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.
Lancethrustworthy, Youtube
Lancethrustworthy, Youtube
Carla, St Albans, Dailymail.co.uk
Carla, St Albans, Dailymail.co.uk
Esme Folley, Actress, cellist, Twitter
Esme Folley, Actress, cellist, 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
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Tokyofist, Youtube
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Pirate Crocodile, Twitter
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Pudabaya, beexcellenttoeachother.com
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Len Firewood, Twitter
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Gabrielle, Chortle.com
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Bobby Bhoy, Twitter
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Sam Rooney, Youtube
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Nicetime, Guardian.co.uk
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Patrick Kavanagh, Guardian.co.uk
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Anamatronix, Youtube
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Johnny Kitkat, dontstartmeoff.com
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Someoneyoudon'tknow, Chortle.com
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Mearecate, Youtube
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John Robins, Comedian
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Brendon, Vauxhallownersnetwork.co.uk
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A D Ward, Twitter
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Genghis McKahn, Guardian.co.uk
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Dominic Cavendish, Telegraph
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Syhr, breakbeat.co.uk
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Kozzy06, Youtube
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Aaron, comedy.co.uk
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Rubyshoes, Twitter
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Liam Travitt, Twitter
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Rudeness, Youtube
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Anon, dontstartmeoff.com
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Shane, Beverley, Dailymail.co.uk
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Alex Quarmby, Edfringe.com
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Etienne, Chortle.com
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Al Murray, Comedian
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Karen Laidlaw, Edfringe. com.
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FBC, finalgear.com
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Chez, Chortle.com
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Joskins, Leeds Music Forum
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Ishamayura Byrd, Twitter
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Lenny Darksphere, Twitter
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Cabluigi, Guardian.co.uk
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GRTak, finalgear.com
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Zombie Hamster, Twitter
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Guest, Dontstartmeoff.com
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Anonymous, The Northfield Patriot
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Pnethor, pne-online.com
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Anon, westhamonline.com
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Birmingham Sunday Mercury
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Keilloh, Twitter
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Microcuts 22, Twitter
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Neva2busy, dontstartmeoff.com
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Borathigh5, Youtube
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Meanstreetelite, Peoplesrepublicofcork
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Peter Ould, Twitter
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Dominic Cavendish, Daily Telegraph
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Joe, Independent.co.uk
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Tweeterkiryakou, Twitter
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Foxfoxton, Youtube
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Idrie, Youtube
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Sidsings000, Youtube
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98rosjon, Twitter
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Lents, redandwhitekop.com
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Hiewy, Youtube
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Carcrazychica, Youtube
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Fowkes81, Twitter
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Gwaites, Digitalspy
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Emilyistrendy, Youtube
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Slothy Matt, Twitter
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Henry Howard Fun, Twitter
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Mrdavisn01, Twitter
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Peter Fears, Twitter
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Dahoum, Guardian.co.uk
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Aiden Hearn, Twitter
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Deepbass, Guardian.co.uk
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Coxy, Dontstartmeoff.com
Leach Juice, Twitter
Leach Juice, Twitter
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Jamespearse, Twitter
Contrapuntal, Twitter
Contrapuntal, Twitter
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Cojones2, Guardian.co.uk
Guest1001, Youtube
Guest1001, Youtube
Peter Ould, Youtube
Peter Ould, Youtube
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Anon, BBC Complaints Log
Mpf1947, Youtube
Mpf1947, Youtube
Robert Gavin, Twitter
Robert Gavin, Twitter
Meninblack, Twitter
Meninblack, Twitter
Fairy Pingu, Twitter
Fairy Pingu, Twitter
Dick Socrates, Twitter
Dick Socrates, Twitter
Spanner, dontstartmeoff.com
Spanner, dontstartmeoff.com
Rowing Rob, Guardian.co.uk
Rowing Rob, Guardian.co.uk
Brighton Argus
Brighton Argus
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Maninabananasuit, Guardian.co.uk
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Danazawa, Youtube
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Dave Wilson, Chortle.com
Tres Ryan, Twitter
Tres Ryan, Twitter
DVDhth's grandparents, Twitter
DVDhth's grandparents, Twitter
12dgdgdgdgdgdg, Youtube
12dgdgdgdgdgdg, Youtube
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Richard Herring, Comedian
NevW47479, UKTV.co.uk
NevW47479, UKTV.co.uk
Iain, eatenbymissionaries
Iain, eatenbymissionaries
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Wharto15, Twitter
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Tin Frog, Twitter
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General Lurko 36, Guardian.co.uk
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Whoiscuriousgeorge, Youtube
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Mini-x2, readytogo.net
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Secretdeveloper, Youtube
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Alwyn, Digiguide.tv
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Frankie Boyle, Comedian
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Stuart, Chortle
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Horatio Melvin, Twitter
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Shit Crit, Twitter
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Visualiser1, Twitter
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Lee Mack, Mack The Life, 2012
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Bosco239, youtube
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Yukio Mishima, dontstartmeoff.com
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Tweeter Kyriakou, Twitter
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Sweeping Curves, Twitter
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Anonymous, don'tstartmeoff.com
Pudabaya, Twitter
Pudabaya, Twitter
James Dellingpole, Daily Telegraph
James Dellingpole, Daily Telegraph