Stewart Lee and Richard Herring revived their double act on Sunday night for only the second time in ten years. It was a feisty, fond occasion for the faithful – at least one of whom, Herring gleaned in his opening routine, had trekked from Exeter for the show.
He’d be disappointed, Herring warned him, and maybe he was; the duo’s gloriously sloppy half-hour set followed a bill of solo stand-up plus turns from other alumni of their BBC Two show This Morning With Richard Not Judy, so cruelly axed in 1999. Trevor Lock did some waffly stand-up; Emma Kennedy played Seventies TV themes with her girl band, Vaginal Tap, upstaged by a masked “celebrity dance gimp” (rumoured to be Mel Giedroyc).
Lee, 40, and Herring, 41, last performed as a duo last year, and this set was an even looser reinvention of the same old jousts. Silly, horny Herring threatened to ring Jonathan Ross and tell him he’d slept with his grandfather. Dubious Lee insisted that the double was no more. “It was predicated on the conflict between a thin man and a fat one… Not two similarly overweight middle-aged men.”
Watching them at work was like seeing two old jazzers playing off each other. They were quick and rude, familiar and opaque. Sadly, nobody told Paul Putner, reviving his character Curious Orange, that things were going to be this ragged. Dressed as Davros from Doctor Who, he was so focused and funny that he blew the cobwebs from the ceiling.
So why the reunion? They never said, but Lee did mention that he’s back on BBC Two soon with his own series. And, good though Herring is, great though they were together, Lee’s stand-up is about as good as it gets. His set here had verve, imagination, intelligence and poise. So the nostalgia bandwagon starts and stops here: Lee and Herring have moved on. “My life is just like a Jack Dee sitcom,” Lee assured us. “It’s mediocre, middle-aged, and exactly copied off Curb Your Enthusiasm.” An indulgent but invigorating evening.
General Lurko 36, Guardian.co.uk
General Lurko 36, Guardian.co.uk
Pirate Crocodile, Twitter
Pirate Crocodile, Twitter
Johnny Kitkat, dontstartmeoff.com
Johnny Kitkat, dontstartmeoff.com
Mearecate, Youtube
Mearecate, Youtube
Bosco239, youtube
Bosco239, youtube
Dick Socrates, Twitter
Dick Socrates, Twitter
Pudabaya, beexcellenttoeachother.com
Pudabaya, beexcellenttoeachother.com
Brighton Argus
Brighton Argus
Z-factor, Twitter.
Z-factor, Twitter.
John Robins, Comedian
John Robins, Comedian
Peter Ould, Youtube
Peter Ould, Youtube
Stuart, Chortle
Stuart, Chortle
Liam Travitt, Twitter
Liam Travitt, Twitter
Anonymous, don'tstartmeoff.com
Anonymous, don'tstartmeoff.com
Gabrielle, Chortle.com
Gabrielle, Chortle.com
Maninabananasuit, Guardian.co.uk
Maninabananasuit, Guardian.co.uk
Lancethrustworthy, Youtube
Lancethrustworthy, Youtube
Coxy, Dontstartmeoff.com
Coxy, Dontstartmeoff.com
Keilloh, Twitter
Keilloh, Twitter
Rowing Rob, Guardian.co.uk
Rowing Rob, Guardian.co.uk
Alex Quarmby, Edfringe.com
Alex Quarmby, Edfringe.com
Sidsings000, Youtube
Sidsings000, Youtube
Genghis McKahn, Guardian.co.uk
Genghis McKahn, Guardian.co.uk
Lents, redandwhitekop.com
Lents, redandwhitekop.com
Microcuts 22, Twitter
Microcuts 22, Twitter
Guest1001, Youtube
Guest1001, Youtube
Someoneyoudon'tknow, Chortle.com
Someoneyoudon'tknow, Chortle.com
Horatio Melvin, Twitter
Horatio Melvin, Twitter
Dominic Cavendish, Telegraph
Dominic Cavendish, Telegraph
Dave Wilson, Chortle.com
Dave Wilson, Chortle.com
Funday’schild, youtube.
Funday’schild, youtube.
Chez, Chortle.com
Chez, Chortle.com
James Dellingpole, Daily Telegraph
James Dellingpole, Daily Telegraph
Anonymous, The Northfield Patriot
Anonymous, The Northfield Patriot
Pudabaya, Twitter
Pudabaya, Twitter
Secretdeveloper, Youtube
Secretdeveloper, Youtube
Stokeylitfest, Twitter
Stokeylitfest, Twitter
Shane, Beverley, Dailymail.co.uk
Shane, Beverley, Dailymail.co.uk
Henry Howard Fun, Twitter
Henry Howard Fun, Twitter
Frankie Boyle, Comedian
Frankie Boyle, Comedian
Neva2busy, dontstartmeoff.com
Neva2busy, dontstartmeoff.com
Nicetime, Guardian.co.uk
Nicetime, Guardian.co.uk
Carcrazychica, Youtube
Carcrazychica, Youtube
12dgdgdgdgdgdg, Youtube
12dgdgdgdgdgdg, Youtube
Carla, St Albans, Dailymail.co.uk
Carla, St Albans, Dailymail.co.uk
Dominic Cavendish, Daily Telegraph
Dominic Cavendish, Daily Telegraph
BBC iPlayer edition of discussion of Stewart Lee on A Good Read
BBC iPlayer edition of discussion of Stewart Lee on A Good Read
Mrdavisn01, Twitter
Mrdavisn01, Twitter
Wharto15, Twitter
Wharto15, Twitter
Idrie, Youtube
Idrie, Youtube
Anon, BBC Complaints Log
Anon, BBC Complaints Log
World Without End, Twitter
World Without End, Twitter
Al Murray, Comedian
Al Murray, Comedian
Richard Herring, Comedian
Richard Herring, Comedian
Zombie Hamster, Twitter
Zombie Hamster, Twitter
Whoiscuriousgeorge, Youtube
Whoiscuriousgeorge, Youtube
Syhr, breakbeat.co.uk
Syhr, breakbeat.co.uk
Joycey, readytogo.net
Joycey, readytogo.net
Meninblack, Twitter
Meninblack, Twitter
Foxfoxton, Youtube
Foxfoxton, Youtube
Sweeping Curves, Twitter
Sweeping Curves, Twitter
Visualiser1, Twitter
Visualiser1, Twitter
Emilyistrendy, Youtube
Emilyistrendy, Youtube
Etienne, Chortle.com
Etienne, Chortle.com
Jackmumf, Twitter
Jackmumf, Twitter
Rubyshoes, Twitter
Rubyshoes, Twitter
Contrapuntal, Twitter
Contrapuntal, Twitter
Lucinda Locketts, Twitter
Lucinda Locketts, Twitter
98rosjon, Twitter
98rosjon, Twitter
Rudeness, Youtube
Rudeness, Youtube
Joskins, Leeds Music Forum
Joskins, Leeds Music Forum
Gmanthedemon, bbc.co.uk
Gmanthedemon, bbc.co.uk
Yukio Mishima, dontstartmeoff.com
Yukio Mishima, dontstartmeoff.com
Patrick Kavanagh, Guardian.co.uk
Patrick Kavanagh, Guardian.co.uk
Deepbass, Guardian.co.uk
Deepbass, Guardian.co.uk
Tokyofist, Youtube
Tokyofist, Youtube
DVDhth's grandparents, Twitter
DVDhth's grandparents, Twitter
Tweeter Kyriakou, Twitter
Tweeter Kyriakou, Twitter
Fowkes81, Twitter
Fowkes81, Twitter
Pnethor, pne-online.com
Pnethor, pne-online.com
Dahoum, Guardian.co.uk
Dahoum, Guardian.co.uk
Gwaites, Digitalspy
Gwaites, Digitalspy
Karen Laidlaw, Edfringe. com.
Karen Laidlaw, Edfringe. com.
Peter Ould, Twitter
Peter Ould, Twitter
Anon, dontstartmeoff.com
Anon, dontstartmeoff.com
Anon, westhamonline.com
Anon, westhamonline.com
Len Firewood, Twitter
Len Firewood, Twitter
Brendon, Vauxhallownersnetwork.co.uk
Brendon, Vauxhallownersnetwork.co.uk
Leach Juice, Twitter
Leach Juice, Twitter
Birmingham Sunday Mercury
Birmingham Sunday Mercury
Tres Ryan, Twitter
Tres Ryan, Twitter
Anamatronix, Youtube
Anamatronix, Youtube
Neolab, Guardian.co.uk
Neolab, Guardian.co.uk
Shit Crit, Twitter
Shit Crit, Twitter
Clampdown59, Twitter.
Clampdown59, Twitter.
Robert Gavin, Twitter
Robert Gavin, Twitter
Alwyn, Digiguide.tv
Alwyn, Digiguide.tv
Slothy Matt, Twitter
Slothy Matt, Twitter
Lenny Darksphere, Twitter
Lenny Darksphere, Twitter
Mini-x2, readytogo.net
Mini-x2, readytogo.net
Lee Mack, Mack The Life, 2012
Lee Mack, Mack The Life, 2012
Cyberbloke, Twitter
Cyberbloke, Twitter
FBC, finalgear.com
FBC, finalgear.com
Jamespearse, Twitter
Jamespearse, Twitter
Cojones2, Guardian.co.uk
Cojones2, Guardian.co.uk
Kozzy06, Youtube
Kozzy06, Youtube
Cabluigi, Guardian.co.uk
Cabluigi, Guardian.co.uk
Bobby Bhoy, Twitter
Bobby Bhoy, Twitter
Peter Fears, Twitter
Peter Fears, Twitter
Mpf1947, Youtube
Mpf1947, Youtube
Spanner, dontstartmeoff.com
Spanner, dontstartmeoff.com
Esme Folley, Actress, cellist, Twitter
Esme Folley, Actress, cellist, Twitter
Borathigh5, Youtube
Borathigh5, Youtube
Iain, eatenbymissionaries
Iain, eatenbymissionaries
Meanstreetelite, Peoplesrepublicofcork
Meanstreetelite, Peoplesrepublicofcork
Fairy Pingu, Twitter
Fairy Pingu, Twitter
A D Ward, Twitter
A D Ward, Twitter
Aaron, comedy.co.uk
Aaron, comedy.co.uk
Tweeterkiryakou, Twitter
Tweeterkiryakou, Twitter
Ishamayura Byrd, Twitter
Ishamayura Byrd, Twitter
Tin Frog, Twitter
Tin Frog, Twitter
Sam Rooney, Youtube
Sam Rooney, Youtube
Aiden Hearn, Twitter
Aiden Hearn, Twitter
Joe, Independent.co.uk
Joe, Independent.co.uk
Danazawa, Youtube
Danazawa, Youtube
Hiewy, Youtube
Hiewy, Youtube
NevW47479, UKTV.co.uk
NevW47479, UKTV.co.uk
GRTak, finalgear.com
GRTak, finalgear.com
Guest, Dontstartmeoff.com
Guest, Dontstartmeoff.com