Our hero stumbles onto the stage with a pint, bundle of A4 with unkept hair and grey beard (Julian Assange has let himself go…..Father Abraham from The Smurfs has let himself go…..) for this hastily scheduled Work In Progress show for his Work In Progress show at the weekend. He later reveals that a visit to the doctors earlier that day produced an offer of ‘seated activities for the over 50s’ and the enquiry “have you got someone to look after you at home?”
In the autumn thru spring Stew will have his regular several month residency at the Leicester Square Theatre with ‘Snowflake-Tornado’ and some of the material from this first gig might well appear. So I’m not going to spoil it. An obscure reference garners a response which he hopes will also work in audiences of more than the 60 people crammed into this hot room at 6pm on a Friday in May.
His first sketches of a hour long comedy set are better than some stand ups entire career. Will be fascinating to see how it is honed and perfected between now and October but it went down a storm tonight with Stew wondering “what if this is the best this material ever goes in front of an audience?”
He ends with an ancient piece of material although being Stewart Lee he can’t help but bring his surreal edge to revisiting a comic idea. The whole set obviously has a nervous energy and spontaneity (both planned and genuine) with less of the pausing and chiding of the audience that we’re used to but that only adds to the intensity of the gag rate. Its a genuine treat to see an unpolished but still sparkling diamond this close up
BTW I am sufficiently knowledgeable about the art of comedy to review Stewart Lee but I know funny when I see it
The audience:
Hardcore fans who happened to read an email quick enough to get tickets
It made me think..
Haven’t laughed til it hurt like that in ages. Those moments where you have to remember to breathe and just find yourself involuntarily physically convulsing from a comic idea – that’s magic
Lucinda Locketts, Twitter
Lucinda Locketts, Twitter
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Iain, eatenbymissionaries
World Without End, Twitter
World Without End, Twitter
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Yukio Mishima, dontstartmeoff.com
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NevW47479, UKTV.co.uk
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Peter Ould, Youtube
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Gmanthedemon, bbc.co.uk
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Genghis McKahn, Guardian.co.uk
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Fairy Pingu, Twitter
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Richard Herring, Comedian
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Alex Quarmby, Edfringe.com
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Dave Wilson, Chortle.com
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General Lurko 36, Guardian.co.uk
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Al Murray, Comedian
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Carla, St Albans, Dailymail.co.uk
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Peter Ould, Twitter
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Johnny Kitkat, dontstartmeoff.com
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Anon, westhamonline.com
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Rowing Rob, Guardian.co.uk
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DVDhth's grandparents, Twitter
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Lents, redandwhitekop.com
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Dominic Cavendish, Daily Telegraph
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Anonymous, don'tstartmeoff.com
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Maninabananasuit, Guardian.co.uk
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Aaron, comedy.co.uk
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Aiden Hearn, Twitter
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Etienne, Chortle.com
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Pirate Crocodile, Twitter
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Brighton Argus
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FBC, finalgear.com
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Dominic Cavendish, Telegraph
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Emilyistrendy, Youtube
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Anon, BBC Complaints Log
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Syhr, breakbeat.co.uk
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Pudabaya, Twitter
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Hiewy, Youtube
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Deepbass, Guardian.co.uk
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Kozzy06, Youtube
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Tweeter Kyriakou, Twitter
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Mpf1947, Youtube
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Anon, dontstartmeoff.com
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Neva2busy, dontstartmeoff.com
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Anonymous, The Northfield Patriot
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Peter Fears, Twitter
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Rubyshoes, Twitter
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Shit Crit, Twitter
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Birmingham Sunday Mercury
Brendon, Vauxhallownersnetwork.co.uk
Brendon, Vauxhallownersnetwork.co.uk
Sam Rooney, Youtube
Sam Rooney, Youtube
Horatio Melvin, Twitter
Horatio Melvin, 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
Alwyn, Digiguide.tv
Alwyn, Digiguide.tv
Joycey, readytogo.net
Joycey, readytogo.net
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Dick Socrates, Twitter
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Lee Mack, Mack The Life, 2012
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Sweeping Curves, Twitter
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Mini-x2, readytogo.net
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12dgdgdgdgdgdg, Youtube
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Nicetime, Guardian.co.uk
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Secretdeveloper, Youtube
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Joskins, Leeds Music Forum
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Gwaites, Digitalspy
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Ishamayura Byrd, Twitter
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Carcrazychica, Youtube
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Rudeness, Youtube
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Guest1001, Youtube
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Karen Laidlaw, Edfringe. com.
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Frankie Boyle, Comedian
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James Dellingpole, Daily Telegraph
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Len Firewood, Twitter
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Fowkes81, Twitter
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Borathigh5, Youtube
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Jamespearse, Twitter
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Liam Travitt, Twitter
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Tres Ryan, Twitter
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John Robins, Comedian
Patrick Kavanagh, Guardian.co.uk
Patrick Kavanagh, Guardian.co.uk
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Robert Gavin, Twitter