“You’ve worked me out… I’m just looking at an object and being sarcastic about it,” says Stewart Lee, breaking down his set to a finely tuned analytical degree, having just looked at and been sarcastic about both Franklyn Ajaye’s 1974 album I’m A Comedian, Seriously and Chris Moyles’ autobiography The Tough Second Book. “And I’ve made a decent twenty-year career out of doing that.”
Of course, Lee has done much more than take cheap shots at minor celebrities. Much more. This is the man who gave the world Jerry Springer: The Opera and incurred the wrath of the God-squad; the man whose set 90s Comedian is heralded as an all-time classic; and the man who can stretch a single joke out across an hour and keep a room full of people doubled over in laughter. In short, Stewart Lee is one of the finest comedians that Britain has ever produced.
This year’s set is another exemplary hour of wonderful stand-up-cum-social-commentary. Lee is an immaculate performer: self-aware, varied, intelligent and relevant. His material combines an analysis of the mundane while fitting it expertly into a wider social context. His apparently disparate set is finally tied together under the grander theme of railing against a society that is culturally and intellectually in rapid decline. And the reason that he is so important is that his target is a valid one – in our market-economy, where the consumer is king, Lee does not lazily blame politicians. He knows who is really at fault. Us.
Lee’s genius, though, is in never being preachy, condescending or even particularly overt. The stories he tells early on plant the seed of an idea and it’s not until the set’s climax that you understand the full picture that he is trying to show – that you see each set-piece in its relation to the whole. This is a stunningly affecting, memorable performance from one of the few comic greats in Edinburgh this year.
Lents, redandwhitekop.com
Lents, redandwhitekop.com
Spanner, dontstartmeoff.com
Spanner, dontstartmeoff.com
Jackmumf, Twitter
Jackmumf, Twitter
Coxy, Dontstartmeoff.com
Coxy, Dontstartmeoff.com
Chez, Chortle.com
Chez, Chortle.com
Emilyistrendy, Youtube
Emilyistrendy, Youtube
World Without End, Twitter
World Without End, Twitter
Al Murray, Comedian
Al Murray, Comedian
Danazawa, Youtube
Danazawa, Youtube
Slothy Matt, Twitter
Slothy Matt, Twitter
John Robins, Comedian
John Robins, Comedian
General Lurko 36, Guardian.co.uk
General Lurko 36, Guardian.co.uk
Etienne, Chortle.com
Etienne, Chortle.com
Deepbass, Guardian.co.uk
Deepbass, Guardian.co.uk
Contrapuntal, Twitter
Contrapuntal, Twitter
Anonymous, don'tstartmeoff.com
Anonymous, don'tstartmeoff.com
Tweeter Kyriakou, Twitter
Tweeter Kyriakou, Twitter
Lancethrustworthy, Youtube
Lancethrustworthy, Youtube
Wharto15, Twitter
Wharto15, Twitter
Keilloh, Twitter
Keilloh, Twitter
Robert Gavin, Twitter
Robert Gavin, Twitter
Pudabaya, Twitter
Pudabaya, Twitter
Rowing Rob, Guardian.co.uk
Rowing Rob, Guardian.co.uk
98rosjon, Twitter
98rosjon, Twitter
Tin Frog, Twitter
Tin Frog, Twitter
Pirate Crocodile, Twitter
Pirate Crocodile, Twitter
Fowkes81, Twitter
Fowkes81, Twitter
Aiden Hearn, Twitter
Aiden Hearn, Twitter
Yukio Mishima, dontstartmeoff.com
Yukio Mishima, dontstartmeoff.com
Richard Herring, Comedian
Richard Herring, Comedian
Idrie, Youtube
Idrie, Youtube
Rubyshoes, Twitter
Rubyshoes, Twitter
Sidsings000, Youtube
Sidsings000, Youtube
Dave Wilson, Chortle.com
Dave Wilson, Chortle.com
Zombie Hamster, Twitter
Zombie Hamster, 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
Maninabananasuit, Guardian.co.uk
Maninabananasuit, Guardian.co.uk
Tweeterkiryakou, Twitter
Tweeterkiryakou, Twitter
Cabluigi, Guardian.co.uk
Cabluigi, Guardian.co.uk
Hiewy, Youtube
Hiewy, Youtube
Funday’schild, youtube.
Funday’schild, youtube.
Pnethor, pne-online.com
Pnethor, pne-online.com
Bobby Bhoy, Twitter
Bobby Bhoy, Twitter
Len Firewood, Twitter
Len Firewood, Twitter
Pudabaya, beexcellenttoeachother.com
Pudabaya, beexcellenttoeachother.com
Lucinda Locketts, Twitter
Lucinda Locketts, Twitter
Shane, Beverley, Dailymail.co.uk
Shane, Beverley, Dailymail.co.uk
Borathigh5, Youtube
Borathigh5, Youtube
Carla, St Albans, Dailymail.co.uk
Carla, St Albans, Dailymail.co.uk
Peter Ould, Youtube
Peter Ould, Youtube
DVDhth's grandparents, Twitter
DVDhth's grandparents, Twitter
Joskins, Leeds Music Forum
Joskins, Leeds Music Forum
Dick Socrates, Twitter
Dick Socrates, Twitter
Anon, BBC Complaints Log
Anon, BBC Complaints Log
Whoiscuriousgeorge, Youtube
Whoiscuriousgeorge, Youtube
Brighton Argus
Brighton Argus
Lenny Darksphere, Twitter
Lenny Darksphere, Twitter
Mpf1947, Youtube
Mpf1947, Youtube
Cyberbloke, Twitter
Cyberbloke, Twitter
Karen Laidlaw, Edfringe. com.
Karen Laidlaw, Edfringe. com.
Guest1001, Youtube
Guest1001, Youtube
Aaron, comedy.co.uk
Aaron, comedy.co.uk
Stuart, Chortle
Stuart, Chortle
Genghis McKahn, Guardian.co.uk
Genghis McKahn, Guardian.co.uk
Johnny Kitkat, dontstartmeoff.com
Johnny Kitkat, dontstartmeoff.com
Stokeylitfest, Twitter
Stokeylitfest, Twitter
Tokyofist, Youtube
Tokyofist, Youtube
Iain, eatenbymissionaries
Iain, eatenbymissionaries
Visualiser1, Twitter
Visualiser1, Twitter
Syhr, breakbeat.co.uk
Syhr, breakbeat.co.uk
Gabrielle, Chortle.com
Gabrielle, Chortle.com
Dominic Cavendish, Daily Telegraph
Dominic Cavendish, Daily Telegraph
Dahoum, Guardian.co.uk
Dahoum, Guardian.co.uk
Carcrazychica, Youtube
Carcrazychica, Youtube
NevW47479, UKTV.co.uk
NevW47479, UKTV.co.uk
Joe, Independent.co.uk
Joe, Independent.co.uk
Mini-x2, readytogo.net
Mini-x2, readytogo.net
Horatio Melvin, Twitter
Horatio Melvin, Twitter
Dominic Cavendish, Telegraph
Dominic Cavendish, Telegraph
Mrdavisn01, Twitter
Mrdavisn01, Twitter
Mearecate, Youtube
Mearecate, Youtube
Guest, Dontstartmeoff.com
Guest, Dontstartmeoff.com
Z-factor, Twitter.
Z-factor, Twitter.
Secretdeveloper, Youtube
Secretdeveloper, Youtube
Bosco239, youtube
Bosco239, youtube
Cojones2, Guardian.co.uk
Cojones2, Guardian.co.uk
12dgdgdgdgdgdg, Youtube
12dgdgdgdgdgdg, Youtube
Neva2busy, dontstartmeoff.com
Neva2busy, dontstartmeoff.com
Someoneyoudon'tknow, Chortle.com
Someoneyoudon'tknow, Chortle.com
Fairy Pingu, Twitter
Fairy Pingu, Twitter
Joycey, readytogo.net
Joycey, readytogo.net
Meanstreetelite, Peoplesrepublicofcork
Meanstreetelite, Peoplesrepublicofcork
Anon, westhamonline.com
Anon, westhamonline.com
Tres Ryan, Twitter
Tres Ryan, Twitter
Alex Quarmby, Edfringe.com
Alex Quarmby, Edfringe.com
A D Ward, Twitter
A D Ward, Twitter
FBC, finalgear.com
FBC, finalgear.com
Clampdown59, Twitter.
Clampdown59, Twitter.
Anamatronix, Youtube
Anamatronix, Youtube
Patrick Kavanagh, Guardian.co.uk
Patrick Kavanagh, Guardian.co.uk
Frankie Boyle, Comedian
Frankie Boyle, Comedian
Anonymous, The Northfield Patriot
Anonymous, The Northfield Patriot
Neolab, Guardian.co.uk
Neolab, Guardian.co.uk
Peter Fears, Twitter
Peter Fears, Twitter
GRTak, finalgear.com
GRTak, finalgear.com
Ishamayura Byrd, Twitter
Ishamayura Byrd, Twitter
Sam Rooney, Youtube
Sam Rooney, Youtube
Kozzy06, Youtube
Kozzy06, Youtube
Lee Mack, Mack The Life, 2012
Lee Mack, Mack The Life, 2012
Nicetime, Guardian.co.uk
Nicetime, Guardian.co.uk
Anon, dontstartmeoff.com
Anon, dontstartmeoff.com
Gwaites, Digitalspy
Gwaites, Digitalspy
Jamespearse, Twitter
Jamespearse, Twitter
Liam Travitt, Twitter
Liam Travitt, Twitter
Rudeness, Youtube
Rudeness, Youtube
Esme Folley, Actress, cellist, Twitter
Esme Folley, Actress, cellist, Twitter
Henry Howard Fun, Twitter
Henry Howard Fun, Twitter
Gmanthedemon, bbc.co.uk
Gmanthedemon, bbc.co.uk
Sweeping Curves, Twitter
Sweeping Curves, Twitter
Alwyn, Digiguide.tv
Alwyn, Digiguide.tv
Leach Juice, Twitter
Leach Juice, Twitter
Peter Ould, Twitter
Peter Ould, Twitter
Shit Crit, Twitter
Shit Crit, Twitter
Brendon, Vauxhallownersnetwork.co.uk
Brendon, Vauxhallownersnetwork.co.uk
Microcuts 22, Twitter
Microcuts 22, Twitter
Foxfoxton, Youtube
Foxfoxton, Youtube
Meninblack, Twitter
Meninblack, Twitter
James Dellingpole, Daily Telegraph
James Dellingpole, Daily Telegraph
Birmingham Sunday Mercury
Birmingham Sunday Mercury