Few comedians would get away with breaking down a joke in the middle of their set to tell the audience that they laughed at the wrong time. Then again, few comedians have a relationship with the audience like Stewart Lee has.
Bringing his latest show Content Provider to a packed-out Winchester Theatre Royal, Lee proclaimed to Winchester’s “metropolitan liberal elite” that his show was critically acclaimed and that if there were any problems with the evening they were not coming from his side of the stage, and he was right.
Lee has a dilemma – he’s critically acclaimed but decidedly niche. People who have heard of him buy tickets for his shows; but don’t know what why are going to get. Fans bring their friends: who then don’t enjoy the show half as much. Ticket touts buy up seats, and then find that no one wants to pay over the odds for them. It turns out his ideal performance would be a sold out show where nobody turned up, as he’s be paid but it would remove the worst part of being a performer – the audience that don’t appreciate his genius.
At one point proclaiming himself “the moral arbiter of stand-up comedy for the past 16 years” his scorn spared no one – from Brexiteers to Trump, other comics – whose live DVDs were strewn across the stage (they were the cheapest building material he could find, which he gleefully stamps on throughout the show), Game of Thrones, (or Peter Stringfellow’s Lord of the Rings as he calls it) and even himself.
Turns out Lee hates his stage persona because he would never appear on Sky, so he refused to take a lucrative TV deal with them several years ago to take his BAFTA winning series Comedy Vehicle to ‘Rupert Murdoch’s Evil network’. A deal that shows what a pariah he has become because Sky tried to send him a cease and desist when he started mentioning it in his shows. This was of course before the BBC cancelled it because it was “critically acclaimed and incredibly cheap to make”.
Lee’s vitriol came to a hilarious crescendo when he began to rave about his hatred for the under 40s while his trousers slid down to his ankles, gesticulating wildly with the microphone stand as he raved about the utter pointlessness of the young.
Cynical, bitter, and hysterically funny, Stewart Lee may loathe the audience, but I can’t say the feeling is mutual.
Len Firewood, Twitter
Len Firewood, Twitter
Aiden Hearn, Twitter
Aiden Hearn, Twitter
Deepbass, Guardian.co.uk
Deepbass, Guardian.co.uk
Gmanthedemon, bbc.co.uk
Gmanthedemon, bbc.co.uk
Joycey, readytogo.net
Joycey, readytogo.net
Stuart, Chortle
Stuart, Chortle
Henry Howard Fun, Twitter
Henry Howard Fun, Twitter
Sam Rooney, Youtube
Sam Rooney, Youtube
Anon, westhamonline.com
Anon, westhamonline.com
Rudeness, Youtube
Rudeness, Youtube
Sweeping Curves, Twitter
Sweeping Curves, Twitter
Cojones2, Guardian.co.uk
Cojones2, Guardian.co.uk
Funday’schild, youtube.
Funday’schild, youtube.
Z-factor, Twitter.
Z-factor, Twitter.
Aaron, comedy.co.uk
Aaron, comedy.co.uk
Fowkes81, Twitter
Fowkes81, Twitter
Pudabaya, beexcellenttoeachother.com
Pudabaya, beexcellenttoeachother.com
Idrie, Youtube
Idrie, Youtube
Brendon, Vauxhallownersnetwork.co.uk
Brendon, Vauxhallownersnetwork.co.uk
Anonymous, The Northfield Patriot
Anonymous, The Northfield Patriot
Brighton Argus
Brighton Argus
Lucinda Locketts, Twitter
Lucinda Locketts, Twitter
Syhr, breakbeat.co.uk
Syhr, breakbeat.co.uk
Bobby Bhoy, Twitter
Bobby Bhoy, Twitter
Tweeterkiryakou, Twitter
Tweeterkiryakou, Twitter
Karen Laidlaw, Edfringe. com.
Karen Laidlaw, Edfringe. com.
Guest, Dontstartmeoff.com
Guest, Dontstartmeoff.com
Dave Wilson, Chortle.com
Dave Wilson, Chortle.com
NevW47479, UKTV.co.uk
NevW47479, UKTV.co.uk
Guest1001, Youtube
Guest1001, Youtube
Al Murray, Comedian
Al Murray, Comedian
Cabluigi, Guardian.co.uk
Cabluigi, Guardian.co.uk
Carcrazychica, Youtube
Carcrazychica, Youtube
Tokyofist, Youtube
Tokyofist, Youtube
Carla, St Albans, Dailymail.co.uk
Carla, St Albans, Dailymail.co.uk
Microcuts 22, Twitter
Microcuts 22, Twitter
Sidsings000, Youtube
Sidsings000, Youtube
Emilyistrendy, Youtube
Emilyistrendy, Youtube
Maninabananasuit, Guardian.co.uk
Maninabananasuit, Guardian.co.uk
Foxfoxton, Youtube
Foxfoxton, Youtube
Frankie Boyle, Comedian
Frankie Boyle, Comedian
Peter Ould, Youtube
Peter Ould, Youtube
Dominic Cavendish, Daily Telegraph
Dominic Cavendish, Daily Telegraph
Iain, eatenbymissionaries
Iain, eatenbymissionaries
GRTak, finalgear.com
GRTak, finalgear.com
Patrick Kavanagh, Guardian.co.uk
Patrick Kavanagh, Guardian.co.uk
Anonymous, don'tstartmeoff.com
Anonymous, don'tstartmeoff.com
Mini-x2, readytogo.net
Mini-x2, readytogo.net
Lenny Darksphere, Twitter
Lenny Darksphere, Twitter
Anamatronix, Youtube
Anamatronix, Youtube
Lancethrustworthy, Youtube
Lancethrustworthy, Youtube
Leach Juice, Twitter
Leach Juice, Twitter
Zombie Hamster, Twitter
Zombie Hamster, Twitter
Tin Frog, Twitter
Tin Frog, Twitter
Tres Ryan, Twitter
Tres Ryan, Twitter
Danazawa, Youtube
Danazawa, Youtube
Gabrielle, Chortle.com
Gabrielle, Chortle.com
Robert Gavin, Twitter
Robert Gavin, Twitter
Anon, BBC Complaints Log
Anon, BBC Complaints Log
Whoiscuriousgeorge, Youtube
Whoiscuriousgeorge, Youtube
Joskins, Leeds Music Forum
Joskins, Leeds Music Forum
Yukio Mishima, dontstartmeoff.com
Yukio Mishima, dontstartmeoff.com
Richard Herring, Comedian
Richard Herring, Comedian
Peter Fears, Twitter
Peter Fears, Twitter
Coxy, Dontstartmeoff.com
Coxy, Dontstartmeoff.com
Mearecate, Youtube
Mearecate, Youtube
James Dellingpole, Daily Telegraph
James Dellingpole, Daily Telegraph
Liam Travitt, Twitter
Liam Travitt, Twitter
Chez, Chortle.com
Chez, Chortle.com
Shane, Beverley, Dailymail.co.uk
Shane, Beverley, Dailymail.co.uk
Keilloh, Twitter
Keilloh, Twitter
Rowing Rob, Guardian.co.uk
Rowing Rob, Guardian.co.uk
Bosco239, youtube
Bosco239, youtube
Stokeylitfest, Twitter
Stokeylitfest, Twitter
Peter Ould, Twitter
Peter Ould, Twitter
Pnethor, pne-online.com
Pnethor, pne-online.com
Wharto15, Twitter
Wharto15, Twitter
Nicetime, Guardian.co.uk
Nicetime, Guardian.co.uk
Jamespearse, Twitter
Jamespearse, Twitter
Horatio Melvin, Twitter
Horatio Melvin, Twitter
Borathigh5, Youtube
Borathigh5, Youtube
Hiewy, Youtube
Hiewy, Youtube
Ishamayura Byrd, Twitter
Ishamayura Byrd, Twitter
98rosjon, Twitter
98rosjon, Twitter
Pirate Crocodile, Twitter
Pirate Crocodile, Twitter
Etienne, Chortle.com
Etienne, Chortle.com
Someoneyoudon'tknow, Chortle.com
Someoneyoudon'tknow, Chortle.com
Kozzy06, Youtube
Kozzy06, Youtube
FBC, finalgear.com
FBC, finalgear.com
Gwaites, Digitalspy
Gwaites, Digitalspy
Alex Quarmby, Edfringe.com
Alex Quarmby, Edfringe.com
Shit Crit, Twitter
Shit Crit, Twitter
Mrdavisn01, Twitter
Mrdavisn01, Twitter
DVDhth's grandparents, Twitter
DVDhth's grandparents, Twitter
Esme Folley, Actress, cellist, Twitter
Esme Folley, Actress, cellist, Twitter
Visualiser1, Twitter
Visualiser1, Twitter
Dahoum, Guardian.co.uk
Dahoum, 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
Mpf1947, Youtube
Mpf1947, Youtube
Joe, Independent.co.uk
Joe, Independent.co.uk
Tweeter Kyriakou, Twitter
Tweeter Kyriakou, Twitter
Birmingham Sunday Mercury
Birmingham Sunday Mercury
Neolab, Guardian.co.uk
Neolab, Guardian.co.uk
Lee Mack, Mack The Life, 2012
Lee Mack, Mack The Life, 2012
Dominic Cavendish, Telegraph
Dominic Cavendish, Telegraph
Johnny Kitkat, dontstartmeoff.com
Johnny Kitkat, dontstartmeoff.com
Contrapuntal, Twitter
Contrapuntal, Twitter
Clampdown59, Twitter.
Clampdown59, Twitter.
Lents, redandwhitekop.com
Lents, redandwhitekop.com
World Without End, Twitter
World Without End, Twitter
Alwyn, Digiguide.tv
Alwyn, Digiguide.tv
Meanstreetelite, Peoplesrepublicofcork
Meanstreetelite, Peoplesrepublicofcork
Neva2busy, dontstartmeoff.com
Neva2busy, dontstartmeoff.com
12dgdgdgdgdgdg, Youtube
12dgdgdgdgdgdg, Youtube
Spanner, dontstartmeoff.com
Spanner, dontstartmeoff.com
Rubyshoes, Twitter
Rubyshoes, Twitter
Pudabaya, Twitter
Pudabaya, Twitter
Fairy Pingu, Twitter
Fairy Pingu, Twitter
Jackmumf, Twitter
Jackmumf, Twitter
Anon, dontstartmeoff.com
Anon, dontstartmeoff.com
General Lurko 36, Guardian.co.uk
General Lurko 36, Guardian.co.uk
Cyberbloke, Twitter
Cyberbloke, Twitter
Slothy Matt, Twitter
Slothy Matt, Twitter
Secretdeveloper, Youtube
Secretdeveloper, Youtube
Meninblack, Twitter
Meninblack, Twitter
John Robins, Comedian
John Robins, Comedian
Dick Socrates, Twitter
Dick Socrates, Twitter
Genghis McKahn, Guardian.co.uk
Genghis McKahn, Guardian.co.uk
A D Ward, Twitter
A D Ward, Twitter