Stewart Lee has been called the comedian’s comedian – pushing the boundaries of comedy with clever word play, rather than cheap shock tactics. He’s also been described as ‘a slime pit of bitterness’, and coming from the Daily Mail, exceeding its bile takes some beating.
Of course his politics are widely opposed to the Mail, and in this show there is plenty of political swiping. There are some obvious jokes about Thatcher, which go off on a tangent leading to a crude joke about anal sex.
It makes you want to turn into the 45-year-old, dad-of-two, which Lee is, and say, ‘It’s not clever and it’s not funny,’ but really I just thought, ‘Aren’t you better than this?’
Thankfully, the rest of the show does get better than this. There are the obvious laughs, having a pop at our Scouse neighbours, ‘If only there was a way for Liverpudlians to make profit out of talking about the past in a whiney voice’, ridiculing the distinction between Manchester and Salford when everyone outside sees them as one and the same, and pulling apart the routines of more mainstream comedians like Peter Kay and Jimmy Carr – although that said, his Jimmy Carr face is unexpectedly hilarious.
But next to this are a series of more inventive ideas drawn out to surreal lengths with painstaking repetition. Lee takes UKIPs policy on immigration to its extreme by leading us back to the first amphibians stepping out of the water, then back further to the Big Bang, all followed by UKIPs deputy leader, Paul Nuttal’s repetitive remarks on immigration, which sound increasingly absurd as the joke progresses.
Lee’s obscure take on intolerance then takes a different twist as he mocks both a small-minded cabbie and his own liberal need for political correctness, by pretending he has both a black wife and a gay wife, striking up a scenario where these purposefully stereotyped characters meet with his equally stereotyped Irish wife.
In all it’s a mixed bag, but there are enough gems in there to keep him on top, and, much as he might fight it, filling the 1,000-plus seater Lowry for two nights must surely mean that Lee’s humour, thanks to TV success, has won over the mainstream.
Spanner, dontstartmeoff.com
Spanner, dontstartmeoff.com
NevW47479, UKTV.co.uk
NevW47479, UKTV.co.uk
Peter Fears, Twitter
Peter Fears, Twitter
Lents, redandwhitekop.com
Lents, redandwhitekop.com
Aaron, comedy.co.uk
Aaron, comedy.co.uk
Tweeter Kyriakou, Twitter
Tweeter Kyriakou, 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
Secretdeveloper, Youtube
Secretdeveloper, Youtube
Anonymous, don'tstartmeoff.com
Anonymous, don'tstartmeoff.com
Fowkes81, Twitter
Fowkes81, Twitter
Nicetime, Guardian.co.uk
Nicetime, Guardian.co.uk
Pudabaya, Twitter
Pudabaya, Twitter
Frankie Boyle, Comedian
Frankie Boyle, Comedian
Brendon, Vauxhallownersnetwork.co.uk
Brendon, Vauxhallownersnetwork.co.uk
James Dellingpole, Daily Telegraph
James Dellingpole, Daily Telegraph
Tin Frog, Twitter
Tin Frog, Twitter
Etienne, Chortle.com
Etienne, Chortle.com
Guest, Dontstartmeoff.com
Guest, Dontstartmeoff.com
Shit Crit, Twitter
Shit Crit, Twitter
DVDhth's grandparents, Twitter
DVDhth's grandparents, Twitter
Clampdown59, Twitter.
Clampdown59, Twitter.
Ishamayura Byrd, Twitter
Ishamayura Byrd, Twitter
Carla, St Albans, Dailymail.co.uk
Carla, St Albans, Dailymail.co.uk
Jamespearse, Twitter
Jamespearse, Twitter
Lee Mack, Mack The Life, 2012
Lee Mack, Mack The Life, 2012
Pirate Crocodile, Twitter
Pirate Crocodile, Twitter
Anamatronix, Youtube
Anamatronix, Youtube
Cabluigi, Guardian.co.uk
Cabluigi, Guardian.co.uk
Chez, Chortle.com
Chez, Chortle.com
Karen Laidlaw, Edfringe. com.
Karen Laidlaw, Edfringe. com.
Joskins, Leeds Music Forum
Joskins, Leeds Music Forum
Whoiscuriousgeorge, Youtube
Whoiscuriousgeorge, Youtube
Liam Travitt, Twitter
Liam Travitt, Twitter
Sidsings000, Youtube
Sidsings000, Youtube
Maninabananasuit, Guardian.co.uk
Maninabananasuit, Guardian.co.uk
Mrdavisn01, Twitter
Mrdavisn01, Twitter
Leach Juice, Twitter
Leach Juice, Twitter
98rosjon, Twitter
98rosjon, Twitter
Aiden Hearn, Twitter
Aiden Hearn, Twitter
FBC, finalgear.com
FBC, finalgear.com
Tokyofist, Youtube
Tokyofist, Youtube
Meanstreetelite, Peoplesrepublicofcork
Meanstreetelite, Peoplesrepublicofcork
Mearecate, Youtube
Mearecate, Youtube
Gmanthedemon, bbc.co.uk
Gmanthedemon, bbc.co.uk
Genghis McKahn, Guardian.co.uk
Genghis McKahn, Guardian.co.uk
Joe, Independent.co.uk
Joe, Independent.co.uk
Pnethor, pne-online.com
Pnethor, pne-online.com
Anon, dontstartmeoff.com
Anon, dontstartmeoff.com
A D Ward, Twitter
A D Ward, Twitter
Cyberbloke, Twitter
Cyberbloke, Twitter
Len Firewood, Twitter
Len Firewood, Twitter
John Robins, Comedian
John Robins, Comedian
12dgdgdgdgdgdg, Youtube
12dgdgdgdgdgdg, Youtube
Gwaites, Digitalspy
Gwaites, Digitalspy
Shane, Beverley, Dailymail.co.uk
Shane, Beverley, Dailymail.co.uk
Funday’schild, youtube.
Funday’schild, youtube.
Anon, BBC Complaints Log
Anon, BBC Complaints Log
Lancethrustworthy, Youtube
Lancethrustworthy, Youtube
Slothy Matt, Twitter
Slothy Matt, Twitter
Contrapuntal, Twitter
Contrapuntal, Twitter
Pudabaya, beexcellenttoeachother.com
Pudabaya, beexcellenttoeachother.com
Emilyistrendy, Youtube
Emilyistrendy, Youtube
Borathigh5, Youtube
Borathigh5, Youtube
Fairy Pingu, Twitter
Fairy Pingu, Twitter
Deepbass, Guardian.co.uk
Deepbass, Guardian.co.uk
Al Murray, Comedian
Al Murray, Comedian
Bosco239, youtube
Bosco239, youtube
Bobby Bhoy, Twitter
Bobby Bhoy, Twitter
World Without End, Twitter
World Without End, Twitter
Stuart, Chortle
Stuart, Chortle
Alwyn, Digiguide.tv
Alwyn, Digiguide.tv
General Lurko 36, Guardian.co.uk
General Lurko 36, Guardian.co.uk
Horatio Melvin, Twitter
Horatio Melvin, Twitter
Lenny Darksphere, Twitter
Lenny Darksphere, Twitter
Neva2busy, dontstartmeoff.com
Neva2busy, dontstartmeoff.com
Gabrielle, Chortle.com
Gabrielle, Chortle.com
Guest1001, Youtube
Guest1001, Youtube
Z-factor, Twitter.
Z-factor, Twitter.
Rudeness, Youtube
Rudeness, Youtube
Rowing Rob, Guardian.co.uk
Rowing Rob, Guardian.co.uk
Syhr, breakbeat.co.uk
Syhr, breakbeat.co.uk
Brighton Argus
Brighton Argus
Birmingham Sunday Mercury
Birmingham Sunday Mercury
Iain, eatenbymissionaries
Iain, eatenbymissionaries
Alex Quarmby, Edfringe.com
Alex Quarmby, Edfringe.com
Microcuts 22, Twitter
Microcuts 22, Twitter
Tres Ryan, Twitter
Tres Ryan, Twitter
Joycey, readytogo.net
Joycey, readytogo.net
Dahoum, Guardian.co.uk
Dahoum, Guardian.co.uk
Kozzy06, Youtube
Kozzy06, Youtube
Patrick Kavanagh, Guardian.co.uk
Patrick Kavanagh, Guardian.co.uk
Peter Ould, Twitter
Peter Ould, Twitter
Stokeylitfest, Twitter
Stokeylitfest, Twitter
Esme Folley, Actress, cellist, Twitter
Esme Folley, Actress, cellist, Twitter
Idrie, Youtube
Idrie, Youtube
Neolab, Guardian.co.uk
Neolab, Guardian.co.uk
Richard Herring, Comedian
Richard Herring, Comedian
Cojones2, Guardian.co.uk
Cojones2, Guardian.co.uk
GRTak, finalgear.com
GRTak, finalgear.com
Jackmumf, Twitter
Jackmumf, Twitter
Sweeping Curves, Twitter
Sweeping Curves, Twitter
Dominic Cavendish, Telegraph
Dominic Cavendish, Telegraph
Visualiser1, Twitter
Visualiser1, Twitter
Peter Ould, Youtube
Peter Ould, Youtube
Dave Wilson, Chortle.com
Dave Wilson, Chortle.com
Lucinda Locketts, Twitter
Lucinda Locketts, Twitter
Zombie Hamster, Twitter
Zombie Hamster, Twitter
Anonymous, The Northfield Patriot
Anonymous, The Northfield Patriot
Dick Socrates, Twitter
Dick Socrates, Twitter
Henry Howard Fun, Twitter
Henry Howard Fun, Twitter
Someoneyoudon'tknow, Chortle.com
Someoneyoudon'tknow, Chortle.com
Johnny Kitkat, dontstartmeoff.com
Johnny Kitkat, dontstartmeoff.com
Sam Rooney, Youtube
Sam Rooney, Youtube
Carcrazychica, Youtube
Carcrazychica, Youtube
Wharto15, Twitter
Wharto15, Twitter
Keilloh, Twitter
Keilloh, Twitter
Anon, westhamonline.com
Anon, westhamonline.com
Mpf1947, Youtube
Mpf1947, Youtube
Dominic Cavendish, Daily Telegraph
Dominic Cavendish, Daily Telegraph
Robert Gavin, Twitter
Robert Gavin, Twitter
Hiewy, Youtube
Hiewy, Youtube
Yukio Mishima, dontstartmeoff.com
Yukio Mishima, dontstartmeoff.com
Danazawa, Youtube
Danazawa, Youtube
Rubyshoes, Twitter
Rubyshoes, Twitter
Coxy, Dontstartmeoff.com
Coxy, Dontstartmeoff.com
Foxfoxton, Youtube
Foxfoxton, Youtube
Meninblack, Twitter
Meninblack, Twitter
Mini-x2, readytogo.net
Mini-x2, readytogo.net
Tweeterkiryakou, Twitter
Tweeterkiryakou, Twitter