Stewart Lee’s comedy vehicle looks like a clown car.
His show appears to be a stand-up gig in a nightclub, with added sketches, and Stewart Lee himself looks like a middle-aged man in a suit that’s straining at the buttons. It’s not a comedy suit though, like Harry Hill’s trademark collars.
It’s more like the suit of a man who was surprised to find his old jacket didn’t fit any more but decided there was no point in buying a new one because he’s been the same size all of his life.
I mention the suit because Stewart Lee, who went from Fist Of Fun to penning Jerry Springer The Opera, is 40 now. A difficult age when, if he’s not careful, stand-up patter starts to sound like a one-man edition of Grumpy Old Men – or just plain envy.
Each week on his show Lee will be bitching about something. Tonight, it’s books – specifically celebrity hardbacks, the tragic lives genre, Dan Brown – whatever sells by the shed-load.
Reading between the lines, Lee might just be really peeved that his own debut novel didn’t match the dizzying sales figures enjoyed by the likes of Chris Moyles or Jeremy Clarkson. No wonder he can’t stick Harry Potter.
“I’ve read the complete works of the romantic poet and visionary William Blake!” he blurts out at one point. You half-expect him to grab the cameraman by the lapels and scream: “I went to Oxford!!”
Fortunately, most of the time, Lee is very funny. As funny as Moyles though?
Watch and decide for yourself.
Microcuts 22, Twitter
Microcuts 22, Twitter
Rubyshoes, Twitter
Rubyshoes, Twitter
Al Murray, Comedian
Al Murray, Comedian
Rudeness, Youtube
Rudeness, Youtube
Len Firewood, Twitter
Len Firewood, Twitter
Bosco239, youtube
Bosco239, youtube
Rowing Rob, Guardian.co.uk
Rowing Rob, Guardian.co.uk
Z-factor, Twitter.
Z-factor, Twitter.
NevW47479, UKTV.co.uk
NevW47479, UKTV.co.uk
Hiewy, Youtube
Hiewy, Youtube
John Robins, Comedian
John Robins, Comedian
Tres Ryan, Twitter
Tres Ryan, Twitter
Maninabananasuit, Guardian.co.uk
Maninabananasuit, Guardian.co.uk
Dominic Cavendish, Daily Telegraph
Dominic Cavendish, Daily Telegraph
Joskins, Leeds Music Forum
Joskins, Leeds Music Forum
Nicetime, Guardian.co.uk
Nicetime, Guardian.co.uk
Tweeterkiryakou, Twitter
Tweeterkiryakou, Twitter
Dahoum, Guardian.co.uk
Dahoum, Guardian.co.uk
Guest1001, Youtube
Guest1001, Youtube
Esme Folley, Actress, cellist, Twitter
Esme Folley, Actress, cellist, Twitter
Spanner, dontstartmeoff.com
Spanner, dontstartmeoff.com
Lucinda Locketts, Twitter
Lucinda Locketts, Twitter
DVDhth's grandparents, Twitter
DVDhth's grandparents, Twitter
Whoiscuriousgeorge, Youtube
Whoiscuriousgeorge, Youtube
Contrapuntal, Twitter
Contrapuntal, Twitter
Peter Ould, Twitter
Peter Ould, Twitter
General Lurko 36, Guardian.co.uk
General Lurko 36, Guardian.co.uk
Lee Mack, Mack The Life, 2012
Lee Mack, Mack The Life, 2012
Aaron, comedy.co.uk
Aaron, comedy.co.uk
Fairy Pingu, Twitter
Fairy Pingu, Twitter
Lenny Darksphere, Twitter
Lenny Darksphere, Twitter
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Karen Laidlaw, Edfringe. com.
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Funday’schild, youtube.
Cabluigi, Guardian.co.uk
Cabluigi, Guardian.co.uk
Neva2busy, dontstartmeoff.com
Neva2busy, dontstartmeoff.com
Guest, Dontstartmeoff.com
Guest, Dontstartmeoff.com
Stokeylitfest, Twitter
Stokeylitfest, Twitter
Syhr, breakbeat.co.uk
Syhr, breakbeat.co.uk
Leach Juice, Twitter
Leach Juice, Twitter
Anon, westhamonline.com
Anon, westhamonline.com
Johnny Kitkat, dontstartmeoff.com
Johnny Kitkat, dontstartmeoff.com
Anon, dontstartmeoff.com
Anon, dontstartmeoff.com
Gmanthedemon, bbc.co.uk
Gmanthedemon, bbc.co.uk
Emilyistrendy, Youtube
Emilyistrendy, Youtube
Joycey, readytogo.net
Joycey, readytogo.net
Shit Crit, Twitter
Shit Crit, Twitter
Clampdown59, Twitter.
Clampdown59, Twitter.
Genghis McKahn, Guardian.co.uk
Genghis McKahn, Guardian.co.uk
Carla, St Albans, Dailymail.co.uk
Carla, St Albans, Dailymail.co.uk
Deepbass, Guardian.co.uk
Deepbass, Guardian.co.uk
Mpf1947, Youtube
Mpf1947, Youtube
Kozzy06, Youtube
Kozzy06, Youtube
Coxy, Dontstartmeoff.com
Coxy, Dontstartmeoff.com
Dominic Cavendish, Telegraph
Dominic Cavendish, Telegraph
Pudabaya, beexcellenttoeachother.com
Pudabaya, beexcellenttoeachother.com
Robert Gavin, Twitter
Robert Gavin, Twitter
Anonymous, don'tstartmeoff.com
Anonymous, don'tstartmeoff.com
Anonymous, The Northfield Patriot
Anonymous, The Northfield Patriot
Lancethrustworthy, Youtube
Lancethrustworthy, Youtube
Wharto15, Twitter
Wharto15, Twitter
Sidsings000, Youtube
Sidsings000, Youtube
Alex Quarmby, Edfringe.com
Alex Quarmby, Edfringe.com
Brighton Argus
Brighton Argus
Mrdavisn01, Twitter
Mrdavisn01, Twitter
Lents, redandwhitekop.com
Lents, redandwhitekop.com
Secretdeveloper, Youtube
Secretdeveloper, Youtube
Etienne, Chortle.com
Etienne, Chortle.com
Carcrazychica, Youtube
Carcrazychica, Youtube
Sweeping Curves, Twitter
Sweeping Curves, Twitter
Anamatronix, Youtube
Anamatronix, Youtube
Cyberbloke, Twitter
Cyberbloke, Twitter
Ishamayura Byrd, Twitter
Ishamayura Byrd, Twitter
Jamespearse, Twitter
Jamespearse, Twitter
Richard Herring, Comedian
Richard Herring, Comedian
Peter Fears, Twitter
Peter Fears, Twitter
A D Ward, Twitter
A D Ward, Twitter
Visualiser1, Twitter
Visualiser1, Twitter
Borathigh5, Youtube
Borathigh5, Youtube
Gwaites, Digitalspy
Gwaites, Digitalspy
Anon, BBC Complaints Log
Anon, BBC Complaints Log
Tweeter Kyriakou, Twitter
Tweeter Kyriakou, Twitter
Fowkes81, Twitter
Fowkes81, Twitter
98rosjon, Twitter
98rosjon, Twitter
Yukio Mishima, dontstartmeoff.com
Yukio Mishima, dontstartmeoff.com
Someoneyoudon'tknow, Chortle.com
Someoneyoudon'tknow, Chortle.com
Patrick Kavanagh, Guardian.co.uk
Patrick Kavanagh, Guardian.co.uk
Birmingham Sunday Mercury
Birmingham Sunday Mercury
Stuart, Chortle
Stuart, Chortle
Mearecate, Youtube
Mearecate, Youtube
Pirate Crocodile, Twitter
Pirate Crocodile, Twitter
Meanstreetelite, Peoplesrepublicofcork
Meanstreetelite, Peoplesrepublicofcork
Peter Ould, Youtube
Peter Ould, Youtube
Tin Frog, Twitter
Tin Frog, Twitter
Neolab, Guardian.co.uk
Neolab, Guardian.co.uk
Sam Rooney, Youtube
Sam Rooney, Youtube
Tokyofist, Youtube
Tokyofist, Youtube
Gabrielle, Chortle.com
Gabrielle, Chortle.com
Mini-x2, readytogo.net
Mini-x2, readytogo.net
Danazawa, Youtube
Danazawa, Youtube
Idrie, Youtube
Idrie, Youtube
Joe, Independent.co.uk
Joe, Independent.co.uk
Frankie Boyle, Comedian
Frankie Boyle, Comedian
Alwyn, Digiguide.tv
Alwyn, Digiguide.tv
Keilloh, Twitter
Keilloh, Twitter
Zombie Hamster, Twitter
Zombie Hamster, Twitter
Chez, Chortle.com
Chez, Chortle.com
Iain, eatenbymissionaries
Iain, eatenbymissionaries
Horatio Melvin, Twitter
Horatio Melvin, Twitter
FBC, finalgear.com
FBC, finalgear.com
Bobby Bhoy, Twitter
Bobby Bhoy, Twitter
Pudabaya, Twitter
Pudabaya, Twitter
Shane, Beverley, Dailymail.co.uk
Shane, Beverley, Dailymail.co.uk
Liam Travitt, Twitter
Liam Travitt, Twitter
Meninblack, Twitter
Meninblack, Twitter
Dick Socrates, Twitter
Dick Socrates, Twitter
Dave Wilson, Chortle.com
Dave Wilson, Chortle.com
Cojones2, Guardian.co.uk
Cojones2, Guardian.co.uk
Brendon, Vauxhallownersnetwork.co.uk
Brendon, Vauxhallownersnetwork.co.uk
Foxfoxton, Youtube
Foxfoxton, Youtube
Jackmumf, Twitter
Jackmumf, Twitter
Aiden Hearn, Twitter
Aiden Hearn, Twitter
World Without End, Twitter
World Without End, 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
James Dellingpole, Daily Telegraph
James Dellingpole, Daily Telegraph
GRTak, finalgear.com
GRTak, finalgear.com
12dgdgdgdgdgdg, Youtube
12dgdgdgdgdgdg, Youtube
Henry Howard Fun, Twitter
Henry Howard Fun, Twitter
Pnethor, pne-online.com
Pnethor, pne-online.com
Slothy Matt, Twitter
Slothy Matt, Twitter