“No one is equipped to review me,” Stewart Lee declares near the beginning of this work-in-progress show, referring to the multiple layers of irony and self-awareness that exist between him and his audience. Feigning contempt for the audience and the recognition his television work has brought him is, he explains, something he does “for a laugh – which is within the remit of this job”.
Relentless scrutiny of what is within the remit of comedy underpins all Lee’s standup; he will test a set piece to destruction, stretching it almost past the limit of the audience’s patience, until the repetition itself becomes the source of the laughter. In the first half, this begins with the offhand remark that Graham Norton’s chatshow beat him to the Bafta for comedy this year, and spirals into a beautifully controlled piece of demagoguery about the state of television entertainment. His targets are deliberately obvious – Russell Brand, Live at the Apollo – but he wrongfoots us by turning his scorn on our responses to the material. After a heavily flagged-up piece of reincorporation, he rounds furiously on the audience: “Don’t clap. You’re applauding your own ability to remember things.”
In the second half he has a lot of sport with the Edinburgh audience, blaming them for the lukewarm reception of a joke and, by extension, the suicides of great comics whose material was never fully appreciated. At one point, he tells any young comics in to watch and learn from him. As with most of what he says, it’s tongue-in-cheek, but it’s good advice: even in a work in progress that includes some familiar material, Lee remains one of the most technically skilled and thought-provoking comics you’ll see at the fringe.
Tweeterkiryakou, Twitter
Tweeterkiryakou, Twitter
Neolab, Guardian.co.uk
Neolab, Guardian.co.uk
Dick Socrates, Twitter
Dick Socrates, Twitter
Genghis McKahn, Guardian.co.uk
Genghis McKahn, Guardian.co.uk
Etienne, Chortle.com
Etienne, Chortle.com
Deepbass, Guardian.co.uk
Deepbass, Guardian.co.uk
Mearecate, Youtube
Mearecate, Youtube
Mini-x2, readytogo.net
Mini-x2, readytogo.net
A D Ward, Twitter
A D Ward, Twitter
Johnny Kitkat, dontstartmeoff.com
Johnny Kitkat, dontstartmeoff.com
Joycey, readytogo.net
Joycey, readytogo.net
Len Firewood, Twitter
Len Firewood, Twitter
98rosjon, Twitter
98rosjon, Twitter
Chez, Chortle.com
Chez, Chortle.com
Peter Fears, Twitter
Peter Fears, Twitter
Lee Mack, Mack The Life, 2012
Lee Mack, Mack The Life, 2012
Anonymous, don'tstartmeoff.com
Anonymous, don'tstartmeoff.com
Tokyofist, Youtube
Tokyofist, Youtube
Keilloh, Twitter
Keilloh, Twitter
Pirate Crocodile, Twitter
Pirate Crocodile, Twitter
Clampdown59, Twitter.
Clampdown59, Twitter.
Tin Frog, Twitter
Tin Frog, Twitter
Lents, redandwhitekop.com
Lents, redandwhitekop.com
Carla, St Albans, Dailymail.co.uk
Carla, St Albans, Dailymail.co.uk
Someoneyoudon'tknow, Chortle.com
Someoneyoudon'tknow, Chortle.com
Lenny Darksphere, Twitter
Lenny Darksphere, Twitter
Bobby Bhoy, Twitter
Bobby Bhoy, Twitter
Liam Travitt, Twitter
Liam Travitt, Twitter
Anonymous, The Northfield Patriot
Anonymous, The Northfield Patriot
Spanner, dontstartmeoff.com
Spanner, dontstartmeoff.com
Guest1001, Youtube
Guest1001, Youtube
Tweeter Kyriakou, Twitter
Tweeter Kyriakou, Twitter
Dominic Cavendish, Daily Telegraph
Dominic Cavendish, Daily Telegraph
Yukio Mishima, dontstartmeoff.com
Yukio Mishima, dontstartmeoff.com
Syhr, breakbeat.co.uk
Syhr, breakbeat.co.uk
Peter Ould, Twitter
Peter Ould, Twitter
Sam Rooney, Youtube
Sam Rooney, Youtube
Nicetime, Guardian.co.uk
Nicetime, Guardian.co.uk
Horatio Melvin, Twitter
Horatio Melvin, Twitter
Ishamayura Byrd, Twitter
Ishamayura Byrd, Twitter
Gwaites, Digitalspy
Gwaites, Digitalspy
Birmingham Sunday Mercury
Birmingham Sunday Mercury
Cyberbloke, Twitter
Cyberbloke, Twitter
Sweeping Curves, Twitter
Sweeping Curves, Twitter
Carcrazychica, Youtube
Carcrazychica, Youtube
Emilyistrendy, Youtube
Emilyistrendy, Youtube
John Robins, Comedian
John Robins, Comedian
Neva2busy, dontstartmeoff.com
Neva2busy, dontstartmeoff.com
Guest, Dontstartmeoff.com
Guest, Dontstartmeoff.com
Shit Crit, Twitter
Shit Crit, Twitter
Rudeness, Youtube
Rudeness, Youtube
Foxfoxton, Youtube
Foxfoxton, Youtube
Brighton Argus
Brighton Argus
Gmanthedemon, bbc.co.uk
Gmanthedemon, bbc.co.uk
Funday’schild, youtube.
Funday’schild, youtube.
Pnethor, pne-online.com
Pnethor, pne-online.com
Patrick Kavanagh, Guardian.co.uk
Patrick Kavanagh, Guardian.co.uk
Dominic Cavendish, Telegraph
Dominic Cavendish, Telegraph
Peter Ould, Youtube
Peter Ould, Youtube
Slothy Matt, Twitter
Slothy Matt, Twitter
12dgdgdgdgdgdg, Youtube
12dgdgdgdgdgdg, Youtube
Frankie Boyle, Comedian
Frankie Boyle, Comedian
Tres Ryan, Twitter
Tres Ryan, Twitter
Stokeylitfest, Twitter
Stokeylitfest, Twitter
Idrie, Youtube
Idrie, Youtube
Fairy Pingu, Twitter
Fairy Pingu, Twitter
Pudabaya, beexcellenttoeachother.com
Pudabaya, beexcellenttoeachother.com
Cojones2, Guardian.co.uk
Cojones2, Guardian.co.uk
Anon, BBC Complaints Log
Anon, BBC Complaints Log
General Lurko 36, Guardian.co.uk
General Lurko 36, Guardian.co.uk
Contrapuntal, Twitter
Contrapuntal, Twitter
Sidsings000, Youtube
Sidsings000, Youtube
James Dellingpole, Daily Telegraph
James Dellingpole, Daily Telegraph
Maninabananasuit, Guardian.co.uk
Maninabananasuit, Guardian.co.uk
DVDhth's grandparents, Twitter
DVDhth's grandparents, Twitter
Richard Herring, Comedian
Richard Herring, Comedian
Jamespearse, Twitter
Jamespearse, Twitter
Z-factor, Twitter.
Z-factor, Twitter.
Whoiscuriousgeorge, Youtube
Whoiscuriousgeorge, Youtube
Stuart, Chortle
Stuart, Chortle
Alex Quarmby, Edfringe.com
Alex Quarmby, Edfringe.com
Gabrielle, Chortle.com
Gabrielle, Chortle.com
Anon, westhamonline.com
Anon, westhamonline.com
Kozzy06, Youtube
Kozzy06, Youtube
Mpf1947, Youtube
Mpf1947, Youtube
Cabluigi, Guardian.co.uk
Cabluigi, Guardian.co.uk
World Without End, Twitter
World Without End, Twitter
Aaron, comedy.co.uk
Aaron, comedy.co.uk
Borathigh5, Youtube
Borathigh5, Youtube
Alwyn, Digiguide.tv
Alwyn, Digiguide.tv
Mrdavisn01, Twitter
Mrdavisn01, Twitter
Bosco239, youtube
Bosco239, youtube
Visualiser1, Twitter
Visualiser1, Twitter
Karen Laidlaw, Edfringe. com.
Karen Laidlaw, Edfringe. com.
Fowkes81, Twitter
Fowkes81, Twitter
Joskins, Leeds Music Forum
Joskins, Leeds Music Forum
Dave Wilson, Chortle.com
Dave Wilson, Chortle.com
Lancethrustworthy, Youtube
Lancethrustworthy, Youtube
Meanstreetelite, Peoplesrepublicofcork
Meanstreetelite, Peoplesrepublicofcork
Al Murray, Comedian
Al Murray, Comedian
Leach Juice, Twitter
Leach Juice, Twitter
GRTak, finalgear.com
GRTak, finalgear.com
Iain, eatenbymissionaries
Iain, eatenbymissionaries
Lucinda Locketts, Twitter
Lucinda Locketts, 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
Hiewy, Youtube
Hiewy, Youtube
Esme Folley, Actress, cellist, Twitter
Esme Folley, Actress, cellist, Twitter
Coxy, Dontstartmeoff.com
Coxy, Dontstartmeoff.com
Aiden Hearn, Twitter
Aiden Hearn, Twitter
Brendon, Vauxhallownersnetwork.co.uk
Brendon, Vauxhallownersnetwork.co.uk
Dahoum, Guardian.co.uk
Dahoum, Guardian.co.uk
Rubyshoes, Twitter
Rubyshoes, Twitter
Robert Gavin, Twitter
Robert Gavin, Twitter
Meninblack, Twitter
Meninblack, Twitter
Rowing Rob, Guardian.co.uk
Rowing Rob, Guardian.co.uk
Pudabaya, Twitter
Pudabaya, Twitter
NevW47479, UKTV.co.uk
NevW47479, UKTV.co.uk
Microcuts 22, Twitter
Microcuts 22, Twitter
Joe, Independent.co.uk
Joe, Independent.co.uk
FBC, finalgear.com
FBC, finalgear.com
Henry Howard Fun, Twitter
Henry Howard Fun, Twitter
Jackmumf, Twitter
Jackmumf, Twitter
Zombie Hamster, Twitter
Zombie Hamster, Twitter
Shane, Beverley, Dailymail.co.uk
Shane, Beverley, Dailymail.co.uk
Wharto15, Twitter
Wharto15, Twitter
Anamatronix, Youtube
Anamatronix, Youtube
Secretdeveloper, Youtube
Secretdeveloper, Youtube
Anon, dontstartmeoff.com
Anon, dontstartmeoff.com
Danazawa, Youtube
Danazawa, Youtube