“Pure. Simple. Classic.” That’s the refrain – a little tongue-in-cheek, would you believe? – in Stewart Lee’s new show Basic Lee. After a series of high-concept shows (two of them recently recorded for the BBC), Basic Lee sees the 54-year-old stripped back and celebrating the rudiments of standup. One man, one microphone, as he initially defines it – a formula that’s soon accruing qualifiers and footnotes, because Lee can no sooner do basic comedy than the government can do basic competence. But the show is more limber and loosely structured than his usual work – which comes with both gains and losses.
The gains are in encountering a comic who seems, more than in his earlier output, to be enjoying himself – and who, having created a baggier show to work with, has given himself wing-spreading room over the eight months of its London run and tour. His material on the current Tory cabinet is ostentatiously recited from cue cards – because, given the likely longevity of the Truss premiership, it’s not worth committing to memory. Of-the-moment jokes about the Queen’s funeral and the postponement of Lee’s BBC special likewise won’t be in the show for keeps. The topicality is fun, though – as long as you don’t mind that most of the gags have already moonlighted in Lee’s Observer column.
That’s not the only recycling here, in a show that opens with a joke Lee used to perform in the 90s, and includes a routine about Fleabag cannibalised from early versions of his 2019 Snowflake/Tornado diptych. It’s a section I was very happy to hear again, mind you, as Lee spins his fake regard for Phoebe Waller-Bridge’s formal innovations into a whole alternative history of standup, in which, when the young Lee dares to turn his act out towards the audience, comics like Daniel Kitson and Sean Lock – reactionaries both! – whip him back into line.
That confluence, of sacrilege and sarcasm, is fertile territory for Lee. So too the mockery of his audience, his own craft, and his supposed cultural significance – all even higher in the mix than usual here. There’s a choice gag imagining the logical endpoint of Lee’s act as just a figment of his audience’s imagination. Another section finds Lee parroting the snobbish fanboying of his own mostly male followers, to cheerful laughter-of-recognition breaking out around the room.
This particular fanboy missed the rich structuring of Lee’s best work, though, and found a few of tonight’s routines a bit Stew-by-numbers. An eye-catching section in the first half finds our host weighing in, and refusing to weigh in, on the JK Rowling/trans conversation. “It’s not about that!,” he protests too much – but, while I appreciate that the routine’s withholding of an opinion is partly the point, I found it a bit coy. One or two later set-pieces (the pernickety monologue about jazz; the sketch imagining his audience’s humdrum working lives) feel too schematically like good ideas for a Stewart Lee sketch – well executed, our patience duly tested, but devoid of surprise.
None of which greatly diminishes the pleasures of this two-hour set: Lee firing on only a few cylinders is still a richer comedy experience than many acts with engines at full throttle. It may not be pure, simple or classic Lee. But it’s a chance to see this most meticulous of standups let it all hang out – and that’s a chance worth taking.
Carla, St Albans, Dailymail.co.uk
Carla, St Albans, Dailymail.co.uk
Gmanthedemon, bbc.co.uk
Gmanthedemon, bbc.co.uk
Patrick Kavanagh, Guardian.co.uk
Patrick Kavanagh, Guardian.co.uk
Johnny Kitkat, dontstartmeoff.com
Johnny Kitkat, dontstartmeoff.com
Pudabaya, beexcellenttoeachother.com
Pudabaya, beexcellenttoeachother.com
Neva2busy, dontstartmeoff.com
Neva2busy, dontstartmeoff.com
GRTak, finalgear.com
GRTak, finalgear.com
Genghis McKahn, Guardian.co.uk
Genghis McKahn, Guardian.co.uk
Syhr, breakbeat.co.uk
Syhr, breakbeat.co.uk
Contrapuntal, Twitter
Contrapuntal, Twitter
Cyberbloke, Twitter
Cyberbloke, Twitter
Fowkes81, Twitter
Fowkes81, Twitter
Deepbass, Guardian.co.uk
Deepbass, Guardian.co.uk
Clampdown59, Twitter.
Clampdown59, Twitter.
Cabluigi, Guardian.co.uk
Cabluigi, Guardian.co.uk
Dominic Cavendish, Telegraph
Dominic Cavendish, Telegraph
Peter Ould, Twitter
Peter Ould, Twitter
Anon, BBC Complaints Log
Anon, BBC Complaints Log
James Dellingpole, Daily Telegraph
James Dellingpole, Daily Telegraph
Anon, westhamonline.com
Anon, westhamonline.com
Tin Frog, Twitter
Tin Frog, Twitter
John Robins, Comedian
John Robins, Comedian
Al Murray, Comedian
Al Murray, Comedian
Anamatronix, Youtube
Anamatronix, Youtube
Richard Herring, Comedian
Richard Herring, Comedian
Carcrazychica, Youtube
Carcrazychica, Youtube
Joskins, Leeds Music Forum
Joskins, Leeds Music Forum
Peter Ould, Youtube
Peter Ould, Youtube
Kozzy06, Youtube
Kozzy06, Youtube
Lancethrustworthy, Youtube
Lancethrustworthy, Youtube
Nicetime, Guardian.co.uk
Nicetime, Guardian.co.uk
Meninblack, Twitter
Meninblack, Twitter
Maninabananasuit, Guardian.co.uk
Maninabananasuit, Guardian.co.uk
98rosjon, Twitter
98rosjon, Twitter
Iain, eatenbymissionaries
Iain, eatenbymissionaries
Len Firewood, Twitter
Len Firewood, Twitter
Leach Juice, Twitter
Leach Juice, Twitter
Keilloh, Twitter
Keilloh, Twitter
Emilyistrendy, Youtube
Emilyistrendy, Youtube
Foxfoxton, Youtube
Foxfoxton, Youtube
Idrie, Youtube
Idrie, Youtube
Visualiser1, Twitter
Visualiser1, Twitter
World Without End, Twitter
World Without End, Twitter
Gabrielle, Chortle.com
Gabrielle, Chortle.com
Dick Socrates, Twitter
Dick Socrates, Twitter
Coxy, Dontstartmeoff.com
Coxy, Dontstartmeoff.com
Danazawa, Youtube
Danazawa, Youtube
12dgdgdgdgdgdg, Youtube
12dgdgdgdgdgdg, Youtube
Rudeness, Youtube
Rudeness, Youtube
Karen Laidlaw, Edfringe. com.
Karen Laidlaw, Edfringe. com.
Zombie Hamster, Twitter
Zombie Hamster, Twitter
Joe, Independent.co.uk
Joe, Independent.co.uk
Yukio Mishima, dontstartmeoff.com
Yukio Mishima, dontstartmeoff.com
Brendon, Vauxhallownersnetwork.co.uk
Brendon, Vauxhallownersnetwork.co.uk
Chez, Chortle.com
Chez, Chortle.com
Stokeylitfest, Twitter
Stokeylitfest, Twitter
Mpf1947, Youtube
Mpf1947, Youtube
Shit Crit, Twitter
Shit Crit, Twitter
NevW47479, UKTV.co.uk
NevW47479, UKTV.co.uk
Esme Folley, Actress, cellist, Twitter
Esme Folley, Actress, cellist, Twitter
Frankie Boyle, Comedian
Frankie Boyle, Comedian
Lents, redandwhitekop.com
Lents, redandwhitekop.com
Gwaites, Digitalspy
Gwaites, Digitalspy
Sidsings000, Youtube
Sidsings000, Youtube
Brighton Argus
Brighton Argus
Bobby Bhoy, Twitter
Bobby Bhoy, Twitter
Anon, dontstartmeoff.com
Anon, dontstartmeoff.com
Sweeping Curves, Twitter
Sweeping Curves, Twitter
Pudabaya, Twitter
Pudabaya, Twitter
Dominic Cavendish, Daily Telegraph
Dominic Cavendish, Daily Telegraph
Meanstreetelite, Peoplesrepublicofcork
Meanstreetelite, Peoplesrepublicofcork
Tokyofist, Youtube
Tokyofist, Youtube
Aiden Hearn, Twitter
Aiden Hearn, Twitter
Slothy Matt, Twitter
Slothy Matt, Twitter
Secretdeveloper, Youtube
Secretdeveloper, Youtube
Mini-x2, readytogo.net
Mini-x2, readytogo.net
Wharto15, Twitter
Wharto15, Twitter
Pirate Crocodile, Twitter
Pirate Crocodile, Twitter
Etienne, Chortle.com
Etienne, Chortle.com
Tweeter Kyriakou, Twitter
Tweeter Kyriakou, Twitter
Anonymous, don'tstartmeoff.com
Anonymous, don'tstartmeoff.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
Joycey, readytogo.net
Joycey, readytogo.net
Horatio Melvin, Twitter
Horatio Melvin, Twitter
Lenny Darksphere, Twitter
Lenny Darksphere, Twitter
Mrdavisn01, Twitter
Mrdavisn01, Twitter
Jamespearse, Twitter
Jamespearse, Twitter
Lee Mack, Mack The Life, 2012
Lee Mack, Mack The Life, 2012
Ishamayura Byrd, Twitter
Ishamayura Byrd, Twitter
Alwyn, Digiguide.tv
Alwyn, Digiguide.tv
Z-factor, Twitter.
Z-factor, Twitter.
Mearecate, Youtube
Mearecate, Youtube
Guest1001, Youtube
Guest1001, Youtube
Lucinda Locketts, Twitter
Lucinda Locketts, Twitter
Tres Ryan, Twitter
Tres Ryan, Twitter
Henry Howard Fun, Twitter
Henry Howard Fun, Twitter
Rowing Rob, Guardian.co.uk
Rowing Rob, Guardian.co.uk
Guest, Dontstartmeoff.com
Guest, Dontstartmeoff.com
Microcuts 22, Twitter
Microcuts 22, Twitter
DVDhth's grandparents, Twitter
DVDhth's grandparents, Twitter
Alex Quarmby, Edfringe.com
Alex Quarmby, Edfringe.com
Spanner, dontstartmeoff.com
Spanner, dontstartmeoff.com
Someoneyoudon'tknow, Chortle.com
Someoneyoudon'tknow, Chortle.com
Whoiscuriousgeorge, Youtube
Whoiscuriousgeorge, Youtube
Fairy Pingu, Twitter
Fairy Pingu, Twitter
Pnethor, pne-online.com
Pnethor, pne-online.com
Hiewy, Youtube
Hiewy, Youtube
Funday’schild, youtube.
Funday’schild, youtube.
Sam Rooney, Youtube
Sam Rooney, Youtube
Robert Gavin, Twitter
Robert Gavin, Twitter
Dave Wilson, Chortle.com
Dave Wilson, Chortle.com
Shane, Beverley, Dailymail.co.uk
Shane, Beverley, Dailymail.co.uk
Stuart, Chortle
Stuart, Chortle
Rubyshoes, Twitter
Rubyshoes, Twitter
A D Ward, Twitter
A D Ward, Twitter
Bosco239, youtube
Bosco239, youtube
General Lurko 36, Guardian.co.uk
General Lurko 36, Guardian.co.uk
Birmingham Sunday Mercury
Birmingham Sunday Mercury
FBC, finalgear.com
FBC, finalgear.com
Anonymous, The Northfield Patriot
Anonymous, The Northfield Patriot
Cojones2, Guardian.co.uk
Cojones2, Guardian.co.uk
Peter Fears, Twitter
Peter Fears, Twitter
Tweeterkiryakou, Twitter
Tweeterkiryakou, Twitter
Liam Travitt, Twitter
Liam Travitt, Twitter
Aaron, comedy.co.uk
Aaron, comedy.co.uk
Borathigh5, Youtube
Borathigh5, Youtube
Jackmumf, Twitter
Jackmumf, Twitter
Dahoum, Guardian.co.uk
Dahoum, Guardian.co.uk
Neolab, Guardian.co.uk
Neolab, Guardian.co.uk