HOW THATCHER cutbacks affected Scooby-Doo. The disturbing realities of worlds actually made of leather or the abstract noun ‘golf’. Welcome to the weird and wonderful mind of Stewart Lee.
The stand-up’s latest show is based on the premise that, as a cynical, middle-aged touring comedian and father of young children, he doesn’t have much time to get inspired. But this was certainly the best two hours of stand-up about having nothing to say that you could ever hope for.
Now a veteran performer 25 years into his comedy career, Lee’s recent Bafta win was thoroughly deserved, and the audience in “pirate town” (Poole) were in constant fits of laughter throughout.
His self-described fake spontaneity was captivating as he ranted about Twitter (“state surveillance staffed by gullible volunteers”) or got huge laughs from brilliantly timed, awkward silences.
This is a well-practised routine that plays out in much the same way from town to town, but his seemingly off-the-cuff ire was entirely convincing – from laments about the number of empty seats to the audience’s habit of going out for toilet breaks.
Let’s hope he shares that weird and wonderful mind with Poole again sometime soon.
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