Billed as Stewart Lee’s most “streamlined” show in a decade, Basic Lee is anything but. Even by his standards of deconstruction, this is a show with considerable baggage, tossed around lightly, as he archly picks apart the art of stand-up, while playing with his relationship to it.
He opens with and occasionally returns to one of his routines from 1989, in which he’s doorstepped by an evangelical Christian, revelling in the audacity of performing 34-year-old material, dated references intact. Topical, political routines are a fool’s errand he mutters, now that his tours significantly outlast Tory governments.
But he grudgingly has a go, with a perverse conflation of the more bizarre aspects of mourning the death of the Queen, getting professionally sidelined as the TV schedules were cleared, and his baser instincts – which still pale in comparison to those he attributes to Prince Andrew.
His supercilious persona is keen to show that he’s mastered every aspect of stand-up, from Live At The Apollo-styleobservations, to (out of character) extended crowd interrogation, to emotionally deeper stuff. However, he barely does more than allude to his early life before he was adopted, and an engagement that foundered on differing views of indie film director Hal Hartley, before claiming he invented the soul-baring style.
As ever, he’s keen to place himself in the pantheon of comics, with snipes at Kevin Bridges, Frankie Boyle and his former double-act partner Richard Herring; he projects himself as the great sad clown Pagliacci and casts Barry Cryer, Sean Lock and Daniel Kitson as bit-part players in his close miss at pre-empting Phoebe Waller Bridge’s huge success with Fleabag.
For the most part it’s all very tongue-in-cheek, even as he artfully negotiates JK Rowling’s trans controversies, Brexit and mental health issues in oblique, inventive ways.
At his (affected) grouchiest, Lee is clearly having fun, invoking jazz as he riffs on his repertoire and reputation, with a verve that is infectious.
Al Murray, Comedian
Al Murray, Comedian
Slothy Matt, Twitter
Slothy Matt, Twitter
Neolab, Guardian.co.uk
Neolab, Guardian.co.uk
Alex Quarmby, Edfringe.com
Alex Quarmby, Edfringe.com
Tweeterkiryakou, Twitter
Tweeterkiryakou, Twitter
Contrapuntal, Twitter
Contrapuntal, Twitter
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Dave Wilson, Chortle.com
Wharto15, Twitter
Wharto15, Twitter
Brighton Argus
Brighton Argus
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Keilloh, Twitter
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Bobby Bhoy, Twitter
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Dahoum, Guardian.co.uk
Rowing Rob, Guardian.co.uk
Rowing Rob, Guardian.co.uk
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Dick Socrates, Twitter
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Ishamayura Byrd, Twitter
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Mrdavisn01, Twitter
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Joycey, readytogo.net
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Cyberbloke, Twitter
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Stokeylitfest, Twitter
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Dominic Cavendish, Telegraph
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Peter Ould, Youtube
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Foxfoxton, Youtube
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Anon, dontstartmeoff.com
Neva2busy, dontstartmeoff.com
Neva2busy, dontstartmeoff.com
John Robins, Comedian
John Robins, Comedian
NevW47479, UKTV.co.uk
NevW47479, UKTV.co.uk
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Tres Ryan, Twitter
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Aiden Hearn, Twitter
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Mearecate, Youtube
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Emilyistrendy, Youtube
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Tweeter Kyriakou, Twitter
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Lee Mack, Mack The Life, 2012
Brendon, Vauxhallownersnetwork.co.uk
Brendon, Vauxhallownersnetwork.co.uk
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Liam Travitt, Twitter
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Carcrazychica, Youtube
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Sam Rooney, Youtube
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Fairy Pingu, Twitter
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Pnethor, pne-online.com
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Meanstreetelite, Peoplesrepublicofcork
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Sweeping Curves, Twitter
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Birmingham Sunday Mercury
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Mini-x2, readytogo.net
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Lenny Darksphere, Twitter
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World Without End, Twitter
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Cabluigi, Guardian.co.uk
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Gabrielle, Chortle.com
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Guest, Dontstartmeoff.com
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Tin Frog, Twitter
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Etienne, Chortle.com
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Pudabaya, Twitter
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Iain, eatenbymissionaries
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Henry Howard Fun, Twitter
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Richard Herring, Comedian
A D Ward, Twitter
A D Ward, Twitter
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Mpf1947, Youtube
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Cojones2, Guardian.co.uk
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Esme Folley, Actress, cellist, Twitter
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Genghis McKahn, Guardian.co.uk
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Joe, Independent.co.uk
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Lancethrustworthy, Youtube
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Pudabaya, beexcellenttoeachother.com
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Lents, redandwhitekop.com
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Secretdeveloper, Youtube
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Peter Ould, Twitter
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Len Firewood, Twitter
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12dgdgdgdgdgdg, Youtube
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Gmanthedemon, bbc.co.uk
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Deepbass, Guardian.co.uk
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Zombie Hamster, Twitter
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Guest1001, Youtube
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Jamespearse, Twitter
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Whoiscuriousgeorge, Youtube
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DVDhth's grandparents, Twitter
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Anon, westhamonline.com
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Carla, St Albans, Dailymail.co.uk
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Shit Crit, Twitter
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Tokyofist, Youtube
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Patrick Kavanagh, Guardian.co.uk
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Spanner, dontstartmeoff.com
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Gwaites, Digitalspy
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Meninblack, 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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Robert Gavin, Twitter
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Anonymous, don'tstartmeoff.com
Fowkes81, Twitter
Fowkes81, Twitter
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Aaron, comedy.co.uk
General Lurko 36, Guardian.co.uk
General Lurko 36, Guardian.co.uk
FBC, finalgear.com
FBC, finalgear.com
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Sidsings000, Youtube
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Stuart, Chortle
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Chez, Chortle.com
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Dominic Cavendish, Daily Telegraph
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Anamatronix, Youtube
Syhr, breakbeat.co.uk
Syhr, breakbeat.co.uk
Anon, BBC Complaints Log
Anon, BBC Complaints Log
Horatio Melvin, Twitter
Horatio Melvin, Twitter
Rubyshoes, Twitter
Rubyshoes, Twitter
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Danazawa, Youtube
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Nicetime, Guardian.co.uk
Kozzy06, Youtube
Kozzy06, Youtube
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Alwyn, Digiguide.tv
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Microcuts 22, Twitter
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Jackmumf, Twitter
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Z-factor, Twitter.
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James Dellingpole, Daily Telegraph
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Bosco239, youtube
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Peter Fears, Twitter
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98rosjon, Twitter
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Idrie, Youtube
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Hiewy, Youtube
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Frankie Boyle, Comedian
Leach Juice, Twitter
Leach Juice, Twitter
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Maninabananasuit, Guardian.co.uk
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Rudeness, Youtube
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Visualiser1, Twitter
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Pirate Crocodile, Twitter
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Clampdown59, Twitter.
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Anonymous, The Northfield Patriot
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Borathigh5, Youtube
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Shane, Beverley, Dailymail.co.uk
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Karen Laidlaw, Edfringe. com.
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GRTak, finalgear.com
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Yukio Mishima, dontstartmeoff.com
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Funday’schild, youtube.
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Lucinda Locketts, Twitter
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Joskins, Leeds Music Forum
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Johnny Kitkat, dontstartmeoff.com
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Someoneyoudon'tknow, Chortle.com
Coxy, Dontstartmeoff.com
Coxy, Dontstartmeoff.com