“People say I don’t have any jokes,” says Stewart Lee in his new show – then sends up his supposed inability to crack a gag. But don’t be fooled. Lee’s entire act is a joke: if his lips are moving, he’s not being serious. What’s unique is his nimbleness in keeping a step ahead of our sense of what kind of joke he’s telling. It’s often funny, but at any given point, it’s deviously unclear what we’re laughing at. Adrian Chiles, or Lee’s juvenile dislike of Adrian Chiles? Russell Howard, or the corrupting pact between charity and celebrity? David Cameron, or our poor, benighted selves?
The latter sequence is an extreme example of Lee’s shtick – extreme, because his shaggy dog story about hobnobbing with Cameron at university intrigues, but hardly amuses. The routine starts by invoking the leftie agit-comedy of the 1980s. But this yarn, which subtly sends up Britain’s romance with the supposedly detoxified Tories – Lee even sings a Bullingdon Club guitar ballad – heralds a new brand of political standup, which meets 21st-century politics on its chosen battleground: character and emotion rather than reason and policy.
The earlier material is out-and-out funnier. There’s a dopey riff about Lee’s granddad, obsessed with crisps and assailed by Godzilla’s adversary Mothra. And a penetrating segment on charity, which digs into the cultural fallout when our most celebrated benefactors are also purveyors of snide gags on panel shows; whether that’s hilarious or tragic is up to you. Rather than marshal us to the laugh, Lee lets it ebb and flow – now within reach, now just without – on the tide of his insistent, repetitious delivery. This is satire as neuro-linguistic programming, like a relaxation tape with gremlins, worming Lee’s scorched-idealist worldview round the funny bone, and right into the subconscious.
Guest1001, Youtube
Guest1001, Youtube
Anon, dontstartmeoff.com
Anon, dontstartmeoff.com
Neva2busy, dontstartmeoff.com
Neva2busy, dontstartmeoff.com
Cojones2, Guardian.co.uk
Cojones2, Guardian.co.uk
Frankie Boyle, Comedian
Frankie Boyle, Comedian
Mpf1947, Youtube
Mpf1947, Youtube
Funday’schild, youtube.
Funday’schild, youtube.
Len Firewood, Twitter
Len Firewood, Twitter
Emilyistrendy, Youtube
Emilyistrendy, Youtube
Peter Fears, Twitter
Peter Fears, Twitter
Bosco239, youtube
Bosco239, youtube
Rowing Rob, Guardian.co.uk
Rowing Rob, Guardian.co.uk
Pirate Crocodile, Twitter
Pirate Crocodile, Twitter
Mrdavisn01, Twitter
Mrdavisn01, Twitter
Meninblack, Twitter
Meninblack, Twitter
Tin Frog, Twitter
Tin Frog, Twitter
Esme Folley, Actress, cellist, Twitter
Esme Folley, Actress, cellist, Twitter
Anon, BBC Complaints Log
Anon, BBC Complaints Log
Lenny Darksphere, Twitter
Lenny Darksphere, Twitter
Aaron, comedy.co.uk
Aaron, comedy.co.uk
Chez, Chortle.com
Chez, Chortle.com
Johnny Kitkat, dontstartmeoff.com
Johnny Kitkat, dontstartmeoff.com
Syhr, breakbeat.co.uk
Syhr, breakbeat.co.uk
Anonymous, The Northfield Patriot
Anonymous, The Northfield Patriot
Mini-x2, readytogo.net
Mini-x2, readytogo.net
Bobby Bhoy, Twitter
Bobby Bhoy, Twitter
Cyberbloke, Twitter
Cyberbloke, Twitter
Anonymous, don'tstartmeoff.com
Anonymous, don'tstartmeoff.com
Liam Travitt, Twitter
Liam Travitt, Twitter
James Dellingpole, Daily Telegraph
James Dellingpole, Daily Telegraph
Richard Herring, Comedian
Richard Herring, Comedian
Zombie Hamster, Twitter
Zombie Hamster, Twitter
Tokyofist, Youtube
Tokyofist, Youtube
Carla, St Albans, Dailymail.co.uk
Carla, St Albans, Dailymail.co.uk
Al Murray, Comedian
Al Murray, Comedian
Lucinda Locketts, Twitter
Lucinda Locketts, Twitter
Nicetime, Guardian.co.uk
Nicetime, Guardian.co.uk
Leach Juice, Twitter
Leach Juice, Twitter
Danazawa, Youtube
Danazawa, Youtube
Henry Howard Fun, Twitter
Henry Howard Fun, Twitter
12dgdgdgdgdgdg, Youtube
12dgdgdgdgdgdg, Youtube
FBC, finalgear.com
FBC, finalgear.com
Genghis McKahn, Guardian.co.uk
Genghis McKahn, Guardian.co.uk
Rudeness, Youtube
Rudeness, Youtube
Birmingham Sunday Mercury
Birmingham Sunday Mercury
Fowkes81, Twitter
Fowkes81, Twitter
Alwyn, Digiguide.tv
Alwyn, Digiguide.tv
Coxy, Dontstartmeoff.com
Coxy, Dontstartmeoff.com
Slothy Matt, Twitter
Slothy Matt, Twitter
Neolab, Guardian.co.uk
Neolab, Guardian.co.uk
Pnethor, pne-online.com
Pnethor, pne-online.com
Patrick Kavanagh, Guardian.co.uk
Patrick Kavanagh, Guardian.co.uk
Mearecate, Youtube
Mearecate, Youtube
Brighton Argus
Brighton Argus
Someoneyoudon'tknow, Chortle.com
Someoneyoudon'tknow, Chortle.com
Peter Ould, Twitter
Peter Ould, Twitter
Ishamayura Byrd, Twitter
Ishamayura Byrd, Twitter
Clampdown59, Twitter.
Clampdown59, Twitter.
Rubyshoes, Twitter
Rubyshoes, Twitter
A D Ward, Twitter
A D Ward, Twitter
Contrapuntal, Twitter
Contrapuntal, Twitter
Sweeping Curves, Twitter
Sweeping Curves, Twitter
Spanner, dontstartmeoff.com
Spanner, dontstartmeoff.com
98rosjon, Twitter
98rosjon, Twitter
Shane, Beverley, Dailymail.co.uk
Shane, Beverley, Dailymail.co.uk
Dominic Cavendish, Daily Telegraph
Dominic Cavendish, Daily Telegraph
Z-factor, Twitter.
Z-factor, Twitter.
Joe, Independent.co.uk
Joe, Independent.co.uk
Maninabananasuit, Guardian.co.uk
Maninabananasuit, Guardian.co.uk
DVDhth's grandparents, Twitter
DVDhth's grandparents, Twitter
Tweeter Kyriakou, Twitter
Tweeter Kyriakou, Twitter
Lents, redandwhitekop.com
Lents, redandwhitekop.com
Cabluigi, Guardian.co.uk
Cabluigi, Guardian.co.uk
Karen Laidlaw, Edfringe. com.
Karen Laidlaw, Edfringe. com.
Stuart, Chortle
Stuart, Chortle
Borathigh5, Youtube
Borathigh5, Youtube
Tweeterkiryakou, Twitter
Tweeterkiryakou, Twitter
Gwaites, Digitalspy
Gwaites, Digitalspy
Anamatronix, Youtube
Anamatronix, Youtube
Sidsings000, Youtube
Sidsings000, Youtube
Dave Wilson, Chortle.com
Dave Wilson, Chortle.com
Pudabaya, Twitter
Pudabaya, 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
Horatio Melvin, Twitter
Horatio Melvin, Twitter
General Lurko 36, Guardian.co.uk
General Lurko 36, Guardian.co.uk
Kozzy06, Youtube
Kozzy06, Youtube
World Without End, Twitter
World Without End, Twitter
Dominic Cavendish, Telegraph
Dominic Cavendish, Telegraph
Tres Ryan, Twitter
Tres Ryan, Twitter
Idrie, Youtube
Idrie, Youtube
Robert Gavin, Twitter
Robert Gavin, Twitter
Pudabaya, beexcellenttoeachother.com
Pudabaya, beexcellenttoeachother.com
Aiden Hearn, Twitter
Aiden Hearn, Twitter
Foxfoxton, Youtube
Foxfoxton, Youtube
Stokeylitfest, Twitter
Stokeylitfest, Twitter
Fairy Pingu, Twitter
Fairy Pingu, Twitter
Iain, eatenbymissionaries
Iain, eatenbymissionaries
Anon, westhamonline.com
Anon, westhamonline.com
Lee Mack, Mack The Life, 2012
Lee Mack, Mack The Life, 2012
GRTak, finalgear.com
GRTak, finalgear.com
Keilloh, Twitter
Keilloh, Twitter
Meanstreetelite, Peoplesrepublicofcork
Meanstreetelite, Peoplesrepublicofcork
Dahoum, Guardian.co.uk
Dahoum, Guardian.co.uk
Sam Rooney, Youtube
Sam Rooney, Youtube
Gmanthedemon, bbc.co.uk
Gmanthedemon, bbc.co.uk
Yukio Mishima, dontstartmeoff.com
Yukio Mishima, dontstartmeoff.com
Lancethrustworthy, Youtube
Lancethrustworthy, Youtube
John Robins, Comedian
John Robins, Comedian
Alex Quarmby, Edfringe.com
Alex Quarmby, Edfringe.com
Peter Ould, Youtube
Peter Ould, Youtube
Joskins, Leeds Music Forum
Joskins, Leeds Music Forum
Joycey, readytogo.net
Joycey, readytogo.net
Dick Socrates, Twitter
Dick Socrates, Twitter
Guest, Dontstartmeoff.com
Guest, Dontstartmeoff.com
Hiewy, Youtube
Hiewy, Youtube
Visualiser1, Twitter
Visualiser1, Twitter
Jackmumf, Twitter
Jackmumf, Twitter
Jamespearse, Twitter
Jamespearse, Twitter
Microcuts 22, Twitter
Microcuts 22, Twitter
Wharto15, Twitter
Wharto15, Twitter
Gabrielle, Chortle.com
Gabrielle, Chortle.com
Secretdeveloper, Youtube
Secretdeveloper, Youtube
Carcrazychica, Youtube
Carcrazychica, Youtube
Deepbass, Guardian.co.uk
Deepbass, Guardian.co.uk
Brendon, Vauxhallownersnetwork.co.uk
Brendon, Vauxhallownersnetwork.co.uk
Etienne, Chortle.com
Etienne, Chortle.com
Whoiscuriousgeorge, Youtube
Whoiscuriousgeorge, Youtube
NevW47479, UKTV.co.uk
NevW47479, UKTV.co.uk
Shit Crit, Twitter
Shit Crit, Twitter