Woe betide those who find themselves on the receiving end of Stewart Lee’s sarcasm. It kills with a smile – then bludgeons the corpse. One of the several routines, old and new, he is rotating as part of this year’s Edinburgh show turns the irony on an American comedian called Franklyn Ajaye. Lee cites Ajaye’s album I’m a Comedian, Seriously as his career inspiration. With sarcastic intonation excised, but with its mordancy very much intact, he recites the sleevenotes, which claim for Ajaye the status of an artist and thinker. Then he lists the tracks on the album: 1. Homosexuals. 2. Girls with Big Breasts. 3. Dick Caught in Zipper.
It is a viciously funny routine, one of several that Lee is rehearsing for a forthcoming TV show. But tonight’s set doesn’t lack a unifying theme; the quality of the material is too high for that. Yes, it is sometimes breathtakingly cynical: he burns a few comedy bridges with his send-ups of comics who riff on their own ethnicity or fetishise plain-speaking (“outlaws, they are, saying the unsayable, to the many people willing to pay to hear it”). The way Lee disassembles practically every genus of joke, meanwhile, makes one worry that he may never again actually find a gag funny.
Or is it just that he finds technique as funny as the gags? He exposes the architecture of his own jokes: how he sets up laugh-lines then alternates and repeats them, like a slo-mo vaudevillian spinning plates. Sometimes there is no need for transparency: Chris Moyles’ literary output would be laughable even without Lee’s wit applied. And the observational stuff about being middle-aged and staying in Travelodges is amusing but pedestrian. Perhaps Ajaye could write a routine about that – but I suspect he is keeping his head down.
Shit Crit, Twitter
Shit Crit, Twitter
Dick Socrates, Twitter
Dick Socrates, Twitter
World Without End, Twitter
World Without End, Twitter
Keilloh, Twitter
Keilloh, Twitter
Funday’schild, youtube.
Funday’schild, youtube.
Alex Quarmby, Edfringe.com
Alex Quarmby, Edfringe.com
Leach Juice, Twitter
Leach Juice, Twitter
Brighton Argus
Brighton Argus
Johnny Kitkat, dontstartmeoff.com
Johnny Kitkat, dontstartmeoff.com
Coxy, Dontstartmeoff.com
Coxy, Dontstartmeoff.com
Maninabananasuit, Guardian.co.uk
Maninabananasuit, Guardian.co.uk
Deepbass, Guardian.co.uk
Deepbass, Guardian.co.uk
Len Firewood, Twitter
Len Firewood, Twitter
Bosco239, youtube
Bosco239, youtube
Patrick Kavanagh, Guardian.co.uk
Patrick Kavanagh, Guardian.co.uk
Joycey, readytogo.net
Joycey, readytogo.net
Lee Mack, Mack The Life, 2012
Lee Mack, Mack The Life, 2012
A D Ward, Twitter
A D Ward, Twitter
Peter Ould, Twitter
Peter Ould, Twitter
Tweeterkiryakou, Twitter
Tweeterkiryakou, Twitter
Jackmumf, Twitter
Jackmumf, Twitter
Cabluigi, Guardian.co.uk
Cabluigi, Guardian.co.uk
Sweeping Curves, Twitter
Sweeping Curves, Twitter
Tweeter Kyriakou, Twitter
Tweeter Kyriakou, Twitter
Lents, redandwhitekop.com
Lents, redandwhitekop.com
Joe, Independent.co.uk
Joe, Independent.co.uk
Genghis McKahn, Guardian.co.uk
Genghis McKahn, Guardian.co.uk
Yukio Mishima, dontstartmeoff.com
Yukio Mishima, dontstartmeoff.com
Aiden Hearn, Twitter
Aiden Hearn, Twitter
Foxfoxton, Youtube
Foxfoxton, Youtube
Richard Herring, Comedian
Richard Herring, Comedian
Someoneyoudon'tknow, Chortle.com
Someoneyoudon'tknow, Chortle.com
Aaron, comedy.co.uk
Aaron, comedy.co.uk
Al Murray, Comedian
Al Murray, Comedian
Tres Ryan, Twitter
Tres Ryan, Twitter
Carcrazychica, Youtube
Carcrazychica, Youtube
Slothy Matt, Twitter
Slothy Matt, Twitter
Syhr, breakbeat.co.uk
Syhr, breakbeat.co.uk
Nicetime, Guardian.co.uk
Nicetime, Guardian.co.uk
Meanstreetelite, Peoplesrepublicofcork
Meanstreetelite, Peoplesrepublicofcork
BBC iPlayer edition of discussion of Stewart Lee on A Good Read
BBC iPlayer edition of discussion of Stewart Lee on A Good Read
Carla, St Albans, Dailymail.co.uk
Carla, St Albans, Dailymail.co.uk
Zombie Hamster, Twitter
Zombie Hamster, Twitter
Wharto15, Twitter
Wharto15, Twitter
Fairy Pingu, Twitter
Fairy Pingu, Twitter
Neolab, Guardian.co.uk
Neolab, Guardian.co.uk
James Dellingpole, Daily Telegraph
James Dellingpole, Daily Telegraph
Henry Howard Fun, Twitter
Henry Howard Fun, Twitter
Frankie Boyle, Comedian
Frankie Boyle, Comedian
Gabrielle, Chortle.com
Gabrielle, Chortle.com
Etienne, Chortle.com
Etienne, Chortle.com
Tokyofist, Youtube
Tokyofist, Youtube
Gwaites, Digitalspy
Gwaites, Digitalspy
Kozzy06, Youtube
Kozzy06, Youtube
FBC, finalgear.com
FBC, finalgear.com
Guest1001, Youtube
Guest1001, Youtube
Robert Gavin, Twitter
Robert Gavin, Twitter
Stokeylitfest, Twitter
Stokeylitfest, Twitter
John Robins, Comedian
John Robins, Comedian
Chez, Chortle.com
Chez, Chortle.com
Rudeness, Youtube
Rudeness, Youtube
Dominic Cavendish, Telegraph
Dominic Cavendish, Telegraph
Tin Frog, Twitter
Tin Frog, Twitter
Anonymous, The Northfield Patriot
Anonymous, The Northfield Patriot
DVDhth's grandparents, Twitter
DVDhth's grandparents, Twitter
Anon, westhamonline.com
Anon, westhamonline.com
Z-factor, Twitter.
Z-factor, Twitter.
Cyberbloke, Twitter
Cyberbloke, Twitter
Birmingham Sunday Mercury
Birmingham Sunday Mercury
Meninblack, Twitter
Meninblack, Twitter
Microcuts 22, Twitter
Microcuts 22, Twitter
Anonymous, don'tstartmeoff.com
Anonymous, don'tstartmeoff.com
Shane, Beverley, Dailymail.co.uk
Shane, Beverley, Dailymail.co.uk
Iain, eatenbymissionaries
Iain, eatenbymissionaries
98rosjon, Twitter
98rosjon, Twitter
Rowing Rob, Guardian.co.uk
Rowing Rob, Guardian.co.uk
Ishamayura Byrd, Twitter
Ishamayura Byrd, Twitter
Dahoum, Guardian.co.uk
Dahoum, Guardian.co.uk
Jamespearse, Twitter
Jamespearse, Twitter
Joskins, Leeds Music Forum
Joskins, Leeds Music Forum
General Lurko 36, Guardian.co.uk
General Lurko 36, Guardian.co.uk
NevW47479, UKTV.co.uk
NevW47479, UKTV.co.uk
Stuart, Chortle
Stuart, Chortle
Anon, BBC Complaints Log
Anon, BBC Complaints Log
Cojones2, Guardian.co.uk
Cojones2, Guardian.co.uk
Lucinda Locketts, Twitter
Lucinda Locketts, Twitter
Contrapuntal, Twitter
Contrapuntal, Twitter
Esme Folley, Actress, cellist, Twitter
Esme Folley, Actress, cellist, Twitter
Sidsings000, Youtube
Sidsings000, Youtube
GRTak, finalgear.com
GRTak, finalgear.com
Dominic Cavendish, Daily Telegraph
Dominic Cavendish, Daily Telegraph
Karen Laidlaw, Edfringe. com.
Karen Laidlaw, Edfringe. com.
Emilyistrendy, Youtube
Emilyistrendy, Youtube
Peter Ould, Youtube
Peter Ould, Youtube
Idrie, Youtube
Idrie, Youtube
Danazawa, Youtube
Danazawa, Youtube
Rubyshoes, Twitter
Rubyshoes, Twitter
Alwyn, Digiguide.tv
Alwyn, Digiguide.tv
Horatio Melvin, Twitter
Horatio Melvin, Twitter
Fowkes81, Twitter
Fowkes81, Twitter
Pnethor, pne-online.com
Pnethor, pne-online.com
Bobby Bhoy, Twitter
Bobby Bhoy, Twitter
Sam Rooney, Youtube
Sam Rooney, Youtube
Lancethrustworthy, Youtube
Lancethrustworthy, Youtube
Secretdeveloper, Youtube
Secretdeveloper, Youtube
Neva2busy, dontstartmeoff.com
Neva2busy, dontstartmeoff.com
Mearecate, Youtube
Mearecate, Youtube
Visualiser1, Twitter
Visualiser1, Twitter
Whoiscuriousgeorge, Youtube
Whoiscuriousgeorge, Youtube
Mrdavisn01, Twitter
Mrdavisn01, Twitter
Hiewy, Youtube
Hiewy, Youtube
Peter Fears, Twitter
Peter Fears, Twitter
Liam Travitt, Twitter
Liam Travitt, Twitter
Mpf1947, Youtube
Mpf1947, Youtube
Pudabaya, Twitter
Pudabaya, Twitter
Gmanthedemon, bbc.co.uk
Gmanthedemon, bbc.co.uk
Spanner, dontstartmeoff.com
Spanner, dontstartmeoff.com
Dave Wilson, Chortle.com
Dave Wilson, Chortle.com
Brendon, Vauxhallownersnetwork.co.uk
Brendon, Vauxhallownersnetwork.co.uk
Lenny Darksphere, Twitter
Lenny Darksphere, Twitter
Borathigh5, Youtube
Borathigh5, Youtube
12dgdgdgdgdgdg, Youtube
12dgdgdgdgdgdg, Youtube
Pudabaya, beexcellenttoeachother.com
Pudabaya, beexcellenttoeachother.com
Pirate Crocodile, Twitter
Pirate Crocodile, Twitter
Clampdown59, Twitter.
Clampdown59, Twitter.
Anamatronix, Youtube
Anamatronix, Youtube
Mini-x2, readytogo.net
Mini-x2, readytogo.net
Anon, dontstartmeoff.com
Anon, dontstartmeoff.com
Guest, Dontstartmeoff.com
Guest, Dontstartmeoff.com