Stewart Lee’s decision to do two nights of the same tour at the Cambridge Corn Exchange (the previous was May 2015) was a mistake. A big mistake that he is quick to criticise and punish the audience for.
Within the opening few minutes he has threatened to strike our faces with his microphone stand before smashing our mobile phones and then defecating on their shattered remains. Newcomers to Lee’s work tittered nervously, but the more seasoned majority encouraged them to accept his aggressive tone of disappointment as his very raison d’être. Cambridge settled in to have it’s middle class guilt magnified, mocked and mollified.
The tour was intended to workshop and develop material for the not-quite-Bafta winning Comedy Vehicle (Graham Norton gets a faux-bashing for being the undeserving winner for his lesser shower, dismissed as simply ‘chatting’). The new series has since been recorded, so the audience are treated to the final polished version with the barbs at their very sharpest. When we applaud a well sign-posted throwback joke we are quickly knocked backed for our pathetic desire to applaud our own capacity for memory: the audience’s lust for Lee’s criticism feels borderline sadomasochistic, but the rewards are so very rich.
Lucinda Locketts, Twitter
Lucinda Locketts, Twitter
Wharto15, Twitter
Wharto15, Twitter
Guest1001, Youtube
Guest1001, Youtube
BBC iPlayer edition of discussion of Stewart Lee on A Good Read
BBC iPlayer edition of discussion of Stewart Lee on A Good Read
Cabluigi, Guardian.co.uk
Cabluigi, Guardian.co.uk
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Contrapuntal, Twitter
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Sam Rooney, Youtube
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Joe, Independent.co.uk
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GRTak, finalgear.com
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Bobby Bhoy, Twitter
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Carcrazychica, Youtube
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Nicetime, Guardian.co.uk
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Fairy Pingu, Twitter
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Rowing Rob, Guardian.co.uk
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Stuart, Chortle
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Zombie Hamster, Twitter
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Gabrielle, Chortle.com
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Dominic Cavendish, Telegraph
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Carla, St Albans, Dailymail.co.uk
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Jackmumf, Twitter
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Etienne, Chortle.com
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Dave Wilson, Chortle.com
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Joskins, Leeds Music Forum
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Visualiser1, Twitter
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Horatio Melvin, Twitter
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Microcuts 22, Twitter
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A D Ward, Twitter
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Coxy, Dontstartmeoff.com
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Someoneyoudon'tknow, Chortle.com
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Peter Ould, Twitter
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Karen Laidlaw, Edfringe. com.
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Neva2busy, dontstartmeoff.com
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Robert Gavin, Twitter
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Tres Ryan, Twitter
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12dgdgdgdgdgdg, Youtube
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Whoiscuriousgeorge, Youtube
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Liam Travitt, Twitter
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Pnethor, pne-online.com
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Slothy Matt, Twitter
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Anonymous, The Northfield Patriot
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Guest, Dontstartmeoff.com
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Dick Socrates, Twitter
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98rosjon, Twitter
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Al Murray, Comedian
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Peter Ould, Youtube
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Stokeylitfest, Twitter
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Anonymous, don'tstartmeoff.com
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Frankie Boyle, Comedian
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Mrdavisn01, Twitter
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Alex Quarmby, Edfringe.com
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Z-factor, Twitter.
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Aaron, comedy.co.uk
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Maninabananasuit, Guardian.co.uk
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Tin Frog, Twitter
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Mini-x2, readytogo.net
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James Dellingpole, Daily Telegraph
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Tokyofist, Youtube
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Syhr, breakbeat.co.uk
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Meninblack, Twitter
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World Without End, Twitter
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Shane, Beverley, Dailymail.co.uk
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DVDhth's grandparents, Twitter
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Lents, redandwhitekop.com
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Peter Fears, Twitter
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Neolab, Guardian.co.uk
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Birmingham Sunday Mercury
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Gmanthedemon, bbc.co.uk
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Anon, BBC Complaints Log
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Cojones2, Guardian.co.uk
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Lancethrustworthy, Youtube
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Brighton Argus
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Aiden Hearn, Twitter
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Meanstreetelite, Peoplesrepublicofcork
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Brendon, Vauxhallownersnetwork.co.uk
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Bosco239, youtube
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Anon, dontstartmeoff.com
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Patrick Kavanagh, Guardian.co.uk
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Henry Howard Fun, Twitter
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Deepbass, Guardian.co.uk
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General Lurko 36, Guardian.co.uk
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Yukio Mishima, dontstartmeoff.com
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Chez, Chortle.com
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John Robins, Comedian
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Tweeterkiryakou, Twitter
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Iain, eatenbymissionaries
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Jamespearse, Twitter
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Clampdown59, Twitter.
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Lee Mack, Mack The Life, 2012
Richard Herring, Comedian
Richard Herring, Comedian
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Pirate Crocodile, Twitter
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Ishamayura Byrd, Twitter
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Dahoum, Guardian.co.uk
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Joycey, readytogo.net
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Keilloh, Twitter
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Fowkes81, Twitter
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NevW47479, UKTV.co.uk
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Spanner, dontstartmeoff.com
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Gwaites, Digitalspy
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Esme Folley, Actress, cellist, Twitter
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Hiewy, Youtube
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Pudabaya, Twitter
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Tweeter Kyriakou, Twitter
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Pudabaya, beexcellenttoeachother.com
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Len Firewood, Twitter
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Alwyn, Digiguide.tv
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Foxfoxton, Youtube
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Sidsings000, Youtube
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Emilyistrendy, Youtube
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Leach Juice, Twitter
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Dominic Cavendish, Daily Telegraph
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Idrie, Youtube
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Rudeness, Youtube
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Johnny Kitkat, dontstartmeoff.com
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FBC, finalgear.com
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Shit Crit, Twitter
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Sweeping Curves, Twitter
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Anamatronix, Youtube
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Anon, westhamonline.com
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Genghis McKahn, Guardian.co.uk