“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.
Robert Gavin, Twitter
Robert Gavin, Twitter
James Dellingpole, Daily Telegraph
James Dellingpole, Daily Telegraph
Coxy, Dontstartmeoff.com
Coxy, Dontstartmeoff.com
Jackmumf, Twitter
Jackmumf, Twitter
Stokeylitfest, Twitter
Stokeylitfest, Twitter
Cyberbloke, Twitter
Cyberbloke, Twitter
Alwyn, Digiguide.tv
Alwyn, Digiguide.tv
Iain, eatenbymissionaries
Iain, eatenbymissionaries
Mpf1947, Youtube
Mpf1947, Youtube
Lee Mack, Mack The Life, 2012
Lee Mack, Mack The Life, 2012
Visualiser1, Twitter
Visualiser1, Twitter
Henry Howard Fun, Twitter
Henry Howard Fun, Twitter
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Jamespearse, Twitter
Dick Socrates, Twitter
Dick Socrates, Twitter
Chez, Chortle.com
Chez, Chortle.com
Sidsings000, Youtube
Sidsings000, Youtube
Slothy Matt, Twitter
Slothy Matt, Twitter
John Robins, Comedian
John Robins, Comedian
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Emilyistrendy, Youtube
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Foxfoxton, Youtube
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Funday’schild, youtube.
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Gmanthedemon, bbc.co.uk
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Bosco239, youtube
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Dominic Cavendish, Telegraph
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Idrie, Youtube
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Karen Laidlaw, Edfringe. com.
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GRTak, finalgear.com
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Gwaites, Digitalspy
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Shit Crit, Twitter
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Pudabaya, beexcellenttoeachother.com
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Wharto15, Twitter
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Leach Juice, Twitter
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Tweeter Kyriakou, Twitter
Hiewy, Youtube
Hiewy, Youtube
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Rowing Rob, Guardian.co.uk
Brendon, Vauxhallownersnetwork.co.uk
Brendon, Vauxhallownersnetwork.co.uk
Liam Travitt, Twitter
Liam Travitt, Twitter
Mini-x2, readytogo.net
Mini-x2, readytogo.net
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Len Firewood, Twitter
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Johnny Kitkat, dontstartmeoff.com
Fairy Pingu, Twitter
Fairy Pingu, Twitter
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Kozzy06, Youtube
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Maninabananasuit, Guardian.co.uk
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Ishamayura Byrd, Twitter
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Lancethrustworthy, Youtube
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Yukio Mishima, dontstartmeoff.com
Shane, Beverley, Dailymail.co.uk
Shane, Beverley, Dailymail.co.uk
Cabluigi, Guardian.co.uk
Cabluigi, Guardian.co.uk
Pnethor, pne-online.com
Pnethor, pne-online.com
Nicetime, Guardian.co.uk
Nicetime, Guardian.co.uk
Zombie Hamster, Twitter
Zombie Hamster, Twitter
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Bobby Bhoy, Twitter
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DVDhth's grandparents, Twitter
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Secretdeveloper, Youtube
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Horatio Melvin, Twitter
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Sam Rooney, Youtube
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Joycey, readytogo.net
Keilloh, Twitter
Keilloh, Twitter
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Anon, dontstartmeoff.com
Contrapuntal, Twitter
Contrapuntal, Twitter
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Lents, redandwhitekop.com
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98rosjon, Twitter
Birmingham Sunday Mercury
Birmingham Sunday Mercury
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Mrdavisn01, Twitter
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Neolab, Guardian.co.uk
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Anamatronix, Youtube
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Z-factor, Twitter.
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Esme Folley, Actress, cellist, Twitter
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Lucinda Locketts, Twitter
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Anonymous, The Northfield Patriot
Joskins, Leeds Music Forum
Joskins, Leeds Music Forum
Danazawa, Youtube
Danazawa, Youtube
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Lenny Darksphere, Twitter
NevW47479, UKTV.co.uk
NevW47479, UKTV.co.uk
Syhr, breakbeat.co.uk
Syhr, breakbeat.co.uk
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A D Ward, Twitter
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Clampdown59, Twitter.
FBC, finalgear.com
FBC, finalgear.com
Spanner, dontstartmeoff.com
Spanner, dontstartmeoff.com
Fowkes81, Twitter
Fowkes81, Twitter
Deepbass, Guardian.co.uk
Deepbass, Guardian.co.uk
Tweeterkiryakou, Twitter
Tweeterkiryakou, Twitter
Richard Herring, Comedian
Richard Herring, Comedian
Joe, Independent.co.uk
Joe, Independent.co.uk
12dgdgdgdgdgdg, Youtube
12dgdgdgdgdgdg, Youtube
Rudeness, Youtube
Rudeness, Youtube
Carla, St Albans, Dailymail.co.uk
Carla, St Albans, Dailymail.co.uk
Genghis McKahn, Guardian.co.uk
Genghis McKahn, Guardian.co.uk
Cojones2, Guardian.co.uk
Cojones2, Guardian.co.uk
Guest, Dontstartmeoff.com
Guest, Dontstartmeoff.com
Guest1001, Youtube
Guest1001, Youtube
Frankie Boyle, Comedian
Frankie Boyle, Comedian
Borathigh5, Youtube
Borathigh5, Youtube
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Etienne, Chortle.com
Anon, westhamonline.com
Anon, westhamonline.com
World Without End, Twitter
World Without End, Twitter
General Lurko 36, Guardian.co.uk
General Lurko 36, Guardian.co.uk
Tres Ryan, Twitter
Tres Ryan, Twitter
Pirate Crocodile, Twitter
Pirate Crocodile, Twitter
Peter Ould, Youtube
Peter Ould, Youtube
Carcrazychica, Youtube
Carcrazychica, Youtube
BBC iPlayer edition of discussion of Stewart Lee on A Good Read
BBC iPlayer edition of discussion of Stewart Lee on A Good Read
Stuart, Chortle
Stuart, Chortle
Anon, BBC Complaints Log
Anon, BBC Complaints Log
Patrick Kavanagh, Guardian.co.uk
Patrick Kavanagh, Guardian.co.uk
Brighton Argus
Brighton Argus
Aaron, comedy.co.uk
Aaron, comedy.co.uk
Aiden Hearn, Twitter
Aiden Hearn, Twitter
Rubyshoes, Twitter
Rubyshoes, Twitter
Microcuts 22, Twitter
Microcuts 22, Twitter
Meanstreetelite, Peoplesrepublicofcork
Meanstreetelite, Peoplesrepublicofcork
Al Murray, Comedian
Al Murray, Comedian
Mearecate, Youtube
Mearecate, Youtube
Pudabaya, Twitter
Pudabaya, Twitter
Dahoum, Guardian.co.uk
Dahoum, Guardian.co.uk
Sweeping Curves, Twitter
Sweeping Curves, Twitter
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Whoiscuriousgeorge, Youtube
Meninblack, Twitter
Meninblack, Twitter
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Someoneyoudon'tknow, Chortle.com
Gabrielle, Chortle.com
Gabrielle, Chortle.com
Anonymous, don'tstartmeoff.com
Anonymous, don'tstartmeoff.com
Dominic Cavendish, Daily Telegraph
Dominic Cavendish, Daily Telegraph
Peter Fears, Twitter
Peter Fears, Twitter
Alex Quarmby, Edfringe.com
Alex Quarmby, Edfringe.com
Peter Ould, Twitter
Peter Ould, Twitter
Tin Frog, Twitter
Tin Frog, Twitter
Tokyofist, Youtube
Tokyofist, Youtube
Dave Wilson, Chortle.com
Dave Wilson, Chortle.com
Neva2busy, dontstartmeoff.com
Neva2busy, dontstartmeoff.com