Despite his BBC show being re-commissioned for a further two series until 2015, a clutch of recent awards and tonight’s performance, his biggest audience in a quarter-century of solo gigs, Stewart Lee, stand-up’s éminence grise maintains a desire to retreat back into cult obscurity. Or at least to the humbler Citizens Theatre across the Clyde.
He bemoans his belated fame, first for the Jimmy Carr crowd and friends of fans it’s attracted, later for the online vitriol and Twitter surveillance culture it’s brought him. He maintains he has nothing to say, a middle-aged man whose time is taken up watching endless Scooby Doo cartoons with his young son and travelling to gigs, desperately hoping random retail outlet names will provoke material. This is a patchwork show, a weave of carpet remnants, with themes Lee has covered before in terms of the famous lookalikes he’s confused with, abuse directed at him and from him towards his fellow comics, and his ongoing meta-commentary and routine deconstruction as the show develops.
But it’s also a sublime validation of stand-up as art, pushing the limits of what it aspires to, playing with the expectations of a comedy literate crowd and ultimately drawing the disparate strands together. Trying on different stand-up styles for size – Thatcherism-bashing through Scooby satire; mocking sad, confessional comedy then drawing it into his narrative – he has the skill to toy with pace and mood, withholding easy laughs for greater pay-offs later. Sadly for him, he seems set to attract more fans yet.
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Gwaites, Digitalspy
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Carcrazychica, Youtube
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John Robins, Comedian
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Clampdown59, Twitter.
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Alex Quarmby, Edfringe.com
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Dominic Cavendish, Telegraph
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Neolab, Guardian.co.uk
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Iain, eatenbymissionaries
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Johnny Kitkat, dontstartmeoff.com
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Cabluigi, Guardian.co.uk
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Tweeterkiryakou, Twitter
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Anonymous, don'tstartmeoff.com
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Nicetime, Guardian.co.uk
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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Anamatronix, Youtube
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Guest, Dontstartmeoff.com
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Karen Laidlaw, Edfringe. com.
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Dahoum, Guardian.co.uk
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Gabrielle, Chortle.com
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Emilyistrendy, Youtube
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Anon, BBC Complaints Log
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Esme Folley, Actress, cellist, Twitter
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Slothy Matt, Twitter
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Kozzy06, Youtube
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12dgdgdgdgdgdg, Youtube
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Fairy Pingu, Twitter
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Tweeter Kyriakou, Twitter
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Robert Gavin, Twitter
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Syhr, breakbeat.co.uk
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Sweeping Curves, Twitter
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Deepbass, Guardian.co.uk
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Anon, westhamonline.com
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Borathigh5, Youtube
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Peter Fears, Twitter
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Neva2busy, dontstartmeoff.com
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Cojones2, Guardian.co.uk
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Someoneyoudon'tknow, Chortle.com
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GRTak, finalgear.com
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NevW47479, UKTV.co.uk
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Whoiscuriousgeorge, Youtube
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Dominic Cavendish, Daily Telegraph
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Meninblack, Twitter
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Cyberbloke, Twitter
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Joe, Independent.co.uk
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Mrdavisn01, Twitter
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Pnethor, pne-online.com
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Meanstreetelite, Peoplesrepublicofcork
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Joskins, Leeds Music Forum
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Zombie Hamster, Twitter
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World Without End, Twitter
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Lancethrustworthy, Youtube
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Brendon, Vauxhallownersnetwork.co.uk
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Lents, redandwhitekop.com
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Mpf1947, Youtube
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Patrick Kavanagh, Guardian.co.uk
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FBC, finalgear.com
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Tres Ryan, Twitter
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Brighton Argus
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Sam Rooney, Youtube
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Al Murray, Comedian
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Jamespearse, Twitter
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Etienne, Chortle.com
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Birmingham Sunday Mercury
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Lee Mack, Mack The Life, 2012
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Gmanthedemon, bbc.co.uk
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Liam Travitt, Twitter
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James Dellingpole, Daily Telegraph
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Pudabaya, beexcellenttoeachother.com
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Genghis McKahn, Guardian.co.uk
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Bobby Bhoy, Twitter
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98rosjon, Twitter
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Aaron, comedy.co.uk
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Shit Crit, Twitter
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Carla, St Albans, Dailymail.co.uk
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Pudabaya, Twitter
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Microcuts 22, Twitter
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Len Firewood, Twitter
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General Lurko 36, Guardian.co.uk
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A D Ward, Twitter
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Horatio Melvin, Twitter
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Pirate Crocodile, Twitter
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Aiden Hearn, Twitter
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Peter Ould, Youtube
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Rudeness, Youtube
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Fowkes81, Twitter
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Funday’schild, youtube.
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Leach Juice, Twitter
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Lenny Darksphere, Twitter
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Dick Socrates, Twitter
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Dave Wilson, Chortle.com
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Hiewy, Youtube
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Foxfoxton, Youtube
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Stuart, Chortle
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Henry Howard Fun, Twitter
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Spanner, dontstartmeoff.com
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Joycey, readytogo.net
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Shane, Beverley, Dailymail.co.uk
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Frankie Boyle, Comedian
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Anonymous, The Northfield Patriot
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Sidsings000, Youtube
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Ishamayura Byrd, Twitter
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Richard Herring, Comedian
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Contrapuntal, Twitter
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Keilloh, Twitter
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Visualiser1, Twitter
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Rowing Rob, Guardian.co.uk
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DVDhth's grandparents, Twitter
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Maninabananasuit, Guardian.co.uk
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Alwyn, Digiguide.tv
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Anon, dontstartmeoff.com
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Danazawa, Youtube
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Bosco239, youtube
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Yukio Mishima, dontstartmeoff.com
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Lucinda Locketts, Twitter
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Tokyofist, Youtube
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Mearecate, Youtube
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Mini-x2, readytogo.net
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Peter Ould, Twitter