TV’s Frankie Boyle has declared that no-one over 40 should do stand-up, as the old comedians lose their edge and their anger. Stewart Lee is 42 and Frankie’s heartless Scottish words have made him wonder if it’s worth carrying on.
Undaunted, the furiously baffled comedian tries to win round the legendarily harsh Glasgow audience with a crowd-pleasing Mcintyre-style routine about coffee shops, but is distracted by scores of imaginary pirates; he tries to talk about every day middle aged men’s concerns, but is drawn into a forty minute rant against Top Gear and all it stands for; he attempts to find some common ground with happy childhood memories that he and the audience can share, but is instead consumed with loathing and despair as a result of a Magners’ Cider advertising campaign.
He screams from the balconies, stumbles in the aisles, and ends with a country and western song. If You Prefer A Milder Comedian Please Ask For One is a vast and all-consuming epic of stand-up comedy, exploring the absolute formal limits of the art form.
There are also some jokes.
Bosco239, youtube
Bosco239, youtube
Richard Herring, Comedian
Richard Herring, Comedian
Sam Rooney, Youtube
Sam Rooney, Youtube
Mrdavisn01, Twitter
Mrdavisn01, Twitter
Zombie Hamster, Twitter
Zombie Hamster, Twitter
Patrick Kavanagh, Guardian.co.uk
Patrick Kavanagh, Guardian.co.uk
Iain, eatenbymissionaries
Iain, eatenbymissionaries
DVDhth's grandparents, Twitter
DVDhth's grandparents, Twitter
Meninblack, Twitter
Meninblack, Twitter
Rubyshoes, Twitter
Rubyshoes, Twitter
Foxfoxton, Youtube
Foxfoxton, Youtube
John Robins, Comedian
John Robins, Comedian
Secretdeveloper, Youtube
Secretdeveloper, Youtube
Hiewy, Youtube
Hiewy, Youtube
Rowing Rob, Guardian.co.uk
Rowing Rob, Guardian.co.uk
GRTak, finalgear.com
GRTak, finalgear.com
Birmingham Sunday Mercury
Birmingham Sunday Mercury
Pudabaya, beexcellenttoeachother.com
Pudabaya, beexcellenttoeachother.com
Z-factor, Twitter.
Z-factor, Twitter.
Pnethor, pne-online.com
Pnethor, pne-online.com
Johnny Kitkat, dontstartmeoff.com
Johnny Kitkat, dontstartmeoff.com
Chez, Chortle.com
Chez, Chortle.com
Danazawa, Youtube
Danazawa, Youtube
Mearecate, Youtube
Mearecate, Youtube
Karen Laidlaw, Edfringe. com.
Karen Laidlaw, Edfringe. com.
Keilloh, Twitter
Keilloh, Twitter
Syhr, breakbeat.co.uk
Syhr, breakbeat.co.uk
Tweeter Kyriakou, Twitter
Tweeter Kyriakou, Twitter
Meanstreetelite, Peoplesrepublicofcork
Meanstreetelite, Peoplesrepublicofcork
Genghis McKahn, Guardian.co.uk
Genghis McKahn, Guardian.co.uk
Stokeylitfest, Twitter
Stokeylitfest, Twitter
Mini-x2, readytogo.net
Mini-x2, readytogo.net
Borathigh5, Youtube
Borathigh5, Youtube
Peter Ould, Twitter
Peter Ould, Twitter
98rosjon, Twitter
98rosjon, Twitter
Esme Folley, Actress, cellist, Twitter
Esme Folley, Actress, cellist, Twitter
Alwyn, Digiguide.tv
Alwyn, Digiguide.tv
Funday’schild, youtube.
Funday’schild, youtube.
Guest, Dontstartmeoff.com
Guest, Dontstartmeoff.com
World Without End, Twitter
World Without End, Twitter
Gmanthedemon, bbc.co.uk
Gmanthedemon, bbc.co.uk
Dominic Cavendish, Telegraph
Dominic Cavendish, Telegraph
Shit Crit, Twitter
Shit Crit, Twitter
Wharto15, Twitter
Wharto15, Twitter
Al Murray, Comedian
Al Murray, Comedian
Ishamayura Byrd, Twitter
Ishamayura Byrd, Twitter
Carcrazychica, Youtube
Carcrazychica, Youtube
Frankie Boyle, Comedian
Frankie Boyle, Comedian
James Dellingpole, Daily Telegraph
James Dellingpole, Daily Telegraph
Gabrielle, Chortle.com
Gabrielle, Chortle.com
Shane, Beverley, Dailymail.co.uk
Shane, Beverley, Dailymail.co.uk
Brighton Argus
Brighton Argus
Maninabananasuit, Guardian.co.uk
Maninabananasuit, Guardian.co.uk
Emilyistrendy, Youtube
Emilyistrendy, Youtube
Pudabaya, Twitter
Pudabaya, Twitter
Tin Frog, Twitter
Tin Frog, Twitter
Slothy Matt, Twitter
Slothy Matt, Twitter
Anonymous, don'tstartmeoff.com
Anonymous, don'tstartmeoff.com
Coxy, Dontstartmeoff.com
Coxy, Dontstartmeoff.com
Gwaites, Digitalspy
Gwaites, Digitalspy
Leach Juice, Twitter
Leach Juice, Twitter
Joycey, readytogo.net
Joycey, readytogo.net
Aiden Hearn, Twitter
Aiden Hearn, Twitter
Dick Socrates, Twitter
Dick Socrates, Twitter
Aaron, comedy.co.uk
Aaron, comedy.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
NevW47479, UKTV.co.uk
NevW47479, UKTV.co.uk
Carla, St Albans, Dailymail.co.uk
Carla, St Albans, Dailymail.co.uk
General Lurko 36, Guardian.co.uk
General Lurko 36, Guardian.co.uk
Joe, Independent.co.uk
Joe, Independent.co.uk
12dgdgdgdgdgdg, Youtube
12dgdgdgdgdgdg, Youtube
Lancethrustworthy, Youtube
Lancethrustworthy, Youtube
Yukio Mishima, dontstartmeoff.com
Yukio Mishima, dontstartmeoff.com
Fairy Pingu, Twitter
Fairy Pingu, Twitter
Robert Gavin, Twitter
Robert Gavin, Twitter
Guest1001, Youtube
Guest1001, Youtube
Brendon, Vauxhallownersnetwork.co.uk
Brendon, Vauxhallownersnetwork.co.uk
Neva2busy, dontstartmeoff.com
Neva2busy, dontstartmeoff.com
Contrapuntal, Twitter
Contrapuntal, Twitter
Henry Howard Fun, Twitter
Henry Howard Fun, Twitter
Rudeness, Youtube
Rudeness, Youtube
Tres Ryan, Twitter
Tres Ryan, Twitter
Neolab, Guardian.co.uk
Neolab, Guardian.co.uk
Anon, BBC Complaints Log
Anon, BBC Complaints Log
Len Firewood, Twitter
Len Firewood, Twitter
Nicetime, Guardian.co.uk
Nicetime, Guardian.co.uk
FBC, finalgear.com
FBC, finalgear.com
Cabluigi, Guardian.co.uk
Cabluigi, Guardian.co.uk
Cojones2, Guardian.co.uk
Cojones2, Guardian.co.uk
Alex Quarmby, Edfringe.com
Alex Quarmby, Edfringe.com
Peter Ould, Youtube
Peter Ould, Youtube
Kozzy06, Youtube
Kozzy06, Youtube
Pirate Crocodile, Twitter
Pirate Crocodile, Twitter
Anon, dontstartmeoff.com
Anon, dontstartmeoff.com
Dahoum, Guardian.co.uk
Dahoum, Guardian.co.uk
Spanner, dontstartmeoff.com
Spanner, dontstartmeoff.com
Joskins, Leeds Music Forum
Joskins, Leeds Music Forum
Sweeping Curves, Twitter
Sweeping Curves, Twitter
Whoiscuriousgeorge, Youtube
Whoiscuriousgeorge, Youtube
Lucinda Locketts, Twitter
Lucinda Locketts, Twitter
Mpf1947, Youtube
Mpf1947, Youtube
Microcuts 22, Twitter
Microcuts 22, Twitter
Bobby Bhoy, Twitter
Bobby Bhoy, Twitter
Someoneyoudon'tknow, Chortle.com
Someoneyoudon'tknow, Chortle.com
Tweeterkiryakou, Twitter
Tweeterkiryakou, Twitter
Dominic Cavendish, Daily Telegraph
Dominic Cavendish, Daily Telegraph
Stuart, Chortle
Stuart, Chortle
Jamespearse, Twitter
Jamespearse, Twitter
Horatio Melvin, Twitter
Horatio Melvin, Twitter
Anon, westhamonline.com
Anon, westhamonline.com
Clampdown59, Twitter.
Clampdown59, Twitter.
Lents, redandwhitekop.com
Lents, redandwhitekop.com
Cyberbloke, Twitter
Cyberbloke, Twitter
Lee Mack, Mack The Life, 2012
Lee Mack, Mack The Life, 2012
Peter Fears, Twitter
Peter Fears, Twitter
Idrie, Youtube
Idrie, Youtube
Anamatronix, Youtube
Anamatronix, Youtube
Sidsings000, Youtube
Sidsings000, Youtube
Visualiser1, Twitter
Visualiser1, Twitter
Deepbass, Guardian.co.uk
Deepbass, Guardian.co.uk
Liam Travitt, Twitter
Liam Travitt, Twitter
Etienne, Chortle.com
Etienne, Chortle.com
A D Ward, Twitter
A D Ward, Twitter
Tokyofist, Youtube
Tokyofist, Youtube
Anonymous, The Northfield Patriot
Anonymous, The Northfield Patriot
Lenny Darksphere, Twitter
Lenny Darksphere, Twitter
Dave Wilson, Chortle.com
Dave Wilson, Chortle.com
Jackmumf, Twitter
Jackmumf, Twitter
Fowkes81, Twitter
Fowkes81, Twitter