I will, without exception, take the opportunity to use an ampersand wherever possible. Except on those points where it seems ugly. I am an aesthetic writer, would be the point. I’m also a big fan of Stewart Lee , to the point where I buy those weird anachronisms that DVDs are fast becoming. But lest (I went there) you think this is going to be a glut of sycophancy I’d like to kick off with the biggest problem that this latest show, If You Prefer A Milder Comedian Please Ask For One, has.
It’s the show. Or rather, that it always feels like a show. There’s a performative aspect, a Brechtian distancing to the whole thing which, on a retrospective re-watching of his earlier live releases: Stand Up Comedian, 90s Comedian & (see?) 41st Best Stand Up Ever, seems like it’s been increasing year on year. If you’ll forgive a clumsily reductive synopsis of this collection then the major theme is a deconstruction of the idea, action and execution of stand up comedy. And to look at that description and hold it up to my criticism seems to show me up for a fool. I realise that if the idea is to deconstruct the medium then assuming a position outside the performance proper allows for a more subjective discursive…
But it’s not that that bothers me, in fact it’s the moments where unexpected difficulties drag Stewart Lee out of his rote role that are some of the show’s funniest and most honest. It’s the carefully chosen instances of rage and frustration, despair and collapse, the degree to which the set seems to be led by these pre-planned emotional peaks and troughs, rather than them occurring, or seeming to occur, more naturally. It may be that Stewart Lee’s just not the actor he used to be, or that the energy and bile which spurred on the invectives of an angry young man have passed with age. But the added artifice tips the scales from real to make-believe.
It may be a problem with the medium, or not the medium as such, more our expectations of it. The limitations that we project onto it. It’s telling that at one point, while talking to a woman with the temerity to leave mid-rant, Lee refers to the show as art, a label which you could never think to apply to ninety-nine percent of stand up. To my mind some of finest moments in stand up, the key moments of such luminaries as Bill Hicks and Richard Pryor, are those of the greatest pathos, where someone turns pain or tragedy or merely sadness into something uplifting, even beautiful. The performer gives something of themselves and the shared connection is so much stronger than the commonality of a conversation with a difficult call-centre worker or being vexed by someone of the opposite gender behaving according to stereotype.
I’m not sure that this is a review, really. It’s hard to discuss the DVD without either getting into the specifics of jokes or just telling you over and over that I think it’s funny. The material’s as sharp as ever, a spring-board of formulaic jokes by which to get onto the meat of Lee’s work and the deliberately wearying repetition of ideas and lines, it’s hard to describe but it is hilarious. Sometimes Lee’s work, including an extended run about Richard Hammond’s death is easier to admire than enjoy but where that’s the case it’s also usually the point. No matter what specious articles in the Daily Mail or the flat-out lunatics on Richard Hammond fansites (it’s a sad truth that such things exist) say…
But I digress, I am digression. For all its issues the show is expertly constructed, Lee working the audience like some demonic puppet master with fewer actual jokes than Tim Vine uses between the wings and the microphone. And, after all that, when finishing with a song Lee reveals a much better voice than I would have given him credit for, his libretto-writing background clearly in evidence. I may think it’s the weakest of his sets, but on his worst day Stewart Lee is a more interesting and importantly, funnier comic than most.
(See, an ampersand in that last sentence would have looked stupid.)
Stuart, Chortle
Stuart, Chortle
Foxfoxton, Youtube
Foxfoxton, Youtube
Alex Quarmby, Edfringe.com
Alex Quarmby, Edfringe.com
Jamespearse, Twitter
Jamespearse, Twitter
Deepbass, Guardian.co.uk
Deepbass, Guardian.co.uk
Nicetime, Guardian.co.uk
Nicetime, Guardian.co.uk
Syhr, breakbeat.co.uk
Syhr, breakbeat.co.uk
Esme Folley, Actress, cellist, Twitter
Esme Folley, Actress, cellist, Twitter
Brighton Argus
Brighton Argus
Pirate Crocodile, Twitter
Pirate Crocodile, Twitter
Zombie Hamster, Twitter
Zombie Hamster, Twitter
Idrie, Youtube
Idrie, Youtube
Rudeness, Youtube
Rudeness, Youtube
12dgdgdgdgdgdg, Youtube
12dgdgdgdgdgdg, Youtube
NevW47479, UKTV.co.uk
NevW47479, UKTV.co.uk
Anon, westhamonline.com
Anon, westhamonline.com
Meanstreetelite, Peoplesrepublicofcork
Meanstreetelite, Peoplesrepublicofcork
Danazawa, Youtube
Danazawa, Youtube
Kozzy06, Youtube
Kozzy06, Youtube
Funday’schild, youtube.
Funday’schild, youtube.
Yukio Mishima, dontstartmeoff.com
Yukio Mishima, dontstartmeoff.com
Tweeterkiryakou, Twitter
Tweeterkiryakou, Twitter
Etienne, Chortle.com
Etienne, Chortle.com
Joskins, Leeds Music Forum
Joskins, Leeds Music Forum
Wharto15, Twitter
Wharto15, Twitter
Joe, Independent.co.uk
Joe, Independent.co.uk
Bobby Bhoy, Twitter
Bobby Bhoy, Twitter
Z-factor, Twitter.
Z-factor, Twitter.
Tin Frog, Twitter
Tin Frog, Twitter
Lucinda Locketts, Twitter
Lucinda Locketts, Twitter
Guest, Dontstartmeoff.com
Guest, Dontstartmeoff.com
Mpf1947, Youtube
Mpf1947, Youtube
Lee Mack, Mack The Life, 2012
Lee Mack, Mack The Life, 2012
Lenny Darksphere, Twitter
Lenny Darksphere, Twitter
Dominic Cavendish, Telegraph
Dominic Cavendish, Telegraph
Pudabaya, Twitter
Pudabaya, Twitter
Slothy Matt, Twitter
Slothy Matt, Twitter
Tres Ryan, Twitter
Tres Ryan, Twitter
Shit Crit, Twitter
Shit Crit, Twitter
Lancethrustworthy, Youtube
Lancethrustworthy, Youtube
Anonymous, don'tstartmeoff.com
Anonymous, don'tstartmeoff.com
Borathigh5, Youtube
Borathigh5, Youtube
Maninabananasuit, Guardian.co.uk
Maninabananasuit, Guardian.co.uk
Gabrielle, Chortle.com
Gabrielle, Chortle.com
98rosjon, Twitter
98rosjon, Twitter
Neva2busy, dontstartmeoff.com
Neva2busy, dontstartmeoff.com
Spanner, dontstartmeoff.com
Spanner, dontstartmeoff.com
Visualiser1, Twitter
Visualiser1, Twitter
Johnny Kitkat, dontstartmeoff.com
Johnny Kitkat, dontstartmeoff.com
Clampdown59, Twitter.
Clampdown59, Twitter.
John Robins, Comedian
John Robins, Comedian
Al Murray, Comedian
Al Murray, Comedian
Horatio Melvin, Twitter
Horatio Melvin, Twitter
Sam Rooney, Youtube
Sam Rooney, Youtube
Sweeping Curves, Twitter
Sweeping Curves, Twitter
Contrapuntal, Twitter
Contrapuntal, Twitter
Patrick Kavanagh, Guardian.co.uk
Patrick Kavanagh, Guardian.co.uk
Someoneyoudon'tknow, Chortle.com
Someoneyoudon'tknow, Chortle.com
Aaron, comedy.co.uk
Aaron, comedy.co.uk
Len Firewood, Twitter
Len Firewood, Twitter
Rubyshoes, Twitter
Rubyshoes, Twitter
Mearecate, Youtube
Mearecate, Youtube
Jackmumf, Twitter
Jackmumf, Twitter
Carla, St Albans, Dailymail.co.uk
Carla, St Albans, Dailymail.co.uk
Dominic Cavendish, Daily Telegraph
Dominic Cavendish, Daily Telegraph
Whoiscuriousgeorge, Youtube
Whoiscuriousgeorge, Youtube
Henry Howard Fun, Twitter
Henry Howard Fun, Twitter
Emilyistrendy, Youtube
Emilyistrendy, Youtube
Chez, Chortle.com
Chez, Chortle.com
Dick Socrates, Twitter
Dick Socrates, Twitter
Gmanthedemon, bbc.co.uk
Gmanthedemon, bbc.co.uk
Peter Ould, Twitter
Peter Ould, Twitter
Neolab, Guardian.co.uk
Neolab, Guardian.co.uk
Alwyn, Digiguide.tv
Alwyn, Digiguide.tv
Tweeter Kyriakou, Twitter
Tweeter Kyriakou, Twitter
Gwaites, Digitalspy
Gwaites, Digitalspy
Karen Laidlaw, Edfringe. com.
Karen Laidlaw, Edfringe. com.
Anon, dontstartmeoff.com
Anon, dontstartmeoff.com
Peter Ould, Youtube
Peter Ould, Youtube
Cojones2, Guardian.co.uk
Cojones2, Guardian.co.uk
Fowkes81, Twitter
Fowkes81, Twitter
Sidsings000, Youtube
Sidsings000, Youtube
Aiden Hearn, Twitter
Aiden Hearn, Twitter
Lents, redandwhitekop.com
Lents, redandwhitekop.com
Hiewy, Youtube
Hiewy, Youtube
Cabluigi, Guardian.co.uk
Cabluigi, Guardian.co.uk
Anon, BBC Complaints Log
Anon, BBC Complaints Log
Robert Gavin, Twitter
Robert Gavin, Twitter
Rowing Rob, Guardian.co.uk
Rowing Rob, Guardian.co.uk
Stokeylitfest, Twitter
Stokeylitfest, Twitter
Anamatronix, Youtube
Anamatronix, Youtube
Dahoum, Guardian.co.uk
Dahoum, Guardian.co.uk
Genghis McKahn, Guardian.co.uk
Genghis McKahn, Guardian.co.uk
Microcuts 22, Twitter
Microcuts 22, Twitter
BBC iPlayer edition of discussion of Stewart Lee on A Good Read
BBC iPlayer edition of discussion of Stewart Lee on A Good Read
Leach Juice, Twitter
Leach Juice, Twitter
Fairy Pingu, Twitter
Fairy Pingu, Twitter
General Lurko 36, Guardian.co.uk
General Lurko 36, Guardian.co.uk
Liam Travitt, Twitter
Liam Travitt, Twitter
Bosco239, youtube
Bosco239, youtube
Mini-x2, readytogo.net
Mini-x2, readytogo.net
Coxy, Dontstartmeoff.com
Coxy, Dontstartmeoff.com
Mrdavisn01, Twitter
Mrdavisn01, Twitter
Brendon, Vauxhallownersnetwork.co.uk
Brendon, Vauxhallownersnetwork.co.uk
World Without End, Twitter
World Without End, Twitter
Iain, eatenbymissionaries
Iain, eatenbymissionaries
Joycey, readytogo.net
Joycey, readytogo.net
Peter Fears, Twitter
Peter Fears, Twitter
Anonymous, The Northfield Patriot
Anonymous, The Northfield Patriot
Carcrazychica, Youtube
Carcrazychica, Youtube
Ishamayura Byrd, Twitter
Ishamayura Byrd, Twitter
Dave Wilson, Chortle.com
Dave Wilson, Chortle.com
Pudabaya, beexcellenttoeachother.com
Pudabaya, beexcellenttoeachother.com
Tokyofist, Youtube
Tokyofist, Youtube
Frankie Boyle, Comedian
Frankie Boyle, Comedian
A D Ward, Twitter
A D Ward, Twitter
Guest1001, Youtube
Guest1001, Youtube
Shane, Beverley, Dailymail.co.uk
Shane, Beverley, Dailymail.co.uk
James Dellingpole, Daily Telegraph
James Dellingpole, Daily Telegraph
Birmingham Sunday Mercury
Birmingham Sunday Mercury
Keilloh, Twitter
Keilloh, Twitter
Secretdeveloper, Youtube
Secretdeveloper, Youtube
GRTak, finalgear.com
GRTak, finalgear.com
Pnethor, pne-online.com
Pnethor, pne-online.com
FBC, finalgear.com
FBC, finalgear.com
Meninblack, Twitter
Meninblack, Twitter
Richard Herring, Comedian
Richard Herring, Comedian
DVDhth's grandparents, Twitter
DVDhth's grandparents, Twitter
Cyberbloke, Twitter
Cyberbloke, Twitter