Twitter
Tin Frog, Twitter
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Deepbass, Guardian.co.uk
Carcrazychica, Youtube
Carcrazychica, Youtube
General Lurko 36, Guardian.co.uk
General Lurko 36, Guardian.co.uk
Someoneyoudon'tknow, Chortle.com
Someoneyoudon'tknow, Chortle.com
98rosjon, Twitter
98rosjon, Twitter
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Bosco239, youtube
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Meninblack, Twitter
James Dellingpole, Daily Telegraph
James Dellingpole, Daily Telegraph
John Robins, Comedian
John Robins, Comedian
Cojones2, Guardian.co.uk
Cojones2, Guardian.co.uk
Frankie Boyle, Comedian
Frankie Boyle, Comedian
Liam Travitt, Twitter
Liam Travitt, Twitter
Anon, westhamonline.com
Anon, westhamonline.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
Alex Quarmby, Edfringe.com
Alex Quarmby, Edfringe.com
Anonymous, don'tstartmeoff.com
Anonymous, don'tstartmeoff.com
Gwaites, Digitalspy
Gwaites, Digitalspy
Clampdown59, Twitter.
Clampdown59, Twitter.
Stokeylitfest, Twitter
Stokeylitfest, Twitter
Jamespearse, Twitter
Jamespearse, Twitter
Mrdavisn01, Twitter
Mrdavisn01, Twitter
Lee Mack, Mack The Life, 2012
Lee Mack, Mack The Life, 2012
Lenny Darksphere, Twitter
Lenny Darksphere, Twitter
Lucinda Locketts, Twitter
Lucinda Locketts, Twitter
Hiewy, Youtube
Hiewy, Youtube
Sweeping Curves, Twitter
Sweeping Curves, Twitter
Maninabananasuit, Guardian.co.uk
Maninabananasuit, Guardian.co.uk
Esme Folley, Actress, cellist, Twitter
Esme Folley, Actress, cellist, Twitter
Shit Crit, Twitter
Shit Crit, Twitter
Joskins, Leeds Music Forum
Joskins, Leeds Music Forum
Birmingham Sunday Mercury
Birmingham Sunday Mercury
Guest, Dontstartmeoff.com
Guest, Dontstartmeoff.com
Dahoum, Guardian.co.uk
Dahoum, Guardian.co.uk
Anon, dontstartmeoff.com
Anon, dontstartmeoff.com
Stuart, Chortle
Stuart, Chortle
Horatio Melvin, Twitter
Horatio Melvin, Twitter
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Karen Laidlaw, Edfringe. com.
Lents, redandwhitekop.com
Lents, redandwhitekop.com
Patrick Kavanagh, Guardian.co.uk
Patrick Kavanagh, Guardian.co.uk
Neolab, Guardian.co.uk
Neolab, Guardian.co.uk
Rowing Rob, Guardian.co.uk
Rowing Rob, Guardian.co.uk
Wharto15, Twitter
Wharto15, Twitter
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Alwyn, Digiguide.tv
Emilyistrendy, Youtube
Emilyistrendy, Youtube
Pudabaya, beexcellenttoeachother.com
Pudabaya, beexcellenttoeachother.com
Microcuts 22, Twitter
Microcuts 22, Twitter
Visualiser1, Twitter
Visualiser1, Twitter
GRTak, finalgear.com
GRTak, finalgear.com
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Whoiscuriousgeorge, Youtube
Fairy Pingu, Twitter
Fairy Pingu, Twitter
Brendon, Vauxhallownersnetwork.co.uk
Brendon, Vauxhallownersnetwork.co.uk
Anonymous, The Northfield Patriot
Anonymous, The Northfield Patriot