But Lee’s continued absence from TV screens is our loss and a sad example of the lack of brave comedy programming.
In the People’s Republic of Brighton and Hove (itself something of a slightly smug outlier to large swathes of the UK) Lee is on safe and profitable ground, last week selling out an impressive five nights (one more than the last tour) at Brighton Dome.
His new show – Basic Lee, is a stand-up comedy performance which looks at the mechanics of stand-up comedy performance.As any fule kno, this is by no means uncharted territory for the intelligent comic who has spent a large part of his career kicking at the creaking joints of comedy and carving out a well-deserved reputation above the hackneyed offerings of many of his contemporaries and subsequent waves of comedians who inexplicably fill arena after arena.The show featured plenty of trademark Lee themes and tropes of his comedy persona, the deliberate positioning outside of the stand-up norms “I’m not really a stand-up comedian, loads of people on social media will tell you that”, disappointment with the crowd: “Don’t come and see me if you don’t know what anything is”, and faux superiority: “The pleasure of the simpleton. I envy you”.
Lee, who once said ‘Twitter is the Stasi for Angry Birds generation, also details a recent social media scrape (in the form of teasing routine only partly about JK Rowling) which saw him as the subject of online pile-in on Mumsnet, and somehow leads to a brilliant unpublishable line about Paddington Bear Dolls.
A broken ankle isn’t too much of an impediment for him, although we do lose a little physicality, but there’s a superb extended section on the supposed banality office life which is a wonderful drawn out piece of visual physical comedy achieved while barely leaving his chair. Describing going to see him as ‘a necessary but unenjoyable chore’ feels like vintage Stewart Lee but less common is the ‘crowd work’ – chatting to members of the front row.But it’s a set-up to an extensive prod at Phoebe Waller Bridge for ‘inventing’ the idea of talking directly to the audience “What’s going on.” he asks “I thought should see me through the television”.The show is not a political and his previous effort – the wonderful Snowflake/Tornado, which perfectly captured the growing ideological chasms in post-Brexit Britain.
He said it’s been difficult to identify a prevailing political narrative because in the time he took to write and perform the show he’s seen three Conservative Governments, although he did briefly point out that the Conservatives can’t bash the water companies for polluting the seas because they allowed it. But Lee seemed to reserve most of his anger for latecomers to the show and the ‘expletive deleted’ who unwisely attempted to record part of his act on a mobile phone.The show grinds to a characteristically challenging but hugely enjoyable conclusion, when an almost gruelling routine interchanged with jazz history is explained as being performed like Miles Coltrane – something which even Lee, haughty and curmudgeonly persona ramped up to 11, could barely say with a straight face
Lenny Darksphere, Twitter
Lenny Darksphere, Twitter
98rosjon, Twitter
98rosjon, Twitter
Borathigh5, Youtube
Borathigh5, Youtube
Clampdown59, Twitter.
Clampdown59, Twitter.
Meninblack, Twitter
Meninblack, Twitter
Dominic Cavendish, Telegraph
Dominic Cavendish, Telegraph
Shit Crit, Twitter
Shit Crit, Twitter
Whoiscuriousgeorge, Youtube
Whoiscuriousgeorge, Youtube
Coxy, Dontstartmeoff.com
Coxy, Dontstartmeoff.com
Nicetime, Guardian.co.uk
Nicetime, Guardian.co.uk
Dahoum, Guardian.co.uk
Dahoum, Guardian.co.uk
Sam Rooney, Youtube
Sam Rooney, Youtube
Slothy Matt, Twitter
Slothy Matt, Twitter
Gabrielle, Chortle.com
Gabrielle, Chortle.com
Aaron, comedy.co.uk
Aaron, comedy.co.uk
Patrick Kavanagh, Guardian.co.uk
Patrick Kavanagh, Guardian.co.uk
NevW47479, UKTV.co.uk
NevW47479, UKTV.co.uk
Gmanthedemon, bbc.co.uk
Gmanthedemon, bbc.co.uk
Richard Herring, Comedian
Richard Herring, Comedian
Microcuts 22, Twitter
Microcuts 22, Twitter
Danazawa, Youtube
Danazawa, Youtube
Z-factor, Twitter.
Z-factor, Twitter.
Brendon, Vauxhallownersnetwork.co.uk
Brendon, Vauxhallownersnetwork.co.uk
Jamespearse, Twitter
Jamespearse, Twitter
Cabluigi, Guardian.co.uk
Cabluigi, Guardian.co.uk
Joskins, Leeds Music Forum
Joskins, Leeds Music Forum
Peter Fears, Twitter
Peter Fears, Twitter
John Robins, Comedian
John Robins, Comedian
Anon, BBC Complaints Log
Anon, BBC Complaints Log
Dick Socrates, Twitter
Dick Socrates, Twitter
Birmingham Sunday Mercury
Birmingham Sunday Mercury
BBC iPlayer edition of discussion of Stewart Lee on A Good Read
BBC iPlayer edition of discussion of Stewart Lee on A Good Read
Idrie, Youtube
Idrie, Youtube
Guest1001, Youtube
Guest1001, Youtube
Tweeterkiryakou, Twitter
Tweeterkiryakou, Twitter
Emilyistrendy, Youtube
Emilyistrendy, Youtube
Henry Howard Fun, Twitter
Henry Howard Fun, Twitter
Bosco239, youtube
Bosco239, youtube
Al Murray, Comedian
Al Murray, Comedian
Anon, dontstartmeoff.com
Anon, dontstartmeoff.com
Joycey, readytogo.net
Joycey, readytogo.net
Leach Juice, Twitter
Leach Juice, Twitter
Len Firewood, Twitter
Len Firewood, Twitter
Chez, Chortle.com
Chez, Chortle.com
Carla, St Albans, Dailymail.co.uk
Carla, St Albans, Dailymail.co.uk
Anonymous, don'tstartmeoff.com
Anonymous, don'tstartmeoff.com
Yukio Mishima, dontstartmeoff.com
Yukio Mishima, dontstartmeoff.com
Peter Ould, Youtube
Peter Ould, Youtube
Cyberbloke, Twitter
Cyberbloke, Twitter
Gwaites, Digitalspy
Gwaites, Digitalspy
Mini-x2, readytogo.net
Mini-x2, readytogo.net
Fowkes81, Twitter
Fowkes81, Twitter
A D Ward, Twitter
A D Ward, Twitter
Karen Laidlaw, Edfringe. com.
Karen Laidlaw, Edfringe. com.
Ishamayura Byrd, Twitter
Ishamayura Byrd, Twitter
Dave Wilson, Chortle.com
Dave Wilson, Chortle.com
Robert Gavin, Twitter
Robert Gavin, Twitter
Mrdavisn01, Twitter
Mrdavisn01, Twitter
James Dellingpole, Daily Telegraph
James Dellingpole, Daily Telegraph
Stuart, Chortle
Stuart, Chortle
Tokyofist, Youtube
Tokyofist, Youtube
Alex Quarmby, Edfringe.com
Alex Quarmby, Edfringe.com
Lents, redandwhitekop.com
Lents, redandwhitekop.com
General Lurko 36, Guardian.co.uk
General Lurko 36, Guardian.co.uk
Lancethrustworthy, Youtube
Lancethrustworthy, Youtube
Spanner, dontstartmeoff.com
Spanner, dontstartmeoff.com
Wharto15, Twitter
Wharto15, Twitter
DVDhth's grandparents, Twitter
DVDhth's grandparents, Twitter
Horatio Melvin, Twitter
Horatio Melvin, Twitter
Sweeping Curves, Twitter
Sweeping Curves, Twitter
Foxfoxton, Youtube
Foxfoxton, Youtube
Pudabaya, Twitter
Pudabaya, Twitter
Meanstreetelite, Peoplesrepublicofcork
Meanstreetelite, Peoplesrepublicofcork
Joe, Independent.co.uk
Joe, Independent.co.uk
Liam Travitt, Twitter
Liam Travitt, Twitter
Esme Folley, Actress, cellist, Twitter
Esme Folley, Actress, cellist, Twitter
Lee Mack, Mack The Life, 2012
Lee Mack, Mack The Life, 2012
Bobby Bhoy, Twitter
Bobby Bhoy, Twitter
Zombie Hamster, Twitter
Zombie Hamster, Twitter
Contrapuntal, Twitter
Contrapuntal, Twitter
Carcrazychica, Youtube
Carcrazychica, Youtube
Lucinda Locketts, Twitter
Lucinda Locketts, Twitter
Anonymous, The Northfield Patriot
Anonymous, The Northfield Patriot
Sidsings000, Youtube
Sidsings000, Youtube
GRTak, finalgear.com
GRTak, finalgear.com
Guest, Dontstartmeoff.com
Guest, Dontstartmeoff.com
FBC, finalgear.com
FBC, finalgear.com
Alwyn, Digiguide.tv
Alwyn, Digiguide.tv
Rowing Rob, Guardian.co.uk
Rowing Rob, Guardian.co.uk
Frankie Boyle, Comedian
Frankie Boyle, Comedian
Maninabananasuit, Guardian.co.uk
Maninabananasuit, Guardian.co.uk
Deepbass, Guardian.co.uk
Deepbass, Guardian.co.uk
Shane, Beverley, Dailymail.co.uk
Shane, Beverley, Dailymail.co.uk
Brighton Argus
Brighton Argus
Hiewy, Youtube
Hiewy, Youtube
Jackmumf, Twitter
Jackmumf, Twitter
Fairy Pingu, Twitter
Fairy Pingu, Twitter
Mpf1947, Youtube
Mpf1947, Youtube
Genghis McKahn, Guardian.co.uk
Genghis McKahn, Guardian.co.uk
12dgdgdgdgdgdg, Youtube
12dgdgdgdgdgdg, Youtube
Secretdeveloper, Youtube
Secretdeveloper, Youtube
World Without End, Twitter
World Without End, Twitter
Tin Frog, Twitter
Tin Frog, Twitter
Anamatronix, Youtube
Anamatronix, Youtube
Keilloh, Twitter
Keilloh, Twitter
Pirate Crocodile, Twitter
Pirate Crocodile, Twitter
Dominic Cavendish, Daily Telegraph
Dominic Cavendish, Daily Telegraph
Mearecate, Youtube
Mearecate, Youtube
Tweeter Kyriakou, Twitter
Tweeter Kyriakou, Twitter
Someoneyoudon'tknow, Chortle.com
Someoneyoudon'tknow, Chortle.com
Rubyshoes, Twitter
Rubyshoes, Twitter
Pnethor, pne-online.com
Pnethor, pne-online.com
Tres Ryan, Twitter
Tres Ryan, Twitter
Aiden Hearn, Twitter
Aiden Hearn, Twitter
Syhr, breakbeat.co.uk
Syhr, breakbeat.co.uk
Anon, westhamonline.com
Anon, westhamonline.com
Visualiser1, Twitter
Visualiser1, Twitter
Cojones2, Guardian.co.uk
Cojones2, Guardian.co.uk
Etienne, Chortle.com
Etienne, Chortle.com
Johnny Kitkat, dontstartmeoff.com
Johnny Kitkat, dontstartmeoff.com
Funday’schild, youtube.
Funday’schild, youtube.
Kozzy06, Youtube
Kozzy06, Youtube
Peter Ould, Twitter
Peter Ould, Twitter
Pudabaya, beexcellenttoeachother.com
Pudabaya, beexcellenttoeachother.com
Rudeness, Youtube
Rudeness, Youtube
Neolab, Guardian.co.uk
Neolab, Guardian.co.uk
Stokeylitfest, Twitter
Stokeylitfest, Twitter
Neva2busy, dontstartmeoff.com
Neva2busy, dontstartmeoff.com
Iain, eatenbymissionaries
Iain, eatenbymissionaries