Few contemporary comics divide opinion like Stewart Lee. For long-time fans and comedy obsessives, he is touched by genius, a maverick whose deep-rooted fascination with comedy lies in seeing how far he can stretch the boundaries of the form while still making an audience laugh. For those who prefer a more obvious strike rate of gags per minute, he “doesn’t have any jokes”, a criticism Lee sends up by announcing that he has included three “jokes” in this new touring show.
Charity, Adrian Chiles (“a Toby jug that has somehow learned to speak”) and the government are his three principal themes here, but as ever he manages to wrong-foot his audience by making you question what exactly you are laughing at almost before the laugh has left your lips. After a crude line about teenage mothers, he remarks: “I’ve been told I could sell that joke to Mock the Week – it shows the requisite level of contempt for the poor.”
It’s not his only shot at the programme, and the particular contemptuous brand of humour it has popularised, but his real target throughout is the public’s unquestioning compliance with what we are fed by the media, advertisers and spin doctors. He illustrates this with an anecdote about his own encounter with the Bullingdon Club during his Oxford days.
His style of nuanced repetition won’t please everyone, but Lee is a true original, embodying the spirit of the Shakespearean fool; his jests conceal a sharp-eyed wisdom that might just make you revise the way you look at the world.
Jamespearse, Twitter
Jamespearse, Twitter
Whoiscuriousgeorge, Youtube
Whoiscuriousgeorge, Youtube
Emilyistrendy, Youtube
Emilyistrendy, Youtube
Yukio Mishima, dontstartmeoff.com
Yukio Mishima, dontstartmeoff.com
Lucinda Locketts, Twitter
Lucinda Locketts, Twitter
Etienne, Chortle.com
Etienne, Chortle.com
Aiden Hearn, Twitter
Aiden Hearn, Twitter
Idrie, Youtube
Idrie, Youtube
Meninblack, Twitter
Meninblack, Twitter
Esme Folley, Actress, cellist, Twitter
Esme Folley, Actress, cellist, Twitter
Syhr, breakbeat.co.uk
Syhr, breakbeat.co.uk
Shit Crit, Twitter
Shit Crit, Twitter
Rubyshoes, Twitter
Rubyshoes, Twitter
Brendon, Vauxhallownersnetwork.co.uk
Brendon, Vauxhallownersnetwork.co.uk
Peter Fears, Twitter
Peter Fears, Twitter
Fairy Pingu, Twitter
Fairy Pingu, Twitter
Mini-x2, readytogo.net
Mini-x2, readytogo.net
Lancethrustworthy, Youtube
Lancethrustworthy, Youtube
Liam Travitt, Twitter
Liam Travitt, Twitter
Someoneyoudon'tknow, Chortle.com
Someoneyoudon'tknow, Chortle.com
Meanstreetelite, Peoplesrepublicofcork
Meanstreetelite, Peoplesrepublicofcork
Anonymous, The Northfield Patriot
Anonymous, The Northfield Patriot
Birmingham Sunday Mercury
Birmingham Sunday Mercury
Ishamayura Byrd, Twitter
Ishamayura Byrd, Twitter
Len Firewood, Twitter
Len Firewood, Twitter
Johnny Kitkat, dontstartmeoff.com
Johnny Kitkat, dontstartmeoff.com
Lenny Darksphere, Twitter
Lenny Darksphere, Twitter
Contrapuntal, Twitter
Contrapuntal, 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
Coxy, Dontstartmeoff.com
Coxy, Dontstartmeoff.com
Alex Quarmby, Edfringe.com
Alex Quarmby, Edfringe.com
Z-factor, Twitter.
Z-factor, Twitter.
Cabluigi, Guardian.co.uk
Cabluigi, Guardian.co.uk
GRTak, finalgear.com
GRTak, finalgear.com
Funday’schild, youtube.
Funday’schild, youtube.
World Without End, Twitter
World Without End, Twitter
Leach Juice, Twitter
Leach Juice, Twitter
Clampdown59, Twitter.
Clampdown59, Twitter.
NevW47479, UKTV.co.uk
NevW47479, UKTV.co.uk
James Dellingpole, Daily Telegraph
James Dellingpole, Daily Telegraph
John Robins, Comedian
John Robins, Comedian
Robert Gavin, Twitter
Robert Gavin, Twitter
Mrdavisn01, Twitter
Mrdavisn01, Twitter
Horatio Melvin, Twitter
Horatio Melvin, Twitter
Joskins, Leeds Music Forum
Joskins, Leeds Music Forum
Anon, dontstartmeoff.com
Anon, dontstartmeoff.com
Sam Rooney, Youtube
Sam Rooney, Youtube
Peter Ould, Youtube
Peter Ould, Youtube
Hiewy, Youtube
Hiewy, Youtube
Fowkes81, Twitter
Fowkes81, Twitter
Anon, BBC Complaints Log
Anon, BBC Complaints Log
Keilloh, Twitter
Keilloh, Twitter
Mearecate, Youtube
Mearecate, Youtube
Pirate Crocodile, Twitter
Pirate Crocodile, Twitter
Gmanthedemon, bbc.co.uk
Gmanthedemon, bbc.co.uk
Mpf1947, Youtube
Mpf1947, Youtube
Pnethor, pne-online.com
Pnethor, pne-online.com
Tweeter Kyriakou, Twitter
Tweeter Kyriakou, Twitter
Peter Ould, Twitter
Peter Ould, Twitter
Jackmumf, Twitter
Jackmumf, Twitter
Guest1001, Youtube
Guest1001, Youtube
Guest, Dontstartmeoff.com
Guest, Dontstartmeoff.com
Shane, Beverley, Dailymail.co.uk
Shane, Beverley, Dailymail.co.uk
Neolab, Guardian.co.uk
Neolab, Guardian.co.uk
Pudabaya, Twitter
Pudabaya, Twitter
Bobby Bhoy, Twitter
Bobby Bhoy, Twitter
Deepbass, Guardian.co.uk
Deepbass, Guardian.co.uk
Nicetime, Guardian.co.uk
Nicetime, Guardian.co.uk
A D Ward, Twitter
A D Ward, Twitter
Cojones2, Guardian.co.uk
Cojones2, Guardian.co.uk
FBC, finalgear.com
FBC, finalgear.com
Kozzy06, Youtube
Kozzy06, Youtube
Henry Howard Fun, Twitter
Henry Howard Fun, Twitter
98rosjon, Twitter
98rosjon, Twitter
Carcrazychica, Youtube
Carcrazychica, Youtube
Al Murray, Comedian
Al Murray, Comedian
Danazawa, Youtube
Danazawa, Youtube
Rudeness, Youtube
Rudeness, Youtube
Aaron, comedy.co.uk
Aaron, comedy.co.uk
Zombie Hamster, Twitter
Zombie Hamster, Twitter
Foxfoxton, Youtube
Foxfoxton, Youtube
Borathigh5, Youtube
Borathigh5, Youtube
Anamatronix, Youtube
Anamatronix, Youtube
12dgdgdgdgdgdg, Youtube
12dgdgdgdgdgdg, Youtube
Carla, St Albans, Dailymail.co.uk
Carla, St Albans, Dailymail.co.uk
Frankie Boyle, Comedian
Frankie Boyle, Comedian
Cyberbloke, Twitter
Cyberbloke, Twitter
Stokeylitfest, Twitter
Stokeylitfest, Twitter
General Lurko 36, Guardian.co.uk
General Lurko 36, Guardian.co.uk
Rowing Rob, Guardian.co.uk
Rowing Rob, Guardian.co.uk
Richard Herring, Comedian
Richard Herring, Comedian
Gabrielle, Chortle.com
Gabrielle, Chortle.com
Spanner, dontstartmeoff.com
Spanner, dontstartmeoff.com
Gwaites, Digitalspy
Gwaites, Digitalspy
Neva2busy, dontstartmeoff.com
Neva2busy, dontstartmeoff.com
Dominic Cavendish, Telegraph
Dominic Cavendish, Telegraph
Chez, Chortle.com
Chez, Chortle.com
Tin Frog, Twitter
Tin Frog, Twitter
Dominic Cavendish, Daily Telegraph
Dominic Cavendish, Daily Telegraph
Tweeterkiryakou, Twitter
Tweeterkiryakou, Twitter
Tres Ryan, Twitter
Tres Ryan, Twitter
Dave Wilson, Chortle.com
Dave Wilson, Chortle.com
Dick Socrates, Twitter
Dick Socrates, Twitter
Sweeping Curves, Twitter
Sweeping Curves, Twitter
Anon, westhamonline.com
Anon, westhamonline.com
Tokyofist, Youtube
Tokyofist, Youtube
Bosco239, youtube
Bosco239, youtube
Lents, redandwhitekop.com
Lents, redandwhitekop.com
Dahoum, Guardian.co.uk
Dahoum, Guardian.co.uk
Pudabaya, beexcellenttoeachother.com
Pudabaya, beexcellenttoeachother.com
Joycey, readytogo.net
Joycey, readytogo.net
Maninabananasuit, Guardian.co.uk
Maninabananasuit, Guardian.co.uk
Iain, eatenbymissionaries
Iain, eatenbymissionaries
Brighton Argus
Brighton Argus
Slothy Matt, Twitter
Slothy Matt, Twitter
Joe, Independent.co.uk
Joe, Independent.co.uk
Secretdeveloper, Youtube
Secretdeveloper, Youtube
Stuart, Chortle
Stuart, Chortle
DVDhth's grandparents, Twitter
DVDhth's grandparents, Twitter
Patrick Kavanagh, Guardian.co.uk
Patrick Kavanagh, Guardian.co.uk
Anonymous, don'tstartmeoff.com
Anonymous, don'tstartmeoff.com
Lee Mack, Mack The Life, 2012
Lee Mack, Mack The Life, 2012
Wharto15, Twitter
Wharto15, Twitter
Karen Laidlaw, Edfringe. com.
Karen Laidlaw, Edfringe. com.
Microcuts 22, Twitter
Microcuts 22, Twitter
Visualiser1, Twitter
Visualiser1, Twitter
Alwyn, Digiguide.tv
Alwyn, Digiguide.tv
Genghis McKahn, Guardian.co.uk
Genghis McKahn, Guardian.co.uk
Sidsings000, Youtube
Sidsings000, Youtube