“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.
Richard Herring, Comedian
Richard Herring, Comedian
Anamatronix, Youtube
Anamatronix, Youtube
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Anon, BBC Complaints Log
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Visualiser1, Twitter
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Joe, Independent.co.uk
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Keilloh, Twitter
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Joskins, Leeds Music Forum
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Dominic Cavendish, Daily Telegraph
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Syhr, breakbeat.co.uk
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Cabluigi, Guardian.co.uk
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Leach Juice, Twitter
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Bosco239, youtube
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General Lurko 36, Guardian.co.uk
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Iain, eatenbymissionaries
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Gmanthedemon, bbc.co.uk
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Dick Socrates, Twitter
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Carla, St Albans, Dailymail.co.uk
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Emilyistrendy, Youtube
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Brighton Argus
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Funday’schild, youtube.
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Mrdavisn01, Twitter
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Guest1001, Youtube
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Shit Crit, Twitter
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Cojones2, Guardian.co.uk
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Peter Ould, Twitter
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Joycey, readytogo.net
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Wharto15, Twitter
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Rudeness, Youtube
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Bobby Bhoy, Twitter
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Aaron, comedy.co.uk
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Neva2busy, dontstartmeoff.com
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Hiewy, Youtube
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Gwaites, Digitalspy
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Aiden Hearn, Twitter
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Brendon, Vauxhallownersnetwork.co.uk
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Anon, westhamonline.com
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Lee Mack, Mack The Life, 2012
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Esme Folley, Actress, cellist, Twitter
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Alwyn, Digiguide.tv
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Mearecate, Youtube
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Pudabaya, beexcellenttoeachother.com
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Fowkes81, Twitter
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Someoneyoudon'tknow, Chortle.com
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Horatio Melvin, Twitter
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Pnethor, pne-online.com
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Johnny Kitkat, dontstartmeoff.com
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Coxy, Dontstartmeoff.com
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Danazawa, Youtube
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Peter Fears, Twitter
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Lucinda Locketts, Twitter
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Meanstreetelite, Peoplesrepublicofcork
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Foxfoxton, Youtube
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Meninblack, Twitter
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Mini-x2, readytogo.net
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Ishamayura Byrd, Twitter
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Fairy Pingu, Twitter
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Sweeping Curves, Twitter
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Lents, redandwhitekop.com
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Clampdown59, Twitter.
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Zombie Hamster, Twitter
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Dominic Cavendish, Telegraph
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Neolab, Guardian.co.uk
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Pudabaya, Twitter
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Karen Laidlaw, Edfringe. com.
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Genghis McKahn, Guardian.co.uk
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Dahoum, Guardian.co.uk
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Shane, Beverley, Dailymail.co.uk
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Cyberbloke, Twitter
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Idrie, Youtube
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Tweeterkiryakou, Twitter
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Guest, Dontstartmeoff.com
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Alex Quarmby, Edfringe.com
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Lancethrustworthy, Youtube
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Contrapuntal, Twitter
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Peter Ould, Youtube
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Anonymous, The Northfield Patriot
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Deepbass, Guardian.co.uk
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Tres Ryan, Twitter
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Birmingham Sunday Mercury
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NevW47479, UKTV.co.uk
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Liam Travitt, Twitter
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Yukio Mishima, dontstartmeoff.com
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Whoiscuriousgeorge, Youtube
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Dave Wilson, Chortle.com
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Secretdeveloper, Youtube
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Kozzy06, Youtube
FBC, finalgear.com
FBC, finalgear.com
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Tin Frog, Twitter
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John Robins, Comedian
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Nicetime, Guardian.co.uk
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Carcrazychica, Youtube
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DVDhth's grandparents, Twitter
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Maninabananasuit, Guardian.co.uk
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Frankie Boyle, Comedian
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Microcuts 22, Twitter
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Len Firewood, Twitter
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Stuart, Chortle
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12dgdgdgdgdgdg, Youtube
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Spanner, dontstartmeoff.com
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Gabrielle, Chortle.com
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GRTak, finalgear.com
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A D Ward, Twitter
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98rosjon, Twitter
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Patrick Kavanagh, Guardian.co.uk
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Tokyofist, Youtube
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Chez, Chortle.com
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Jamespearse, Twitter
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Tweeter Kyriakou, Twitter
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Mpf1947, Youtube
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James Dellingpole, Daily Telegraph
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Anon, dontstartmeoff.com
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Etienne, Chortle.com
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Al Murray, Comedian
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Robert Gavin, Twitter
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Anonymous, don'tstartmeoff.com
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Lenny Darksphere, Twitter
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World Without End, Twitter
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Pirate Crocodile, Twitter
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Sam Rooney, Youtube
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Rowing Rob, Guardian.co.uk
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Sidsings000, Youtube
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Rubyshoes, 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
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Jackmumf, Twitter
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Stokeylitfest, Twitter
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Slothy Matt, Twitter
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Henry Howard Fun, Twitter