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Stewart Lee: Carpet Remnant World
Live Review
Leicester Square Theatre

Poor Stewart Lee. Despite BBC Two’s best efforts to conceal the second series of his stand-up show, he finds himself more popular than ever, attracting audiences big enough to sustain a residency in London’s Leicester Square Theatre from now until the middle of February.

But such success does not sit easy on Lee’s weary shoulders, and it gives rise to a new catchphrase. ‘It’s not aimed at you,’ he repeatedly tells the Jimmy Carr fans finding his way into his audience, desperately trying to deter all but his hardcore demographic.

It’s all part of the way Lee’s fractious, intransigent elitism has become as much of an in-joke as his curmudgeonly harrumphs at other comedians – a self-awareness that softens his ‘passive-aggressive monotony’ without compromising it.

Yet for all his avowed desire to return to the days when he played to a devout cabal of middle-aged liberals, the first section of Carpet Remnant World is perhaps some of his most accessible, as he offers his cantankerous take on big news stories such as the assassination of Bin Laden – even including a few actual jokes in the mix. But Lee’s take on topical comedy is nonetheless more complex than the material that makes it on to Mock The Week – as his distinctive, tongue-in-cheek, version of Frankie Boyle’s gag about the Queen’s ancient vagina proves.

Nor can he do observational comedy with quite the conviction of a Michael McIntyre. He tries with limited success – hence the material about shops with 'world' in their name – but eventually throws his hands up in defeat, acknowledging this is a fragmented, out-of-touch show. His life now involves only driving to gigs and looking after his four-year-old son.

In sarcastic commentary on fellow middle-aged comics, he has to concede that his viewpoint has drastically narrowed as the range of influences and experience shrinks to the mundanely domestic. After all, what comic could possibly find enough mileage in Scooby Doo And The Pirate Zombie Jungle Island to fill an extended routine?

Well, Lee could obviously. A gloriously self-referential rant about the ghost-hunting teenagers remains awkwardly funny while providing a sharp satire on the irrelevance of most comedy. It fits in with the ethos of the show in exposing the tricks of the modern stand-up trade, such as tear-jerking through lines or the structural devices to make disparate routines seems like they are true to a theme.

The next disparate routine here is a convincing argument about how the likes of Twitter have reduced us to a surveillance society, with his every move being noted and commented upon. It leads to a catalogue of viciously vitriolic abuse Lee has sustained by online trolls wishing him harm. He’s not the first comedian to have made capital from his critics, but it is very effective, set to a inappropriately relaxing jazz soundtrack.

Maybe parenthood has softened him a little, as Carpet Remnant World is less intense and less challenging than some of his more powerful shows – and less reliant on the repetition and pregnant pauses, too. But it’s no less funny, nor less thoughtful, for it – appealing both to both the comedy anoraks who are Lee’s core audience and, whisper it quietly, new converts. If all goes horribly wrong, this could make his fan base expand again.

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I generally enjoy the (very different) *performances* of both Stewart Lee and of Michael McIntyre. This said, I can't ever see myself watching MM live for reasons both relating to ticket price and to the size of the venues he performs in. I've now seen Stewart Lee maybe half a dozen times both in sub-200 seater venues and in a couple of the performance spaces at the Lowry. I agree that he is an acquired taste and for the most part I have really enjoyed what he has served up. However, he is now moving out of the price range that I'm comfortable with (£17-50 last year) AND I'm also becoming less comfortable with some of his targets; perceiving them to be somewhat mean-spirited and opportunistic. Those cleverer than I may say that I am missing the irony when he purports to mock Russell Howard or MM but I think this is something that is in the eye of the beholder. Right or wrong, to me it seems a tad lazy and unnecessary. And, although I know that Lee likes to show how he practices the craft, this year I found myself wondering as to, following his successive "revealing" tales regarding youthful faux interactions respectively involving Richard Hammond and David Cameron, just who he'd make up a story about next time. Even if the point remains valid, regardless of the accuracy of the described events... So, I can admire what they both do, and I'll watch them both on the telly and buy Stew's DVDs as I've always done, but for the reasons I've described, I'm unlikely to put myself in a paying audience to see either.

Ben, August 2011

He's a bit like a cheeky chubby version of Reg Varney who was on that television show about buses and he's got a twinkle in his eyes like a naughty Benny Hill.

Paul, July 2011

Comedy legend. An absolute master of the art form and one of the finest stand-up comedians on the circuit. Okay, so some people don't 'get' him. Well, I don't 'get' Michael McIntyre. Go figure.

Ben, July 2011

Stewart Lee is a comedy god. Literally. Most stand-ups I know actively worship him.

Alexx, June 2011

What people hate about Stewart Lee is that 1) He is a successful, popular but most of all widely respected and revered comic talent whose career credits include one of the best radio and then TV British comedies of all time and one of the best Theatre productions of all time – that is just not up for debate really, & 2) that he is an acquired taste or at least he requires a lot of trust from the audience in order to get the proper experience (He deserves this trust because he has been successful for so long and managed to stay subversive and innovative). Sometimes he is being genuinely funny and half the audience are not interested in that part of the routine, they are not going with it, so he draws attention to this. Now this is very daring and very innovative and it is good to see something innovative done by an experienced professional. He gets away with this but he really does infuriate some audience members who feel he is crossing a line or has blundered. When you watch him live you can feel there is a palpable air of tension in the room, but you always know with Stewar that there will be a payoff no matter how uncomfortable you might feel, and as he says its alright to feel uncomfortable, that is part of it. That is what I admire most his daring and that is why he has a right to be smug, because that level of command of the audience is very impressive. I find his comedy very warm and very, very funny. It stays with you like a satisfying Sunday roast.

James, May 2011

This guy is just evil. I am a sardine, and I saw Tom O'Connor live, and he was brilliant, really funny, talked about oil, and loads of stuff that I can relate to, that's what comedy should be about. This guy Lee though, he's just got loads of ideas and stuff, and he's anti-Christian and probably a communist. Plus he speaks really slowly which means you don't get much for your money, go and see Lee Evans, or better yet buy a Lee Evan's dvd and watch it on fast forward. Why the BBC decided to put this guy's show on in the pre-Babestation slot at half eleven is a mystery to me- didn't get me in the mood at all, although there is more Armando Iannucci this time round.

Dan, May 2011

you might have noticed a distinct correlation between many of his more vehement critics and their inability to spell most words correctly.

small businessman gone berserk, May 2011

@Someoneyoudon'tknow - you comment says only one thing, you are intimidated by intelligence. You must be a very insecure person to feel the need to look up Stewart Lee on this site and make a post that basically shouts out to everyone, "Stewart Lee made me feel inadequate." Haha, enjoy McIntyre

Chalkus, March 2011

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