Though I’m personally invited to drop a star by Lee tonight, I’ll resist the temptation. This rating comes with a caveat, however. The ursine comic’s often sublime shtick (here ranging over politics, race and age) still requires those allergic to alienating repetition, knowing deconstruction and long-game subversion to deal with that, albeit to a lesser extent than before.
Shakespeare, assured my English teacher, always supplied a direct hit even in his most involved passages. So it is with fellow West Midlander Lee, who can despatch his targets with caustic brevity: “You have to have imagination on the left… to look at Ed Miliband and imagine that he represents anything other than the destruction of the post-war socialist dream.”
For UKIP deputy leader, Paul Nuttall, there is more trademark, and therefore more elaborate, rebuff. Lee takes Nuttall’s view that Bulgaria should retain its high achievers to a nihilistic conclusion, reaching it via a backwards chronological rundown of immigration that includes the evolution of fish to land animals.
The mix of pathos and playfulness is heightened in a closing sequence where Lee puffs himself up only to puncture his ego and portrays himself as a burnt out performer, berated by his family who apply their own ‘dropped star’ rating to him.
Leach Juice, Twitter
Leach Juice, Twitter
Frankie Boyle, Comedian
Frankie Boyle, Comedian
Mpf1947, Youtube
Mpf1947, Youtube
Wharto15, Twitter
Wharto15, Twitter
Spanner, dontstartmeoff.com
Spanner, dontstartmeoff.com
Anon, westhamonline.com
Anon, westhamonline.com
Lee Mack, Mack The Life, 2012
Lee Mack, Mack The Life, 2012
Someoneyoudon'tknow, Chortle.com
Someoneyoudon'tknow, Chortle.com
98rosjon, Twitter
98rosjon, Twitter
Danazawa, Youtube
Danazawa, Youtube
Fairy Pingu, Twitter
Fairy Pingu, Twitter
Guest1001, Youtube
Guest1001, Youtube
Anon, BBC Complaints Log
Anon, BBC Complaints Log
Lancethrustworthy, Youtube
Lancethrustworthy, Youtube
Cyberbloke, Twitter
Cyberbloke, Twitter
Cabluigi, Guardian.co.uk
Cabluigi, Guardian.co.uk
Whoiscuriousgeorge, Youtube
Whoiscuriousgeorge, Youtube
Rowing Rob, Guardian.co.uk
Rowing Rob, Guardian.co.uk
Lents, redandwhitekop.com
Lents, redandwhitekop.com
Lucinda Locketts, Twitter
Lucinda Locketts, Twitter
Jackmumf, Twitter
Jackmumf, Twitter
Pnethor, pne-online.com
Pnethor, pne-online.com
Robert Gavin, Twitter
Robert Gavin, Twitter
Aiden Hearn, Twitter
Aiden Hearn, Twitter
Dave Wilson, Chortle.com
Dave Wilson, Chortle.com
Shane, Beverley, Dailymail.co.uk
Shane, Beverley, Dailymail.co.uk
Dick Socrates, Twitter
Dick Socrates, Twitter
Z-factor, Twitter.
Z-factor, Twitter.
Mini-x2, readytogo.net
Mini-x2, readytogo.net
Gabrielle, Chortle.com
Gabrielle, Chortle.com
Foxfoxton, Youtube
Foxfoxton, Youtube
Gmanthedemon, bbc.co.uk
Gmanthedemon, bbc.co.uk
Joskins, Leeds Music Forum
Joskins, Leeds Music Forum
Meninblack, Twitter
Meninblack, Twitter
Sidsings000, Youtube
Sidsings000, Youtube
Dahoum, Guardian.co.uk
Dahoum, Guardian.co.uk
Al Murray, Comedian
Al Murray, Comedian
Tweeter Kyriakou, Twitter
Tweeter Kyriakou, Twitter
Gwaites, Digitalspy
Gwaites, Digitalspy
Bosco239, youtube
Bosco239, youtube
Shit Crit, Twitter
Shit Crit, Twitter
Chez, Chortle.com
Chez, Chortle.com
Joycey, readytogo.net
Joycey, readytogo.net
Keilloh, Twitter
Keilloh, Twitter
Pirate Crocodile, Twitter
Pirate Crocodile, Twitter
Stuart, Chortle
Stuart, Chortle
Ishamayura Byrd, Twitter
Ishamayura Byrd, Twitter
Genghis McKahn, Guardian.co.uk
Genghis McKahn, Guardian.co.uk
Neolab, Guardian.co.uk
Neolab, Guardian.co.uk
Birmingham Sunday Mercury
Birmingham Sunday Mercury
Liam Travitt, Twitter
Liam Travitt, 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
Peter Ould, Youtube
Peter Ould, Youtube
Borathigh5, Youtube
Borathigh5, Youtube
Jamespearse, Twitter
Jamespearse, Twitter
James Dellingpole, Daily Telegraph
James Dellingpole, Daily Telegraph
Sam Rooney, Youtube
Sam Rooney, Youtube
Len Firewood, Twitter
Len Firewood, Twitter
Henry Howard Fun, Twitter
Henry Howard Fun, Twitter
Peter Fears, Twitter
Peter Fears, Twitter
Secretdeveloper, Youtube
Secretdeveloper, Youtube
Hiewy, Youtube
Hiewy, Youtube
Contrapuntal, Twitter
Contrapuntal, Twitter
Horatio Melvin, Twitter
Horatio Melvin, Twitter
Carcrazychica, Youtube
Carcrazychica, Youtube
Brendon, Vauxhallownersnetwork.co.uk
Brendon, Vauxhallownersnetwork.co.uk
Syhr, breakbeat.co.uk
Syhr, breakbeat.co.uk
Tweeterkiryakou, Twitter
Tweeterkiryakou, Twitter
Tokyofist, Youtube
Tokyofist, Youtube
Rubyshoes, Twitter
Rubyshoes, Twitter
Zombie Hamster, Twitter
Zombie Hamster, Twitter
Cojones2, Guardian.co.uk
Cojones2, Guardian.co.uk
Aaron, comedy.co.uk
Aaron, comedy.co.uk
Dominic Cavendish, Telegraph
Dominic Cavendish, Telegraph
Peter Ould, Twitter
Peter Ould, Twitter
Tin Frog, Twitter
Tin Frog, Twitter
Anamatronix, Youtube
Anamatronix, Youtube
12dgdgdgdgdgdg, Youtube
12dgdgdgdgdgdg, Youtube
Karen Laidlaw, Edfringe. com.
Karen Laidlaw, Edfringe. com.
Bobby Bhoy, Twitter
Bobby Bhoy, Twitter
Joe, Independent.co.uk
Joe, Independent.co.uk
Clampdown59, Twitter.
Clampdown59, Twitter.
Richard Herring, Comedian
Richard Herring, Comedian
Coxy, Dontstartmeoff.com
Coxy, Dontstartmeoff.com
Dominic Cavendish, Daily Telegraph
Dominic Cavendish, Daily Telegraph
Maninabananasuit, Guardian.co.uk
Maninabananasuit, Guardian.co.uk
John Robins, Comedian
John Robins, Comedian
Anonymous, don'tstartmeoff.com
Anonymous, don'tstartmeoff.com
Microcuts 22, Twitter
Microcuts 22, Twitter
Sweeping Curves, Twitter
Sweeping Curves, Twitter
Meanstreetelite, Peoplesrepublicofcork
Meanstreetelite, Peoplesrepublicofcork
World Without End, Twitter
World Without End, Twitter
Lenny Darksphere, Twitter
Lenny Darksphere, Twitter
Kozzy06, Youtube
Kozzy06, Youtube
DVDhth's grandparents, Twitter
DVDhth's grandparents, Twitter
Patrick Kavanagh, Guardian.co.uk
Patrick Kavanagh, Guardian.co.uk
Slothy Matt, Twitter
Slothy Matt, Twitter
Funday’schild, youtube.
Funday’schild, youtube.
Stokeylitfest, Twitter
Stokeylitfest, Twitter
Anon, dontstartmeoff.com
Anon, dontstartmeoff.com
Pudabaya, Twitter
Pudabaya, Twitter
Iain, eatenbymissionaries
Iain, eatenbymissionaries
Brighton Argus
Brighton Argus
FBC, finalgear.com
FBC, finalgear.com
Nicetime, Guardian.co.uk
Nicetime, Guardian.co.uk
Yukio Mishima, dontstartmeoff.com
Yukio Mishima, dontstartmeoff.com
Esme Folley, Actress, cellist, Twitter
Esme Folley, Actress, cellist, Twitter
Alex Quarmby, Edfringe.com
Alex Quarmby, Edfringe.com
A D Ward, Twitter
A D Ward, Twitter
Carla, St Albans, Dailymail.co.uk
Carla, St Albans, Dailymail.co.uk
Fowkes81, Twitter
Fowkes81, Twitter
Pudabaya, beexcellenttoeachother.com
Pudabaya, beexcellenttoeachother.com
General Lurko 36, Guardian.co.uk
General Lurko 36, Guardian.co.uk
GRTak, finalgear.com
GRTak, finalgear.com
Anonymous, The Northfield Patriot
Anonymous, The Northfield Patriot
Johnny Kitkat, dontstartmeoff.com
Johnny Kitkat, dontstartmeoff.com
Deepbass, Guardian.co.uk
Deepbass, Guardian.co.uk
Guest, Dontstartmeoff.com
Guest, Dontstartmeoff.com
Neva2busy, dontstartmeoff.com
Neva2busy, dontstartmeoff.com
NevW47479, UKTV.co.uk
NevW47479, UKTV.co.uk
Alwyn, Digiguide.tv
Alwyn, Digiguide.tv
Mearecate, Youtube
Mearecate, Youtube
Rudeness, Youtube
Rudeness, Youtube
Tres Ryan, Twitter
Tres Ryan, Twitter
Etienne, Chortle.com
Etienne, Chortle.com
Emilyistrendy, Youtube
Emilyistrendy, Youtube
Idrie, Youtube
Idrie, Youtube
Mrdavisn01, Twitter
Mrdavisn01, Twitter
Visualiser1, Twitter
Visualiser1, Twitter