“I’d forgotten this was a radical town,” says Stewart Lee during one of this evening’s many semi-improvised asides.
Touching on everything from losing out on a Bafta to Graham Norton, to hating yoghurt-drinking under-40s and orienteering with Napalm Death, Lee’s self-styled passive-aggressive approach may be very familiar, but it certainly hasn’t worn thin.
His esoteric trails of thought, introspective dissections of comedy and faux jibes at the crowd may still occasionally rile some critical opinion; in particular, Lee references a recent zero-star Telegraph review. But the laughs certainly come thick and fast tonight, typically often at our expense in the audience.
When one poor chap in the front row dares to scurry out at the inopportune moment of a routine’s conclusion, the resulting rant segues into an impromptu extended first half. In fact, Lee performs for almost three hours this evening in a set that proves he’s lost none of his idiosyncratic charm with age or his notable successes of recent years.
So although Lee laments that “it’s taken three decades to half-fill a room in Bournemouth” while scoping out how long it’ll take him to pay off his mortgage, from where we’re sitting his Comedy Vehicle seems to be pootling along nicely.
Even if he does suggest its appeal is limited to vegetarian Guardian readers.
Fairy Pingu, Twitter
Fairy Pingu, Twitter
Brighton Argus
Brighton Argus
Yukio Mishima, dontstartmeoff.com
Yukio Mishima, dontstartmeoff.com
Bobby Bhoy, Twitter
Bobby Bhoy, 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
Cyberbloke, Twitter
Cyberbloke, Twitter
Neolab, Guardian.co.uk
Neolab, Guardian.co.uk
Foxfoxton, Youtube
Foxfoxton, Youtube
Fowkes81, Twitter
Fowkes81, Twitter
Leach Juice, Twitter
Leach Juice, Twitter
Syhr, breakbeat.co.uk
Syhr, breakbeat.co.uk
Sweeping Curves, Twitter
Sweeping Curves, Twitter
Contrapuntal, Twitter
Contrapuntal, Twitter
Anamatronix, Youtube
Anamatronix, Youtube
Tokyofist, Youtube
Tokyofist, Youtube
Stokeylitfest, Twitter
Stokeylitfest, Twitter
Rowing Rob, Guardian.co.uk
Rowing Rob, Guardian.co.uk
Iain, eatenbymissionaries
Iain, eatenbymissionaries
Peter Ould, Twitter
Peter Ould, Twitter
Visualiser1, Twitter
Visualiser1, Twitter
Johnny Kitkat, dontstartmeoff.com
Johnny Kitkat, dontstartmeoff.com
Danazawa, Youtube
Danazawa, Youtube
Lents, redandwhitekop.com
Lents, redandwhitekop.com
Maninabananasuit, Guardian.co.uk
Maninabananasuit, Guardian.co.uk
Wharto15, Twitter
Wharto15, Twitter
Birmingham Sunday Mercury
Birmingham Sunday Mercury
Dominic Cavendish, Daily Telegraph
Dominic Cavendish, Daily Telegraph
Dick Socrates, Twitter
Dick Socrates, Twitter
Peter Fears, Twitter
Peter Fears, Twitter
FBC, finalgear.com
FBC, finalgear.com
Jamespearse, Twitter
Jamespearse, Twitter
Lancethrustworthy, Youtube
Lancethrustworthy, Youtube
98rosjon, Twitter
98rosjon, Twitter
NevW47479, UKTV.co.uk
NevW47479, UKTV.co.uk
Rudeness, Youtube
Rudeness, Youtube
Pudabaya, Twitter
Pudabaya, Twitter
Carcrazychica, Youtube
Carcrazychica, Youtube
Shit Crit, Twitter
Shit Crit, Twitter
Mini-x2, readytogo.net
Mini-x2, readytogo.net
Gwaites, Digitalspy
Gwaites, Digitalspy
Gmanthedemon, bbc.co.uk
Gmanthedemon, bbc.co.uk
Pnethor, pne-online.com
Pnethor, pne-online.com
Esme Folley, Actress, cellist, Twitter
Esme Folley, Actress, cellist, Twitter
Spanner, dontstartmeoff.com
Spanner, dontstartmeoff.com
Secretdeveloper, Youtube
Secretdeveloper, Youtube
GRTak, finalgear.com
GRTak, finalgear.com
Chez, Chortle.com
Chez, Chortle.com
Cabluigi, Guardian.co.uk
Cabluigi, Guardian.co.uk
Joe, Independent.co.uk
Joe, Independent.co.uk
Funday’schild, youtube.
Funday’schild, youtube.
World Without End, Twitter
World Without End, Twitter
Len Firewood, Twitter
Len Firewood, Twitter
Henry Howard Fun, Twitter
Henry Howard Fun, Twitter
12dgdgdgdgdgdg, Youtube
12dgdgdgdgdgdg, Youtube
Pirate Crocodile, Twitter
Pirate Crocodile, Twitter
Zombie Hamster, Twitter
Zombie Hamster, Twitter
Mearecate, Youtube
Mearecate, Youtube
Liam Travitt, Twitter
Liam Travitt, Twitter
Anon, BBC Complaints Log
Anon, BBC Complaints Log
Lee Mack, Mack The Life, 2012
Lee Mack, Mack The Life, 2012
Frankie Boyle, Comedian
Frankie Boyle, Comedian
Clampdown59, Twitter.
Clampdown59, Twitter.
Slothy Matt, Twitter
Slothy Matt, Twitter
Jackmumf, Twitter
Jackmumf, Twitter
Aaron, comedy.co.uk
Aaron, comedy.co.uk
Deepbass, Guardian.co.uk
Deepbass, Guardian.co.uk
Rubyshoes, Twitter
Rubyshoes, Twitter
Whoiscuriousgeorge, Youtube
Whoiscuriousgeorge, Youtube
Borathigh5, Youtube
Borathigh5, Youtube
Alwyn, Digiguide.tv
Alwyn, Digiguide.tv
Microcuts 22, Twitter
Microcuts 22, Twitter
Anonymous, don'tstartmeoff.com
Anonymous, don'tstartmeoff.com
Dahoum, Guardian.co.uk
Dahoum, Guardian.co.uk
Anon, westhamonline.com
Anon, westhamonline.com
Carla, St Albans, Dailymail.co.uk
Carla, St Albans, Dailymail.co.uk
Dave Wilson, Chortle.com
Dave Wilson, Chortle.com
Alex Quarmby, Edfringe.com
Alex Quarmby, Edfringe.com
DVDhth's grandparents, Twitter
DVDhth's grandparents, Twitter
Hiewy, Youtube
Hiewy, Youtube
Mpf1947, Youtube
Mpf1947, Youtube
Ishamayura Byrd, Twitter
Ishamayura Byrd, Twitter
Robert Gavin, Twitter
Robert Gavin, Twitter
Someoneyoudon'tknow, Chortle.com
Someoneyoudon'tknow, Chortle.com
Neva2busy, dontstartmeoff.com
Neva2busy, dontstartmeoff.com
Sam Rooney, Youtube
Sam Rooney, Youtube
Tweeter Kyriakou, Twitter
Tweeter Kyriakou, Twitter
Emilyistrendy, Youtube
Emilyistrendy, Youtube
Lenny Darksphere, Twitter
Lenny Darksphere, Twitter
Meanstreetelite, Peoplesrepublicofcork
Meanstreetelite, Peoplesrepublicofcork
Tres Ryan, Twitter
Tres Ryan, Twitter
Joskins, Leeds Music Forum
Joskins, Leeds Music Forum
Tin Frog, Twitter
Tin Frog, Twitter
John Robins, Comedian
John Robins, Comedian
Guest1001, Youtube
Guest1001, Youtube
Sidsings000, Youtube
Sidsings000, Youtube
Z-factor, Twitter.
Z-factor, Twitter.
Nicetime, Guardian.co.uk
Nicetime, Guardian.co.uk
Anon, dontstartmeoff.com
Anon, dontstartmeoff.com
General Lurko 36, Guardian.co.uk
General Lurko 36, Guardian.co.uk
Aiden Hearn, Twitter
Aiden Hearn, Twitter
Keilloh, Twitter
Keilloh, Twitter
Karen Laidlaw, Edfringe. com.
Karen Laidlaw, Edfringe. com.
Patrick Kavanagh, Guardian.co.uk
Patrick Kavanagh, Guardian.co.uk
Cojones2, Guardian.co.uk
Cojones2, Guardian.co.uk
Tweeterkiryakou, Twitter
Tweeterkiryakou, Twitter
Genghis McKahn, Guardian.co.uk
Genghis McKahn, Guardian.co.uk
Al Murray, Comedian
Al Murray, Comedian
Stuart, Chortle
Stuart, Chortle
James Dellingpole, Daily Telegraph
James Dellingpole, Daily Telegraph
Guest, Dontstartmeoff.com
Guest, Dontstartmeoff.com
Bosco239, youtube
Bosco239, youtube
Idrie, Youtube
Idrie, Youtube
Lucinda Locketts, Twitter
Lucinda Locketts, Twitter
Horatio Melvin, Twitter
Horatio Melvin, Twitter
Pudabaya, beexcellenttoeachother.com
Pudabaya, beexcellenttoeachother.com
Richard Herring, Comedian
Richard Herring, Comedian
Mrdavisn01, Twitter
Mrdavisn01, Twitter
Meninblack, Twitter
Meninblack, Twitter
Anonymous, The Northfield Patriot
Anonymous, The Northfield Patriot
Peter Ould, Youtube
Peter Ould, Youtube
Etienne, Chortle.com
Etienne, Chortle.com
Shane, Beverley, Dailymail.co.uk
Shane, Beverley, Dailymail.co.uk
Kozzy06, Youtube
Kozzy06, Youtube
Dominic Cavendish, Telegraph
Dominic Cavendish, Telegraph
Brendon, Vauxhallownersnetwork.co.uk
Brendon, Vauxhallownersnetwork.co.uk
Joycey, readytogo.net
Joycey, readytogo.net
Gabrielle, Chortle.com
Gabrielle, Chortle.com
Coxy, Dontstartmeoff.com
Coxy, Dontstartmeoff.com
A D Ward, Twitter
A D Ward, Twitter